Google Sets Oct. 5 Opening Night Event for First Googlebooks

Engadget reported that Googlebooks may start shipping around the Oct. 5 event, and that the company will likely want to begin selling them before the holiday shopping season. The timing is unusual because Google has not yet shown the hardware in full. More details about the devices may arrive before preorders begin next week, according to Engadget.

What is known is that the Googlebooks run on a version of ChromeOS based on Android. That gives them deep integration with Android phones. Google’s long-standing partners Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP and Lenovo are making the laptops, which will have a “glowbar” on the lid.

The laptops will include a feature called Magic Pointer. When a user hovers over something on the screen, it suggests contextual actions. Users must first enable Magic Pointer by wiggling the cursor, so it is not on all the time. Googlebooks are also adopting a feature from Android 17 that lets users generate a custom widget.

Google has not detailed the lineup beyond those features since May. The Oct. 5 event is expected to provide more information, though the preorder window will already be open by then.

Editor's Summary Google will hold an Opening Night event in New York City on Oct. 5 to showcase its first Googlebooks, with preorders beginning Sept. 21. The Android-based laptops are being built by Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP and Lenovo and will include features such as a glowbar and Magic Pointer. The event follows limited public detail from Google since May and may precede the devices’ shipping window before the holiday season.