Should I buy a ChromeBook Pixel?

[Fireball Dragon]

I have been intrigued by the ChromeBook Pixel. Having seen one in person, I was very impressed with the build quality. No doubt about it, it is a fantastic piece of hardware!

There is 3 years of 1TB storage included, which is definitely a bonus, so am okay with the limited SSD of 32 GB.

I just wanted to ask if anyone has any experiences with this device.

Also, is there anyway to obtain student discount on this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[MuffCabbage]

Got money to blow and a real computer that will be fine for the foreseeable future?
Do you do all your computing in the cloud?
Can you not manage Windows or OS X?
Dont mind waiting for it to improve in performance and capability? (If it does which I hope)
Want the 3:2 aspect ratio?
Think Pixel hardware is better than MBPr and Kirabook?

 

[Chundles]

I'm yet to see a use-case for this particular type of computer.

 

[Assault]

You won't find many people with this yet, since the first consumers in the US would have had them for roughly 5-6 days now. While I love Android and Chrome, you would be better off just buying the latest $250 Samsung Chrome book. Barring the high resolution of the Pixel, you are looking at a similar product for $1200 less. Hell, you could by the Samsung Chromebook and a MacBook Air/Pro for the same price! Granted, you would pay what is perceived as a lower price in Quid, but whether you say £800 or $1200, it is way to much.

Additionally, there is no 3G version of the Pixel and the 4G version is tied to Verizon in the US. Is England getting a 4G version? So, you have to buy the WiFi Pixel version and tether. And have you read reviews? Multitasking on this thing is a travesty. You can have one window open and run okay, but open more and forget about using it.

Way to many negative strikes against this product. It isn't anything new, it doesn't assist you in any way that an Air or tablet can't, is limited by being either WiFi only or stuck to Verizon (or not have a 4G version?) and is expensive for what little it provides.

When it comes to computers, Apple is still the number 1 brand. I hate to say that, but it is true.

 

[ugahairydawgs]

$1300 seems like an awful lot to spend on a well designed web browser.

 

[The iGentleman]

While I love Android and Chrome, you would be better off just buying the latest $250 Samsung Chrome book. Barring the high resolution of the Pixel, you are looking at a similar product for $1200 less.

Not at all. The Chromebook you are talking about does not have anywhere near the same guts as the Pixel. There is one Samsung Chromebook that has the same guts, but it isn't available to the general consumer.

Multitasking on this thing is a travesty. You can have one window open and run okay, but open more and forget about using it.

The multitasking runs just fine on it.

 

[Fireball Dragon]

You won't find many people with this yet, since the first consumers in the US would have had them for roughly 5-6 days now. While I love Android and Chrome, you would be better off just buying the latest $250 Samsung Chrome book. Barring the high resolution of the Pixel, you are looking at a similar product for $1200 less. Hell, you could by the Samsung Chromebook and a MacBook Air/Pro for the same price! Granted, you would pay what is perceived as a lower price in Quid, but whether you say £800 or $1200, it is way to much.

Additionally, there is no 3G version of the Pixel and the 4G version is tied to Verizon in the US. Is England getting a 4G version? So, you have to buy the WiFi Pixel version and tether. And have you read reviews? Multitasking on this thing is a travesty. You can have one window open and run okay, but open more and forget about using it.

Way to many negative strikes against this product. It isn't anything new, it doesn't assist you in any way that an Air or tablet can't, is limited by being either WiFi only or stuck to Verizon (or not have a 4G version?) and is expensive for what little it provides.

When it comes to computers, Apple is still the number 1 brand. I hate to say that, but it is true.

I am actually looking at the wifi only version, as hotspots are plentiful in public places in central London, where I will be commuting to nearly every day.

The biggest plus points are the 1 TB of cloud storage for 3 years. I have envisioned a device where I can have easy access to all my files, from anywhere in the world, and this is probably what the future of computing will be like.

I have read a plethora of reviews, which universally praise the hardware. In fact, I am yet to find a review which flaws the industrial design. It is the software which has received criticism.

As a result, I have downloaded chrome onto my rMBP and am using it in conjunction with (5GB) of google drive storage to serve as a test-bed, before (and if) I make the purchase.

