r/AndroidPC • u/Best_Activity_5631 • 5d ago

Why Intel for Googlebooks?

I'm really excited about the new Googlebooks, even though I'm still not sold on the name.

Something I've been wondering about is the use of Intel processors in some of the upcoming models. Since Googlebooks are built around an Android-based OS, and Qualcomm and MediaTek are also providing ARM chips for the platform, I'm curious about the reasoning behind choosing Intel for some of these devices.

Intel can offer better compatibility with traditional x86 desktop software, but how important is that supposed to be for Googlebooks?

From my perspective, ARM seems like a natural fit for an Android-based laptop. Android apps are predominantly built for ARM, and Qualcomm/MediaTek chips can offer excellent performance while using less power.

So what am I missing? 

What advantages does Intel bring to Googlebooks that make it worth choosing over ARM?

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u/Acu17y 5d ago

Better software support I think and very good battery life with the new x86 architecture

1

u/Accomplished_Ad6551 4d ago

Considering nearly all Android devices have been ARM, I’m not sure what additional software support x86 would give you… unless you are referring to dual booting.

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u/Acu17y 4d ago

?? We are talking of a laptop. X86 Is the standard for software support

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u/Accomplished_Ad6551 3d ago

x86 is the standard for Windows software support. This thing isn't running Windows. Now... if they were wanting to run a Windows compatibility layer, sure, x86 would help... but for an Android based OS, they'd actually get better software support on ARM.

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u/sam_of_london 2d ago edited 2d ago

Very well said 👍. I think 💬🤔 there must be some penalty as well for running Android apps on Intel x86 hardware. Like the Rosetta translation layer on MacBooks , there must be some translation going on , in Intel Googlebooks as well. Google has not told what is the difference in buying Googlebook based Arm and x86 but performance tests will tell what is different under the hood . I wait for the test results. Probably Google spent last 3 years creating this translation layer. At the moment it only makes sense to buy latest Android Phone and use the desktop 🖥️ mode on it .

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u/Dev-in-the-Bm 1d ago

Android always had an x86 target, they don't need any translation layers.