Google’s reputation for good hardware started to emerge over the past couple of years with the latest range of Nexus devices. Now, Google has invested a lot of energy in developing its first Chromebook, which uses its Chrome OS.
The resulting device is spectacular to say the least, and is certainly a premium device in terms of hardware and design. However, the problem might be justifying the cost of the software, unless the user has a habit of functioning on the cloud 24/7.
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Pros
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Display with 239 Pixels Per Inch (greater than Apple’s famed “Retina” display) |
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LTE built-in-support* (Wi-Fi only also available) |
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Touchscreen enabled |
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Premium build-quality |
Cons
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Battery could be better |
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Relatively expensive |
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Chrome OS is good but might not justify the cost for most users |
Hardware
Google’s design team has opted for a premium heavily minimalistic design. Accordingly the body of the Pixel is made with an anodised aluminium alloy, and elements like the vents, screws and stereo speakers are virtually invisible, being neatly integrated into the overall design. There are two versions of the Pixel: Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + LTE.
The biggest attraction of this device is the display screen, which boasts an amazing 4.3 million pixels; the highest for any laptop (even greater than the Macbook Pro’s Retina display which features 220/PPI). The 12.85” screen also has a 3:2 aspect ratio (the common standard these days is 16:10) that is primarily designed while keeping in mind that most websites are designed for horizontal display. There is also a 0.55mm layer of Gorilla Glass that is directly fused to the screen and allows users to use a variety of touch interactions during use.
Underneath the hood, the Pixel boasts an 1.8Ghz i5 Processor with integrated intel HD Graphics 4000. It also comes loaded with 4GB DDR3 RAM and a 32GB Solid State Drive (64GB on the LTE model).
The Chromebook Pixel also boasts a backlit keyboard and a glass-etched touchpad. Additional features include an integrated 720p HD camera, 2 USB 2.0 ports, a mini display port, memory card reader, integrated Digital Signal Processor (DSP) for noise cancellation, and high-end stereo speakers.
Since the Chromebook Pixel is primarily designed for the cloud, Google has gone out of its way to enhance the connectivity systems. The Pixel features a dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n 2x2 system, Bluetooth 3.0 and built-in LTE (for the LTE model).
Interface: Chrome OS
Most responses to the Pixel’s debut has focused around the hardware, which is certainly superb. The software, however, is going to be the focal point for those thinking of buying the device. The Chrome OS is fast, safe and secure but it is primarily built around Google’s Chrome browser and does not come loaded with the standard features of Windows or OSx, and is designed for constant use on the cloud. This might appeal to a certain class of users but for others it might be a deal-breaker.
Given the fact that the Wi-Fi only version is $1,299 and the LTE model is $1,499, one cannot help but wonder if it is actually better to buy a high-end ultrabook or Macbook instead, both of which feature more advanced Operating Systems for offline and online use. Of course, one could argue that if Google opts for a more robust OS, then the main attractions of the current system (simplicity and speed) become compromised.
It is certainly possible to do all the work on the cloud but just not yet. Google Drive is not as powerful as Microsoft Office and lots of high-end software packages such as Photoshop are not designed to run on Chrome OS (however, there are similar apps on Google Drive).
Google has put a lot of faith on the cloud computing model, and to prove the point, it offers 1TB worth of storage on Google Drive for three years. Other perks don’t apply in Sri Lanka.
Conclusion
Personally, I think this is Google’s way of telling the world that it is capable of creating premium devices on its own. Some of the features - touch screen, resolution, cloud storage, etc. - on the Chromebook Pixel are amazing but the real drawback is in terms of the software offering.
At this stage, average users will find that it just doesn’t match up to Windows and OSx. However, if you are on the move and you do all your work on the cloud, then this might meet all your needs (there are cheaper Chromebooks available though). Given this reality, it might be difficult to recommend buying the first generation Chromebook Pixel. If there is an improvement in the software, however, it might be difficult to argue against buying one.
By Navam Niles
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0 Comments
Nipun says:
Jun 07, 2013 at 12:00 amI am using a Chromebook Pixel in Sri Lanka (may one of the very few :) ). It is true that some perks still does not apply here in Sri Lanka but once the pixel is switched on and had a glance it became really annoying even to stare at other laptop screens..Wish it had more offline apps for photo editing and other stuff..but it is having so much potential for the future.. the sketch apps and interactive apps are mind blowing with the integration of high end display and the touch screen. Yes...Goog