Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
It definitely is for a niche market at that price point but the Pixelbook definitely has more uses than a Chrome browser. A couple of my coworkers are using it to install a Linux distro via Crouton.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5105973
what do you mean Android apps are "pretty bad on a phone"? It's not 2012 anymore...

anyways yea this device is weird. It's kind of in my target market as I do digital illustration but even the lowest tier Surface Pro blows this thing away.

Apps I have used on Android devices are typically pretty clunky and not nearly as good as their iOS counterparts. Also, the overall amount of quality apps on Android seems to be very low.
 
  • Like
Reactions: deanthedev
I don't see the point. Android apps are pretty bad on a phone and even worse on a tablet. I couldn't imagine how bad they are stretched to this size. Chrome OS isn't viable as a good solution either.

The major apps necessary such as youtube, gmail, hangouts, quikpic, chrome browser, baconreader, spotify, google music, microsoft office, google docs are all tablet optimized for android and games run well. Most apps I use would be the same ones I would use if I had a ipad and they are not stretched out. Android apps are not bad at all especially the major ones, you are thinking several years ago when this may have been an issue.
 
  • Like
Reactions: can$rules
One thing that is overlooked is that the Pixelbook can run full Linux (ie. Ubuntu or varients) using Crouton. You can switch back and forth on the fly between ChromeOS and Linux without having to Dual Boot. Then you have access to all Linux apps on the distro. That's how I have my system set up. It is unbelievable.
 
The major apps necessary such as youtube, gmail, hangouts, quikpic, chrome browser, baconreader, spotify, google music, microsoft office, google docs are all tablet optimized for android and games run well. Most apps I use would be the same ones I would use if I had a ipad and they are not stretched out.

Good to hear that some are. I still think iOS is much better suited when it comes to apps, on any screen.
 
I don't see the point. Android apps are pretty bad on a phone and even worse on a tablet. I couldn't imagine how bad they are stretched to this size. Chrome OS isn't viable as a good solution either.
I suppose that it depends upon one's perspective and uses. I find the Android version of MS Office to be more useful than the iOS version. But on my chromebook, I prefer to use the online version of MS Office, which has even more functionality.

Android apps on my Acer R11 chromebook and Lenovo Yoga Book (Android) use the native resolution of the display and aren't "stretched". Multi-window support works well.

ChromeOS has come a long way from those early days. The addition of support for Android apps is pretty solid and getting better with each update. It isn't perfect and there are some limitations (like isolated filesystems between chromeOS and Android).

As Google gets more serious about chromeOS, I think it is going to fit a niche between mobile OS and desktop OS.

Having said that, the comparison is not a reasonable one. The iPad Pro is a tablet, the Pixelbook is hybrid.
 
So let's throw high end components in a slick case, but then dumb it down by giving it a basic linux operating system... there's absolutely ZERO purpose for such high end numbers from a computer designed for old people and students.
 
The Pixelbook is just as portable as the iPad Pro...
What is the basis of this statement?

The Pixelbook weighs 2.4 lbs and has a volume of 39.67 cu.in.

The 12.9" iPad Pro weighs 1.49 lbs and has a volume of 28.12 cu.in.
This is before you attach the smart keyboard to the ipad pro and that brings it to a bit more weight than the pixelbook.
Thank-you - that makes sense.

I'm surprised that Apple doesn't list the weight for the Smart Keyboard on its website, but six colors has done the legwork here.

The 12.9" Smart Keyboard weighs 0.75 lbs., which brings the weight of the iPad Pro up to 2.24 lbs - still lighter / 'more portable' than the Pixelbook. ;)
 
For the prices these companies are charging for a half-baked PC, might as well just get the real thing like a Surface Pro or its clones like a Dell or HP.

I had the Ipad Pro 10.5 for a week, it did nothing better than my regular iPad that costed $250 on sale at Microcenter, so I'm like what kinda fool am I to pay another $500 just to have a stylus, thus I returned it.

Basically, if you want a real computer, than go get a real PC and stop playing around fooling yourself into thinking the iPad Pro or ChromeOS is a real computer, its not. If you want an iPad for reading or playing games, than save yourself alot of money and get you the regular iPad. I've seen the 32GB version go on sale for $250 many times during the holiday and its plenty fast (until the crooks at Apple slows it down so they can force you to buy a new one).
Do you also believe fire hd tablets are the same as iPads?
After all, according to your logic, there's no differents.

And if apple are such crooks, why not buy from another company?

Oh wait, this is macrumors. Reason is not one of its strengths.
 
Thank-you - that makes sense.

I'm surprised that Apple doesn't list the weight for the Smart Keyboard on its website, but six colors has done the legwork here.

The 12.9" Smart Keyboard weighs 0.75 lbs., which brings the weight of the iPad Pro up to 2.24 lbs - still lighter / 'more portable' than the Pixelbook. ;)

Add the smart cover on too and thats how I came to my conclusion with weight.....
 
  • Like
Reactions: bobob
The Pixelbook seems more targeted towards the Surface Pro or the Macbook then the iPad. Especially for those who are not heavily invested or considering a change in the Mac or Windows ecosystems. A quality home or home office system, with much less hassles in upgrading the OS, good security, all in one solution, and priced the same. If I was to consider a change, would give the Pixelbook a hard look.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sracer
General conclusion of this entire thread...just dont compare these two devices (one is a tablet running ios and one is a hybrid running a full OS and android) and please don't spend $1000 on a chromebook at least not until one comes as a true detachable tablet with much better pen support.
 
