Michael Brown

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what Google’s long-term plans were for Assistant. Given their history with sunsetting projects, there was a bit of skepticism. But then came Gemini, and the shift is happening. Let’s see how it unfolds.

Google said in a blog post ‘millions’ of users have transitioned to Gemini. While this is a positive sign, the scale within the broader Android user base is something to consider. The focus on ‘most requested features’ like music and timers highlights the practical aspects of the update. The potential for ‘free-flowing, multimodal conversations’ and ‘deep research’ remains an area of interest. The introduction of features like Gemini 2.0 flash thinking and ‘Memory’ adds to the evolving capabilities of the platform. AI development is complex, and balancing innovation with timely delivery is a challenge.

The AI revolution, sparked by OpenAI, has certainly changed the landscape. While Apple has hinted at contextually intelligent assistants and fumbled so far, Google’s approach with Gemini 2.0, Android, and Gemini Nano suggests a comprehensive strategy. They have the AI capabilities, the software, and the hardware, which is a significant advantage. The timeline for execution is a point of interest. Google’s announcements at I/O, including Project Astra, initially suggested a year-end rollout. The current mid-year update indicates a delay. While delays are common in tech, timely execution is always preferred.

Ultimately, Google’s move to replace Assistant with Gemini is a necessary step in the age of AI. They have the pieces, but the execution will determine their success. If they can deliver on the promise of a truly intelligent and helpful assistant, they could redefine how we interact with our devices. But if they stumble, they risk falling behind in a rapidly evolving market. The next few months will be crucial.

Thirteen years ago, as a GeekSquad Advanced Repair Agent, I saw Chromebooks for what they were: cheap, $200 laptops with a measly 16GB of storage. Thin clients, the IT crowd called them. I called them underwhelming. Many other’s thought the same. Back then, Google’s cloud ambitions manifested as these bare-bones machines—a far cry from the integrated ecosystems I was used to, dominated by Macs and PCs. I knew Google made Android and those software services—Search, Docs, Sheets, Slides—they were fine. But the big picture? I missed it. Google didn’t build hardware like Apple did. To me, they were just… energy. Pure potential, no form. Steve Jobs said computers are a bicycle for the mind. Google was the kinetic energy pushing the bike, not the bike itself. In this analysis, I want to trace Google’s evolution from that pure energy to a company building the bike, the road, the pedals—even the rider.

The shift in my perspective came when I grasped the consumer side of cloud computing—servers, racks, the whole ‘someone else’s computer’ spiel. Suddenly, Chromebooks started to make sense. Cost-effective, they said. All the heavy lifting on Google’s servers, they said. Naïve as I was, I hadn’t yet fully registered Google’s underlying ad-driven empire, the real reason behind the Chromebook push. That revelation led me to a stint as a regional Chromebook rep. A role masquerading as tech, but really, it was sales with a side of jargon. The training retreat? Let’s call it an indoctrination session. The ‘Moonshot Thinking’ video from Google [X]—all inspiration, no product—was the hook. Suddenly, streaming movies and collaborative docs weren’t just features, they were visions. ‘Moonshot thinking,’ I told myself, swallowing the Kool-Aid. Cloud computing, in that moment, seemed revolutionary. I even had ‘office hours’ with Docs project managers, peppering them with questions about real-time collaboration. ‘What if someone pastes the same URL?’ I asked, probably driving them nuts. But I was hooked. Cloud computing, I thought, was the future—or so they wanted me to believe.

That journey, from wide-eyed newbie to… well, slightly less wide-eyed observer, has taught me one thing: Google’s Achilles' heel is execution. They’ve got the vision, the talent, the sheer audacity—but putting it all together? That’s where they stumble. Only in the last three years have they even attempted to wrangle their disparate hardware, software, cloud, and AI efforts into a coherent whole. Too little, too late? Perhaps. Look at the Pixel team: a frantic scramble to catch up, complete with a Jobsian purge of the ‘unpassionate.' Rick Osterloh, a charming and knowledgeable figurehead, no doubt—but is he a ruthless enough leader? That’s the question. He’s managed to corral the Platform and Services division. Yet, the ecosystem still feels… scattered. The Pixel hardware, for all its promise, still reeks of a ‘side project’—a lavish, expensive, and perpetually unfinished side project. The pieces are there, scattered across the table. Can Google finally assemble the puzzle, or will they forever be a company of impressive parts, but no cohesive whole?

After over a decade of observing Google’s trajectory, certain patterns emerge. Chromebooks (bless their budget-friendly hearts), for instance, have settled comfortably into the budget lane: affordable laptops for grade schoolers and retirees. Hardly the ‘sexy’ category Apple’s M-series or those Windows CoPilot ARM machines occupy, is it? Google’s Nest, meanwhile, envisioned ambient computing years ago. Yet, Amazon’s Alexa+ seems to be delivering on that promise while Google’s vision gathers dust. And let’s talk apps: Google’s own, some of the most popular on both Android and iOS, often perform better on iOS. Yes, that’s changing—slowly. And the messaging app graveyard? Overblown, some say. I say, try herding a family group chat through Google’s ever-shifting messaging landscape. Musical chairs, indeed. But, credit where it’s due, Google Messages is finally showing some long-term commitment. Perhaps the ghosts of Hangouts and Allo are finally resting in peace.

The long view, after thirteen years of observing Google’s sprawling ambitions, reveals a complex picture: immense potential, yet a frustrating pattern of fragmented execution. They’ve built impressive pieces—the AI, the cloud, the hardware—but the promised cohesive ecosystem has remained elusive. Whispers of “Pixel Sense,” Google’s rumored answer to true AI integration, offer a glimmer of hope. (And let’s be clear, these are just rumors—I’m not grading on a curve here.) But, after years of watching disjointed efforts, I find myself cautiously optimistic about the direction Rick Osterloh (knowledgeable, and, some might say, charming) and his newly unified Platform and Services division are taking. There’s a sense that, finally, the pieces might be coming together. The vision of a seamlessly integrated Google experience—hardware, software, AI, and cloud—is tantalizingly close. Will they finally deliver? Or will Google continue to be a company of impressive tech demos and unfulfilled promises? Time will tell. But for the first time in a long time, I’m willing to entertain the possibility that Google might just pull it off.