Googlebooks are coming, but should Microsoft be scared? Windows 11's biggest threat could be Android PCs if things don't improve

It's official. Android PCs are coming this fall under the name Googlebooks, combining the best of Chrome OS and Android together as one OS platform designed for laptops from the likes of Dell, HP, Lenovo, and others. The PC OS competition is heating up, all while Microsoft scrambles to fix Windows 11.

The timing simply couldn't be better for Google. With Windows 11 currently in the gutter, and Microsoft only just starting to fix its biggest problems, more people than ever are eager to jump ship from Windows. Google's Android PCs will be launching later this year, just as Windows 10's extended support window closes.

That means this fall, hundreds of thousands of people will be on the market looking for a new PC to replace their now unsupported one, and it's become increasingly likely that their next laptop won't be one that runs Windows.

Of course, at least out of the gate, these new Googlebooks won't be as functionally capable as Windows PCs. Android is still in its infancy as a desktop OS, with very few apps optimized for the laptop or desktop form factor. But just because it's not a complete Windows alternative today, doesn't mean it won't be in the future.

There's a very large percentage of Windows users that only need a PC for basic productivity tasks, and these Android PCs will be more than capable of handling that workflow. A web browser, word processor, email client, and music streaming app is all that a lot of people want their PC to handle. Paired with fast OS updates, long battery life, and an easy UX, and Google could be onto a winner.

I think it's obvious that Google is striking while the iron is hot, and taking advantage of Windows' slow decline into irrelevancy in the eyes of consumers. It's going to build out Android for PCs over the coming years, targeting not just low-end PCs, but high-end ones too. Google is already calling it a premium PC experience, meaning its crosshairs are aimed directly at Windows computers.

Microsoft has let Windows' quality slip over the last two years, and now both Google and Apple are capitalizing on that mistake. While Microsoft was focused on trying to make AI work for itself, Apple began building a Mac that makes switching from Windows more accessible, and Google began building a version of Android that has the potential to eventually replace Windows.

Now, Windows users have more options than ever to switch away from Microsoft's legacy platform. And legacy is the word. Windows is built on decades of legacy code and compatibility, and it's making it more difficult to compete with these more modern platforms. Android and macOS feel faster, look prettier, and are perceived to be more stable because of their modernity.

And that doesn't even factor in Windows' lack of any presence in the mobile space. The harmony between an iPhone and Mac, and now an Android phone and Googlebook, will be unparalleled. Windows Phone Link is great, but it can only do so much when Microsoft doesn't build the mobile OSes that it links to.

I don't expect Windows to decline into irrelevancy over night. But Android PCs could very well be the start of the beginning of the end for Windows if Google plays its cards right and Microsoft doesn't start taking Windows more seriously. Windows still has the eyes of the enterprise and gamers, but even gamers aren't a forever guarantee now that Linux gaming is a real competitor.

I think it's clear that more than ever, big tech is hungry for a piece of the Windows pie. Microsoft has enjoyed desktop OS domination for too long, and has clearly become complacent. Now, Google, Apple, heck, even companies like Valve want in, and it helps that a large chunk of the market is crying out for alternatives to Windows more than ever.

Microsoft did that to itself. The company has made a series of strategic mistakes around Windows over the last two years, all because of its obsession with AI that has eaten away at any goodwill people may have had for the OS.

Windows K2 is Microsoft's admittance that it has messed up with Windows, and is now scrambling to protect its userbase and fix up the platform and reposition it as a true competitor in this space. The question is, will it be enough, and do people even want Microsoft to fix it at this point? I fear that for many, it's the answer is no.

Ultimately, competition is good, and Microsoft would be wise to take Googlebooks seriously, even if they don't pose much of a threat on paper right now. But what do you think? Will Googlebooks be the next big thing in laptop computing? Let us know your thoughts.

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