Since he specifically stated the 2 year limit, I think the other user was referring to hardware support since that seems to be the only part of product support from Google that has a 2 year limit.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple's iPad Pro vs. Google's Pixelbook
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
No it doesn’t.
The fact that every time I ask for examples of Android Apps to try on my Android devices to compare to iOS equivalents (and nobody steps up) speaks volumes.
You make all sorts of claims but nothing to back them up. Now I could pick some Apps to compare, but I’d be accused of cherry-picking ones intentionally to make Android look bad. Which is why I leave it up to you. But nobody bothers because they know the truth: iOS Apps are significantly better than Android, especially on tablets.
[doublepost=1515357728][/doublepost]
Absolutely false. An iPad Pro has far more capable Apps than a browser trying to pretend to be a PC. All the things I can do on an iPad (offline, BTW) need to be done server side on a Chrombook. Like image or video editing. There are virtually no high-end Apps for a Chromebook that run locally. Which is actually funny considering the processors are capable enough.
Windows 10 on Snapdragon is a joke. Then again, I’ve explained this to you before but you continue to post the same nonsense over and over.
That might be one explanation. There's another... I don't know about anybody else, but I have no desire to convince you to change your belief regarding Android vs iOS. Feel free to believe what you like and carry on.
That still doesn’t make the blindest bit of sense and if you’re not prepared to say where the line is, it’s nonsense to argue the point if the point is a computer performs “all advanced functions” while another device doesn’t. Particularly when the choice of OS and hardware dictates the functions of any given computer.. A computer running OS/2 is still a computer, and a ******** computer than any modern tablet.
Good luck doing useful stuff on an OG Macintosh, it’s also still a computer. The iPad is a more capable computer than many peoples’ home PCs and laptops.
What are the advanced functions you’re referring to, that can be done by all “computers”, but not other devices?
Nope! I have an HP Chromebook 14", and without internet, I can access files I've saved offline. It has a USB port, so I still have the option to use USB pen drives to put/get files onto there. It comes with software to do basic image cropping and editing. As of many years ago, Google Office works offline. Changes you make without internet will get synched into Google's cloud when you get back online.
Then there are other basic things like calculator. Bonus is, this product was only $200, but it's an absolute joy to web browse with. For me, the only form of web browsing that's superior is on a desktop PC with a computer mouse with back/forward buttons, keyboard, and large monitor (I have a 26" IIRC, bigger would be better). That also beats out my Ipad, Ipod Touch, and Android phones.
I've never used OSX for more than a few moments at a time. I'd probably never bother with one, but I can understand if they love it so much that they'll hold on to it until it's ripped "from their cold, dead, hands". AFAIK, that same joy is what I have with my Chromebook.
[doublepost=1515447606][/doublepost]
Well, Surface Pros are really nice, but they start above $1K. AFAIK, it's the "cheaper treat effect" where many people buy $5 fancy coffee drinks, smoothies, etc. but if they paid $3 to $8 more, that could be a full meal in other places. A good meal at that! Still, the margins and sales on them drinks keeps MANY places in business, and also subsidizes the other products too!
Apps are lacking on the Android side compared to iOS, and if they are not optimised for x86 code then they draw more power on the Intel machines. However they are not useless and add value to the Chromebook experience.
Thing is I do 90% of my work in a browser. My second device needs to have a fast full featured browser. I think ChromeOS offers the best experience in that regard, be it on a $250 device like the smaller Asus Flip, or the Pixelbook. I have both. My i5 Pixelbook is almost as quick in web benchmarks as my Windows i7 NUC desktop.
The Pixelbook is great focused hardware - as is the the iPad pro.
I agree with comments on RDP on ChromeOS. It works well, and know people who RDP to both Mac and PC desktops. I happen to use a Windows machine, because I like small form factor desktops I can stick in a bag and take away with me for presentations. But would be happy to switch when Apple comes up with a decent i7 Mac Mini.
Thing is I do 90% of my work in a browser. My second device needs to have a fast full featured browser. I think ChromeOS offers the best experience in that regard, be it on a $250 device like the smaller Asus Flip, or the Pixelbook. I have both. My i5 Pixelbook is almost as quick in web benchmarks as my Windows i7 NUC desktop.
