Shock and awe: those two words sum up the world’s reaction to Google’s new Chromebook Pixel, which it unveiled last week. Awe at the Pixel’s design, and shock at its $1,299 price (three to six times higher than other Chromebooks on the market).
All of the reviewers agree on the Chromebook Pixel’s amazing looks. It’s dressed in a sleek aluminum frame, with a hinge that sticks out the back, where the Wi-Fi antennas are enclosed. True to its name, the Pixel has over 4 million pixels in its 12.85-inch display — a higher pixel density than anything else on the market, with 10-20 more pixels per inch than even the Retina MacBook Pros. The screen resolution is 2560 x 1700, which means it’s a bit taller, but not nearly as tall as the older 4:3 laptops. Atop the screen is a 720p webcam. The keyboard is backlit, and underneath the keyboard are the stereo speakers… cool stuff.
Inside is a mid-range dual-core Intel Core i5 processor running at 1.8GHz and 4GB of RAM, which should be more than enough for the lightweight Chrome operating system. Graphics are handled by the on-die HD 4000 GPU. You can choose from either 32GB or 64GB SSD storage, and Google gives you three years of one terabyte of free Google Drive storage. You can also connect to data and peripherals via two USB 2.0 ports and an SD card slot. The Chromebook Pixel weighs 3.35 pounds.
For wireless connectivity, the Pixel offers Bluetooth 3.0, and claims to have longer than average range Wi-Fi. As with other, cheaper Chromebooks, Google 12 free Gogo in-air Wi-Fi sessions. The 64GB model also comes with an integrated LTE radio, and 100MB of free data per month for two years.
Aside from being saddled with the browser-based Chrome OS and a hefty price tag, another downside for the Pixel is that its 52WHr battery will only last about five hours of battery life on a charge, with average use.
Is this Chromebook worth the $1,300 base price? Sorry Google, but nearly all reviewers say no. Perhaps Google overpriced the Pixel with the inevitable price cuts in mind. What’s more likely, though, is that Google is mainly using the Pixel as a huge publicity boost and a stepping stone on its push to create more high-end future Chrome OS devices.
You can check out the official promo video here, and we’ve rounded up the best reviews for you below.
Ars Technica:
“The Pixel seems better positioned as a means to an end rather than as a product that is itself intended to reach a mass-market audience. Google wants the touchscreen to inspire OEMs and software developers to incorporate touch and screens with higher pixel densities. Google wants the high-end materials and price to coax its Chromebook partners out of the low-price, low-quality corner they’ve backed themselves into. The company wants to make the Chrome OS tent bigger.”
CNET:
“For someone who really loves using Chromebooks, the incredibly high premium the Chromebook Pixel costs might be worth it. The image quality really is great. But existing Chromebook users are likely going to take a step down in display resolution. Heck, it’s a step down in display resolution from either the 11-inch or 13-inch MacBook Air or from a Windows 8 touchscreen ultrabook like the Lenovo Yoga.”
Engadget:
“It’s disappointing that Google didn’t introduce any gestures to the OS to match its newfound touch compatibilities. …For an MSRP that is on par with some of the best laptops in the world, the Pixel doesn’t provide anywhere near as much potential when it comes to functionality. It embraces a world where everyone is always connected and everything is done on the web — a world that few people currently live in.”
Gizmodo:
“Even when you can find a decent replacement for your standalone apps—using Pixlr Editor, say, rather than Photoshop—you’ve then got to go through the whole learning curve of adapting to the new software and workflow. It’s a hassle, no two ways about it. In addition, the speakers were decent but not in any way outstanding.”
Laptop:
“2.5/5: Multitasking can also be a chore once you have a lot of browser tabs open. And while the 5 hours of battery life is decent, we expect at least 6 for better ultraportables. For $100 less than this Chromebook, you could get the MacBook Air, which offers a full-fledged desktop OS and 8 hours of juice.”
PC Magazine:
“A premium product like the Chromebook Pixel really should be set up to use all of the basic functions like Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Drive offline by default. That initial setup should automatically be part of the extra services you’re paying for. You’ll also need to manually download and install your Chrome browser apps that are capable of being used offline.”
Pocket-Lint:
“There are two ways to judge the Chromebook Pixel. As a Chromebook, it’s fantastic and there’s little to fault. It’s dripping in quality, it delivers performance. The display is beautifully sharp, it’s wonderful to type on, watch movies on, carry around and use as a daily machine. However, judged as a notebook alongside those more fully-featured rivals and the Chromebook Pixel is an expensive indulgence. For many, that’s all the Pixel will ever be.”
SlashGear:
“It saddens me to say it but this is a Ferrari with a 4-cylinder engine. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for cloud computing, Google, and the Chrome OS, but this is too much too soon.”
The Verge:
“I love the Chromebook Pixel. I can’t remember the last time I so unequivocally enjoyed using a device. …And yet, when it came time to write this review, edit and upload pictures, and do real research, I opened up my MacBook Air again. I needed Photoshop. I needed Evernote to work offline, because I needed a tool that worked better than Google Docs’s Scratchpad tool (which is handy, just not particularly powerful). I needed to easily jump back and forth between three windows at once.”