Fully agree that it is a costly purchase, hence my apprehension at this early stage.

 

[Sylon]

I'm still trying to figure out what the point of these Chrome books are. So, they are basically a glorified web browser that is limited to cloud storage? What can you install on it? Any photo/video editors, heavy games, etc?


Seems like a lot of money for a computer with such extensive limitations. For just a little bit more you could get a retina MBP and have the ability to do so much more with it. What you are paying for with the Pixel is the screen. Well, the Nexus 10 has similar resolution, with a higher PPI, same amount of storage space, more mobility, and access to all the apps on the Google Play Store, longer battery life, all for more than half the cost. Buy a BT keyboard and you basically have the Pixel for more than half the price.


You can do what you want, but personally, I would save the money.

 

[Fireball Dragon]

I'm still trying to figure out what the point of these Chrome books are. So, they are basically a glorified web browser that is limited to cloud storage? What can you install on it? Any photo/video editors, heavy games, etc?


Seems like a lot of money for a computer with such extensive limitations. For just a little bit more you could get a retina MBP and have the ability to do so much more with it. What you are paying for with the Pixel is the screen. Well, the Nexus 10 has similar resolution, with a higher PPI, same amount of storage space, more mobility, and access to all the apps on the Google Play Store, longer battery life, all for more than half the cost. Buy a BT keyboard and you basically have the Pixel for more than half the price.


You can do what you want, but personally, I would save the money.

That actually seems like a fair suggestion. Is there any way to use a mouse with the Nexus 10?

 

[MuffCabbage]

Look into the Acer Aspire S7, Toshiba Kirabook, or Retina MBP.

The Aspire S7 just dropped by $300 bucks in the Microsoft Store.
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/productID.257325000

 

[ucfgrad93]

$1300 seems like an awful lot to spend on a well designed web browser.

Agreed. I would not purchase one.

 

[Sylon]

That actually seems like a fair suggestion. Is there any way to use a mouse with the Nexus 10?

I honestly don't know about that one.

 

[willcapellaro]

If you do it, go cellular. The LTE option is the only use case that makes sense and gives any advantage over a mac or windows laptop. I'm sure you already know that the huge disadvantages and if they would apply to your use case.

 

[Fireball Dragon]

If you do it, go cellular. The LTE option is the only use case that makes sense and gives any advantage over a mac or windows laptop. I'm sure you already know that the huge disadvantages and if they would apply to your use case.

As I already have a rMBP, the will to purchase a Chromebook is more curiosity and desire. In fact, I was in the market for a portable and lightweight computer, and was looking as the £200 chromebooks, but disappointed by their cheap feel...

One thing led to another, and I came across the pixel, which looks amazing. As I commute to London city everyday, catching wifi is never a real problem.

 

[willcapellaro]

As I already have a rMBP, the will to purchase a Chromebook is more curiosity and desire. In fact, I was in the market for a portable and lightweight computer, and was looking as the £200 chromebooks, but disappointed by their cheap feel...

One thing led to another, and I came across the pixel, which looks amazing. As I commute to London city everyday, catching wifi is never a real problem.

Well if you have the cash then you owe it to us to try it out and report back. I for one think Google should try and get people to try out their ecosystem in some manner. Simulating the experience in a catchy video or web simulator would be a great way to do this. I have no concept on how I would, say, work process or lay out anything if I didn't have a mac, PC, ipad or tablet in front me. It's seems to be their weirdest sort of laptop available. Is the play store available for it, and sufficiently populated?

 

[The iGentleman]

Well if you have the cash then you owe it to us to try it out and report back. I for one think Google should try and get people to try out their ecosystem in some manner. Simulating the experience in a catchy video or web simulator would be a great way to do this. I have no concept on how I would, say, work process or lay out anything if I didn't have a mac, PC, ipad or tablet in front me. It's seems to be their weirdest sort of laptop available. Is the play store available for it, and sufficiently populated?

The Play Store is not available for Chrome OS, instead "apps" are Chrome extensions (and added through the Chrome Web Store). What else would you like to know?