The Pixelbook is great focused hardware - as is the the iPad pro.
I agree with comments on RDP on ChromeOS. It works well, and know people who RDP to both Mac and PC desktops. I happen to use a Windows machine, because I like small form factor desktops I can stick in a bag and take away with me for presentations. But would be happy to switch when Apple comes up with a decent i7 Mac Mini.
Any apps in particular that are lacking? By category, or was that more so a general reference? I will be upfront and say most of my app experiences on both platforms are pretty much games. I use nongame stuff too, but my focus is much less since when I find something that works, I just stick with it, and most of them are what Google already includes, or some LG ones.
For games, Android has gotten releases too. If not right away, then wait a few more months (e.g. Super Mario Run came out on Android 3 months later). Otherwise, there are really enough games to keep one occupied, so it is a different arena than 'apps'. Especially if it's for work.
For mainstream functionality, like office suites, mindmaps, media players, etc. in my experiences there isn't a significant difference in the availability and quality of iOS apps vs Android. Where I have found Android to fall short in are those "unitasker" apps, like word cloud generators, and other "creative" apps.
Part of that is due to Google's slow response to enhancing Android for tablet use. The wave of high quality Android apps has subsided with only a few still actively being manufactured by well-established companies. But now that Google is moving full-speed ahead in getting Android support into all chromebooks, I expect there to be a resurgence in interest in developing for Android.
Devices like the Samsung chromebook Plus and Pro and Google Pixelbook are helping to bring chromebooks out of the education market and into more professional/enterprise venues.
Actually I do. And precisely I can be in control when and when I search. And that's the reason I don't use gmail. etc.. etc.. On an Android phone... Good luck
I actually made an account to respond to this post.
You couldn’t be more wrong about ChromeOS. Maybe you never used it or haven’t used it recently.
Yes I agree that iOS has more polished apps but to say that ChromeOS on the Pixelbook only works online with browser apps is ridiculous.
First, you can use some chrome extensions and apps offline. Second, you can use android apps from the Playstore just like an android phone or tablet.
Also check out the app crossover. It lets you run x86 apps like full desktop Microsoft Word on any chromebook with an Intel chip. That’s pretty “Pro” to me.
I have both an iPad Pro and Pixelbook. Both are great but the Pixelbook has much more utility.
I have never used ChromeOS but I have been looking hard at Chromebooks lately. I have narrowed my choice to the Asus Flip, Samsung Plus, Samsung Pro. I think something with a 2 in 1 screen would work best for my needs. I will use it for browsing, netflix, amazon video, youtube, and a few apps.
I just can't see buying full blown MBP and I have an iPad already. I think stand mode and a real keyboard will be a nice change. I also want something on the smaller side...would love a 11 inch something. The stylus on the Samsung's would be handy sometimes for drawing etc. 2 in 1's seem like a great hybrid option between a laptop and iPad.
The Pixelbook looks nice but is more than I want to spend. I think I will get a chromebook soon and test the waters. I have a desktop computer for heavier task. Any recommendations or tips before I purchase would be greatly appreciated. My budget is $500 ish. Thanks
I just can't see buying full blown MBP and I have an iPad already. I think stand mode and a real keyboard will be a nice change. I also want something on the smaller side...would love a 11 inch something. The stylus on the Samsung's would be handy sometimes for drawing etc. 2 in 1's seem like a great hybrid option between a laptop and iPad.
The Pixelbook looks nice but is more than I want to spend. I think I will get a chromebook soon and test the waters. I have a desktop computer for heavier task. Any recommendations or tips before I purchase would be greatly appreciated. My budget is $500 ish. Thanks
I highly recommend the Samsung chromebook Plus. I too wanted to test the waters and ended up with an Acer chromebook R11 for $250. It didn't take more than a week to see that chromeOS had advanced greatly since the last time I tried it... especially with support for Android apps.
Finally found the post I wanted to jump-in from! I agree 100% with @Gherkin's post: Surface is a great product, as were/are-ish MBPs (just hate new keyboard, pricing). But I have had a Pixelbook (base config) for 28 days and have to decide whether to keep or return in 2 days. I'm probably going to keep it.