My Pixelbook has replaced my iPad Pro, which I gave to my wife, and it does everything that I personally need it to do. It's actually replaced my MacBook as well.

Also, I'm not going to complain about paying $850 for Pixelbook ($150 off) and getting a free Google Home with it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: can$rules
The major apps necessary such as youtube, gmail, hangouts, quikpic, chrome browser, baconreader, spotify, google music, microsoft office, google docs are all tablet optimized for android and games run well. Most apps I use would be the same ones I would use if I had a ipad and they are not stretched out. Android apps are not bad at all especially the major ones, you are thinking several years ago when this may have been an issue.

This is the point. If you stick to the major Apps they are good on either platform and one could claim iOS and Android are equals. It’s when you go outside the major Apps is when you see iOS as being far superior to Android.

It’s 2018 and a large chunk of Android Apps are nothing more than universal Apps which scale poorly (and are not at all optimized) for tablets. You can’t take popular Apps as an example and assume all Android Apps are as well designed.
 
Which is not going to be really hard if they focus on usability and functionality, rather than thinness and featureless.

Exactly.

Plus chrome may be a “niche” os but it looks like they have found a pretty damn good ‘niche.
I also want one, not pixel book, but chrome has improved a lot. I’ll opt for one over ipad.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/9to5ma...os-market-share-k-12-education-chrome-os/amp/

Grades k-12 In the US, Chrome OS managed to grow to 58% market share in 2016 up from 50% a year earlier, while iOS dropped to 14%, down from 19% in 2015, and macOS dropped to 5% share, down from 6%.

9-5 mac site
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5105973 and Cryates
This is the point. If you stick to the major Apps they are good on either platform and one could claim iOS and Android are equals. It’s when you go outside the major Apps is when you see iOS as being far superior to Android.

It’s 2018 and a large chunk of Android Apps are nothing more than universal Apps which scale poorly (and are not at all optimized) for tablets. You can’t take popular Apps as an example and assume all Android Apps are as well designed.

But when you need that one weird app that allows APK transfers, streaming movies you may not pay for, and doing other out there things on a device...android apps are the way to go and you are not locked into that Apple garden. Plus, having a real file manager and microsd card support is nice and pleasant for some of us. I can do so much on just android....i can literally not use my real PC or laptop if I did not want to but I love tech.
 
The Pixelbook seems more targeted towards the Surface Pro or the Macbook then the iPad. Especially for those who are not heavily invested or considering a change in the Mac or Windows ecosystems. A quality home or home office system, with much less hassles in upgrading the OS, good security, all in one solution, and priced the same. If I was to consider a change, would give the Pixelbook a hard look.
I heavily use productivity suites on a daily basis. Among them is the latest version of iWork. Although it is still dumbed down from iWork '09, it is sloooowly improving in functionality. The interesting thing to me is, using the web version of iWork is a superior experience than using it on the 12.9 iPad Pro.

I am more productive using the web version of iWork on my chromebook than I am using the iOS version of iWork on my iPad Pro. That was quite a surprise to me.

For those fully committed to the chromeOS platform, the Pixelbook is the ultimate. For me, I'll stick with the Acer R11 and maybe step up to the Samsung chromebook Plus.
 
General conclusion of this entire thread...just dont compare these two devices (one is a tablet running ios and one is a hybrid running a full OS and android) and please don't spend $1000 on a chromebook at least not until one comes as a true detachable tablet with much better pen support.

Since when is ChromeOS a “full OS”? More like a toy OS.
 
Since when is ChromeOS a “full OS”? More like a toy OS.

Still a full OS...no browser limitations. Actual desktop browser. It contains true and accurate mouse support and a file manager catered to Chrome OS itself. It can do word processing etc....and with android it doesn't just depend on web apps. Its a full OS. It allows peripherals to be attached such as microsd cards and usb flash drives. You can nearly do almost everything necessary for the average human PC needs on it. Just don't get into coding, drawing, graphic design, high end PC gaming, and photoshop and thats when the limitations start to be seen.

Funny you don't call the ipad pro a toy OS when it doesn't have the full and true capabilities I listed above so maybe that's a toy.
 
Last edited:
Since when is ChromeOS a “full OS”? More like a toy OS.

Why are you so upset at chrome? It’s much more than a toy. For many, see my post above on os taking ios and mac share k-12 us, its all that is needed. You seem to be taking it personally.


BB79F7B5-65BB-4BAB-BCCE-970000493D60.jpeg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: sdz and sracer
Still a full OS...no browser limitations. Actual desktop browser. It contains true and accurate mouse support and a file manager catered to Chrome OS itself. It can do word processing etc....and with android it doesn't just depend on web apps. Its a full OS. It allows peripherals to be attached such as microsd cards and usb flash drives. You can nearly do almost everything necessary for the average human PC needs on it. Just don't get into coding and photoshop and thats when the limitations start to be seen.
I'm impressed with how thorough chromeOS support is for USB and bluetooth peripherals. Mice, keyboards, gamepads, USB thumb drives, USB harddrives, USB mics, even specialized presentation/powerpoint remote controls with USB receiver are all recognized and work on my chromebooks.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jamesrick80
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.