Just about 15 years ago, Google introduced ChromeOS and Chromebooks , right when cloud computing was becoming mainstream. While early Chromebooks were fraught with limitations, ChromeOS's constraints dissipated over the years, becoming a low-cost, viable alternative to what Apple and Microsoft offer. Google's now looking to shake up the laptop market once again with Googlebooks -- but this time, it's all about AI.

What's a Googlebook? The simple answer: It's a premium laptop powered by an Android- and Gemini-based operating system, with the desktop feel and built-in security of ChromeOS. But trying to explain what that actually means to someone who's not too tech savvy is a little trickier.…