First, I can afford to "overpay" by some $300 for a tertiary product (after desktop, 2015 MBP); this is key, at least for the segment I will define as "me!" (FWIW, the effective cost of my PB is $698 - on sale for $800 Amazon pre-Xmas, $62 Netflix promotion, $40 of free Google Drive, which I was otherwise paying for. But I think I would be keeping it even if it cost me the full $999.)
Second, if you have learned to love Macs in part because of their highly superior design and build quality, you definitely would pay up some amount for the amazing quality and user experience of this laptop, this chromebook, because in my experience there is no laptop-like device in production that comes close to providing the immensely luxurious experience of doing what I do (about 80% of my computing device work time) than the Pixelbook. It's no single attribute, but combine the keyboard, touchpad, screen, "convertible" form factor execution, pen interface (prefer Bamboo Ink to Google branded pen - not as precise as Apple Pencil, but excellent feel and no discernable lag), more yet, and you get the kind of luxury, fast, buttery smooth UX heretofore only Macs of prior days could deliver. And yes, if you can afford it (see more reasons, below) it's well worth the coin to spend 75-80% of my time working in such luxury and speed.)
Third, no Mac or PC has the speed, fluidity, frictionless operation that Chrome OS has, all the moreso on this over-spec'd device. Everything flies, nothing ever stutters, waits or fails - never! Also, there is absolutely zero maintenance of any kind. And, like an iPad, it's instant-on and for computer-type activities, I can't describe what a luxury that is. Is it better than an iPad Pro? Functionally, mostly not, but in a few areas it is (file system, Chrome browser extensions, others I can't bring to mind), but in no meaningful way is it a worse experience than an iPad Pro, and it's a laptop with a keyboard, one of the best laptop keyboards I have ever used!
I could go on, but for the 2 of you still reading (I'm an optimist!) let me just tie this together. The Pixelbook stands as the only device of its type, versatility of form factor/operating mode, level of quality of UX, speed for the tasks it performs. And by this I mean it's the best of any alternative device for doing the work I can do on it, and that accounts for 80% of the time I spend every day on a very smart device - ie, computer or tablet. It is extremely thin and light and, in Apple product parlance, it's as if they melded a MacBook and an iPad Pro, gave it a far, far better keyboard and, admittedly, a not quite as good touch pad or perhaps screen (though both are superb too) and significantly inferior audio (not remotely a dealbreaker) and put it at a price point lower than the MacBook and not much more than an iPad with the best keyboard accessory (to me, that's a Brydge), plus it has two USB C ports, while not TB, high bandwidth capable of 4K video.
Well, clearly neither brevity not the ability to summarize are my strong suits, but suffice to say that I've reached the stage of life that, while pretty tech savvy, I gravitate to that which makes life easier, more enjoyable and more efficient and I can afford to pay a bit for these things some would call "luxuries" but I consider affordable accessories for my comfortable (but far from top 1%, not even 10%) lifestyle. The Pixelbook today is my 80% device and, when traveling, 100% (once in a blue moon I could use Remote Desktop to my home desktop if I need the functionality). The Android experience is quite decent today and getting better every day. The utility of this device will only improve with time, though I don't need it to - I'm thrilled to have it instead of a new MBP or Ultrabook and in 2 years, if I need something more powerful, this, like all Apple products, will retain its value and I will sell it and trade up to whatever is as great as this thing is circa 2020.
Case closed
Last edited:
When the Chromebook was introduce, June 2011, yes an Internet connect was a must. Thus many folk, most, continue to think that it is true today. For years offline access for Google suite of apps have been available. Some software vendors do provide offline access, others do not.
When one is using Google’s suite of office apps, Docs Sheets Slides calendar Gmail and more, you have an option making your files available offline. When again you have a connection it magically syncs and updates those edits to the file on Google Drive; same as working offline with a Mac or PC. Reason I know this, I use my Toshiba Chromebook II offline. Google suite of office apps is extraordinarily capable. Folks send me Word and Excel files that I work on using Google suite then send them back as .DOCX and XLSX files; all is good.
Last edited:
The iPad Pro with keyboard cover and a cell modem is more useful than a Macbook for 90% of the tasks I need i for. In addition, the App ecosystem for the iPad Pro is significantly better and more robust than it is for a Macbook.
I still own a Macbook for certain tasks, but don't discount the iPad Pro for productivity usage.