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Print 100 comment(s) - last by Reclaimer77.. on Feb 23 at 10:02 AM
Google eschews the wedge form factor for a more brick-like design

Most Chromebooks thus far have been rather underpowered hardware-wise, to say the least.  And sales have been modest at best.

But Google Inc. (GOOG) appears eager to push the boundaries of its PC operating system experiment, debuting its first in-house designed Chromebook.  Dubbed the "Pixel", the laptop/Chromebook/ultrathin packs an Intel Corp. (INTC) Core i5 processor and Intel HD 4000 graphics.  4GB of DDR3 memory is also onboard.

The star of the show is a gorgeous 2.85-inch, 2560 x 1700 touchscreen display.  Similar to the smaller Retina MacBook Pro (13.3-inch 2,560 x 1,600) from Apple, Inc. (AAPL), the laptop features a backlit keyboard and hidden speakers.

But Google's Pixel diverges with the Retina MacBook Pro in other ways.  There's a third microphone included, designed to cancel unwanted noise from the keyboard when making video calls.  And Google has gone to great lengths to optimized the touchpad's "feel" and the latching mechanism.
 Pixel Chromebook
While the laptops are similar in maximum thickness (the Google laptop is a hair thicker), they look dramatically different.

A Wi-Fi model of the Pixel ships next week.  It packs 32 GB of NAND flash, along with a 1 TB Google Drive subscription (3-year) and an SD slot for expansion.  The price is $1,299 USD.  In April Google will drop an LTE version, which packs 64 GB of NAND and the same SD/Google Drive perks.  That version will fetch $1,449 USD.


Google's app ecosystem is pretty week, but perhaps its shiny new hardware will attract new developer interest.  Google showed off a slick touch-friendly Google+ app with the launch materials.

Sources: Google [1], [2; via Engadget]


Comments     Threshold


"The mob is fickle, brother..."
By Reclaimer77 on 2/21/2013 4:17:55 PM , Rating: 4
Seriously the comments here...just too funny. After decades of seeing people whine and complain about the Windows "monopoly", someone tries to come up with a completely different OS, and the same people crap all over it.

Tech Geek "God I'm so tired of Microsoft and Apple! I wish something new would come around"

Google launches Chromebooks

Tech Geek "Look at this crap!!! Who would buy this!!??? A MacBook Pro running Windows is way better"

Look I'm not saying ChromeOS is there yet, or ever will get there, but I have to say I think it's pretty refreshing that someone is at least trying to compete with the Windows/MacOS hegemony.




RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By DNAgent on 2/21/2013 4:31:33 PM , Rating: 5
They're not crapping over the fact that someone else is bringing along an OS. They're crapping all over the fact that what you are getting, for a comparable amount of money, is in no way comparable.

My guess is that Google is just throwing money away on this stuff, specifically for the purpose of growing an alternative OS. That's laudable, but I don't know if its going to work.


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By Reclaimer77 on 2/21/2013 4:36:14 PM , Rating: 4
Google has done, in a matter of years, what the Linux crowd has utterly failed to do in decades. Just food for thought.

I'm just saying, everything now is moving to the cloud. I think in a few years down the road, who knows where ChromeOS could be?

In just a few short years we've seen Microsoft's Windows go from a product that was absolutely necessary to get ANYTHING done, to something millions of people now just use for gaming. I have to be honest, I never thought I would see that in my lifetime.


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By semiconshawn on 2/21/2013 4:50:16 PM , Rating: 2
None of that makes this machine any better. Google has not done what the linux crowd failed to do. The have nailed phones with android. Thats it. The push was for linux to be a windows replacement. Chrome has not come close to that.


By Solandri on 2/21/2013 6:59:46 PM , Rating: 3
You do realize Android is a graphical shell running on top of a modified version of Linux, right?

I think your "windows replacement" definition is too narrow. Expand it to "computer OS widely adopted by the public" and Android is the most successful version of Linux ever. Give it a few years and the number of Android devices should exceed the number of Windows devices.


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By semiconshawn on 2/21/2013 5:02:56 PM , Rating: 2
The cloud? Ever try and upload or retrieve 50Gb of data from the cloud. Hell just upload a 16gb flash drive from your camera and let me know how that goes for you.