 

[Stooby Mcdoobie]

That actually seems like a fair suggestion. Is there any way to use a mouse with the Nexus 10?

You can use USB (via adapter) and Bluetooth peripherals with most Android devices. The Nexus line is no exception.

 

[willcapellaro]

The Play Store is not available for Chrome OS, instead "apps" are Chrome extensions (and added through the Chrome Web Store). What else would you like to know?

Yeah one more. I think it will help me put things in perspective. Which is the odder duck? An ubuntu-only laptop or a chromebook?

I wonder if it's really only an odd duck for power users who are used to using their PC or Mac tools.

 

[Southernboyj]

The ChromeBook is a nice piece of hardware, but for actual usage I prefer my Retina MacBook Pro.

 

[The iGentleman]

Yeah one more. I think it will help me put things in perspective. Which is the odder duck? An ubuntu-only laptop or a chromebook?

I wonder if it's really only an odd duck for power users who are used to using their PC or Mac tools.

I'd have to say a chromebook would be. In it's current state, chromebooks do not have the ability to run a virtual environment, whereas a Ubuntu laptop could. That's just one example of why I say it would be the chromebook.

 

[SMDBill]

I'm still trying to figure out what the point of these Chrome books are. So, they are basically a glorified web browser that is limited to cloud storage? What can you install on it? Any photo/video editors, heavy games, etc?


Seems like a lot of money for a computer with such extensive limitations. For just a little bit more you could get a retina MBP and have the ability to do so much more with it. What you are paying for with the Pixel is the screen. Well, the Nexus 10 has similar resolution, with a higher PPI, same amount of storage space, more mobility, and access to all the apps on the Google Play Store, longer battery life, all for more than half the cost. Buy a BT keyboard and you basically have the Pixel for more than half the price.


You can do what you want, but personally, I would save the money.

ChromeOS has come a long way. I think it still has a long trek ahead of it to become a real threat to MS or OSX, but it's really about going a different route than going into head to head competition with "ours is better than yours" the way OSX and Windows compete.

In my mind I figure the Pixel was designed to create a top end to the product line of Chromebooks. People typically see them as cheap computers with little power. The Pixel has changed that by offering an i5 and 4GB RAM (while I think it should have 8GB minimum for that price...or more). While the Pixel is somewhat attractive, especially for web use due to the aspect ratio and screen quality, it should have a bit more local storage for the event that someone wants tons of extensions and some local storage on top of that 1TB Google Drive storage (which works great!). In my mind that's a $999 machine but they're setting the bar to allow newer entries to fill the void between bottom end Acer/Samsung/HP machines and new ones with more horsepower.

Check out the number of extensions for ChromeOS. There are even offline devoted ones in quite a large number. But the best feature is remote desktop. If you're out and about enjoying your Chromebook but face a piece of workload needing a desktop app, just remote into your Macbook Pro or Mac Pro and use its power and capabilities to get your work done. THAT is an awesome feature for anyone concerned the machine is not capable of doing much (aside from true power users who require the top end of power for heavy processing...Chromebooks are simply not for those users).

I have the cheap C7 Acer and it's awesome. It runs cool, lasts about 4 hours on a charge (with the cheap 3 cell battery it came with...for $50 I can get a 6 cell and 7-8 hours use). It only has 2GB RAM but Google has enabled zRAM (open a terminal by ctl+alt+t just like in Linux and enter "swap enable 2000", then restart) which is basically like a swap partition on Linux or virtual memory on Windows. Speed increase is dramatic and so easy.

You have to experience it in depth to make judgment on what a Chromebook is and what it can do. I find myself needing a more powerful machine less than one time per month, and in those times I grab a Macbook Pro. I should just remote into it but I forget that feature is there because I seldom need it.

I'm excited by the new machines coming for ChromeOS. Adblock Plus works great in it, no known security threats, automatic updates, speed, light weight and low cost. As they get more expensive I expect to see some more capabilities, but there are tons of apps/extensions available to make a great deal of work possible on what is really a thin client riding on a modified/dumbed down Linux. Loving mine so far but I keep a Macbook Pro nearby for now just in case.