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By Reclaimer77 on 2/21/13, Rating: 0
RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By semiconshawn on 2/21/2013 6:06:51 PM , Rating: 5
No I am talking right now. Go upload 16gb to the cloud and tell me how that works. TODAY not 10 years ago. Streaming is not the same as working with files over the cloud on a typical async broadband connect. Streaming works for most people because they have a fat download pipe and a skinny upload pipe. Streaming is one way. File and data management/use requires bandwidth both ways. The vast majority of the country/world just doesn't have that yet. That is not 10 years ago that is today. By the time most people could use this as intended it will be beyond obsolete. The test network google is building in that lucky town would be great for this....5 years in the future maybe we all can have that. Maybe. Right now we stream heavily compressed video and audio and think its fast internet. Business's do cloud because they have just what Im talking about very fast and very expensive connects.


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By Reclaimer77 on 2/21/13, Rating: 0
RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By ritualm on 2/21/2013 6:19:52 PM , Rating: 3
You think 32/64GB is plenty of space?

My iPhone 4S has that much in 2011, 64GB total. And I'm running out of all that storage now.

Cloud storage sounds nice and all... just wait until you receive your next wireless/home broadband bill. And there is a reason to not use the cloud for mass storage - do you honestly think you'll get 5-9's reliability and uptime?

You are still an idiot.


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By Reclaimer77 on 2/21/13, Rating: 0
RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By ritualm on 2/21/2013 6:48:47 PM , Rating: 3
quote:
The Chromebook is obviously not built around storing terabytes of data on it locally. Duh! What mobile device is?

The Chromebook is not a tablet or smartphone. It's a laptop.

Game over, you lose.


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By UpSpin on 2/21/2013 7:01:07 PM , Rating: 2
Only few laptops have the capacity of 1TB. Most newer ones have a SSD in the size of 128GB, which gives you most often <80GB free space.
According to your logic this makes those laptops useless. But people still buy it.


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By Reclaimer77 on 2/21/13, Rating: -1
By rangerdavid on 2/21/2013 11:08:13 PM , Rating: 5

YOU TWO GET A ROOM ALREADY.


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By GotThumbs on 2/22/13, Rating: 0
By Reclaimer77 on 2/22/2013 9:25:54 AM , Rating: 2
You don't even need to go that far these days. You can just install the Plex Media Server to your PC, and have instant cloud streaming of all your media, to any device! Anywhere you are.

I don't understand this place sometimes.... People here should be a lot more tech savvy than they appear. Reading this thread there's about 5 people who get it, and 20+ Luddites.

Logging in your multiple accounts and giving someone a -1 doesn't make you right. Just pathetic.


By GotThumbs on 2/22/2013 9:13:28 AM , Rating: 2
Actually, You come off at the idiot IMO.

Loading your phone with games, pointless "APPS", hundreds of photos and music is something only a disorganized fool would do IMO.

Simply off-load the photos to you homeserver or backup device. Don't have either? So if your phone gets destroyed/damaged, don't you then risk losing all that information?

I can't speak of Apples Phones, but Android phones can be set to use wireless over your cells data plan when available. Since my work has open and secured WiFi, I don't have any data usage issues. Just try and think 3 dimensional and not only 2 dimensional.

It's your choice and you should accept that not everyone is going to agree with your thoughts/opinions.

The Chrome Pixel does have merit and appears to be a quality product designed to offer a quality screen/components. Cloud computing is still a valid idea and I think many just need to think more about having a personal cloud, as opposed to only using Google's or Apples Cloud.

Apple's TOA specifies that Apple can cancel your account and delete all your content, without recourse. Read your TOA if you don't believe me.

Best wishes


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By semiconshawn on 2/21/2013 6:19:53 PM , Rating: 2
Paragraphs on a tech comment. Blow me. You cannot store crap on a 32gb ssd. Doesnt matter who makes it. I couldnt even download my video camera to 32gb. Let alone upload it in a reasonable amount of time. Its crap. You should go buy it. It was made for you.


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By Arkive on 2/22/2013 11:37:10 AM , Rating: 2
I rarely agree with Reclaimer but amidst his name-calling he isn't making terrible points. If you think the cloud is designed to store enormous amounts of data, it isn't (yet). That's what personal NAS and storage at your home is for. Maybe one day the cloud and our local ISP's will be in alignment for that type of storage, but currently it's not and you need stop blaming this Chromebook for not magically enabling that ability. It does what it sets out to do - Provide a viable laptop experience with all the necessary connectivity, and with any luck provide competition that will effect pricing of more mainstream choices in the favor of the consumer.


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By UpSpin on 2/21/2013 6:18:39 PM , Rating: 2
You can work offline with the Chromebook, no need to upload 16GB to the cloud!


By NellyFromMA on 2/22/2013 12:52:18 PM , Rating: 2
He's not entirely wrong. Take the following from soemone with plenty of enterprise cloud experience.

Streaming an HD movie clockign in at leats say 50GB and utilizing remote resources also totalling 50GB is NOT COMPARABLE.

Why? Because STREAMING time-based content vs needing to pull files down locally are night and day. Streaming and Syncing are not equal.

Also, the cloud is a NIGHTMARE. Just saying.

Maybe if we had South Korea's infrastructure but in America, you will see limited use for awhile. For streaming content, great.

Large file sync? No thanks.


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By LelandHendrix on 2/23/2013 9:53:45 AM , Rating: 2
Sorry, but the other guy is right,

Yes, I do stream HD video constantly to my AppleTV, from Netflix and iTunes Store. I use iTunes Match and stream my music to iOS devices I'm the car...every time I drive.

So yes, in some ways The Cloud has materialized.

But the guy is talking about UPLOADING 16GB of data, today.

And today, most people's broadband accounts can only UPLOAD at about ONE FIFTH to even ONE TENTH of their download speeds. We are talking about poking along at LESS THAN A MEGABIT to commit user data to the cloud.

It's a real PITA. We may have arrived at *the cloud* for consumption, but work and productivity ALL via the cloud is simply out of reach for a vast number of us. I'd even estimate half of all broadband users across the USA are in similar circumstances,


By Reclaimer77 on 2/23/2013 10:02:23 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
But the guy is talking about UPLOADING 16GB of data, today.


Who does that? When is the last time any of us had to do that on a consistent basis? Why would you!?

The "other guy" is some little kid, who apparently doesn't know what NAS's or file servers is. And I guess he copies his entire media collection to each device he uses, going by his argument. So his phones, tablets, laptops etc etc ALL have untold gigs and gigs of his media collection on them apparently. Can we say retarded? There are far better and more efficient ways of doing things!

Again, nobody is saying move everything to "the cloud" so you can use a Chromebook. But that's the entire premise of his argument. Sure if you go by his premise, he's "right", but the premise is false so it invalidates his entire argument.


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By UpSpin on 2/21/2013 6:06:24 PM , Rating: 2
Why should I upload 16GB of photos if I can store them on the Chromebook?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXPNeX5-by8

And btw: What file has 50GB and has a practical use?


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By Reclaimer77 on 2/21/13, Rating: -1
RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By Brandon Hill (blog) on 2/21/2013 7:10:42 PM , Rating: 1
Hot damn!

Someone please remind me to never get into another pissing match with Reclaimer :)


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By Reclaimer77 on 2/21/13, Rating: -1
By Master Kenobi (blog) on 2/21/2013 8:16:19 PM , Rating: 2
I found the whole thing rather humorous myself.


By semiconshawn on 2/21/2013 8:25:42 PM , Rating: 2
You are such a loser. Insults On the Internet. What a pussy.


By NellyFromMA on 2/22/2013 12:48:51 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
In just a few short years we've seen Microsoft's Windows go from a product that was absolutely necessary to get ANYTHING done, to something millions of people now just use for gaming. I have to be honest, I never thought I would see that in my lifetime.


You're only thinking of consumers, to which that statement still isn't totally true.

What about the > 90% of businesses that aren't going to choose an alternative because there is no reasonable alternative? They are happy with what they have and see no reason to re-deploy resources jsut to change camps.

The mob is fickle, because the mob is well... a mob. Try the more organized folks (biz) and it's clear Google's made it far, but has a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG way to go before businesses even look at Google as anything more than an experiment in cost-benefit.


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By Flunk on 2/21/2013 4:46:58 PM , Rating: 4
The problem is not the competition, it's that ChromeOS really is a bad idea. An OS that is only a web browser is very limiting.


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By Reclaimer77 on 2/21/2013 5:10:26 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
An OS that is only a web browser is very limiting.


For right now today? Yes.

However it's barely 4 years old. Google constantly impresses me with their foresight. They saw back then that things were moving to the cloud, that entrenched beliefs on how things "had to be done" were changing.

When you really sit down and examine all the things you do online today, that were once things you absolutely had to do with installed software in the past, it's simple to see where Google is going with this.

So I say hey, let's see how far Google can push it. Let's see how far a platform can go based entirely around cloud computing. What's so wrong with that?


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By ritualm on 2/21/2013 6:01:28 PM , Rating: 2
Because, Reclaimer77, buying one of these Chromebook Pixel's is like buying a Tesla Model S with every upgrade option imaginable... only to have it sit inside your house 24/7 doing absolutely nothing.


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By Reclaimer77 on 2/21/2013 6:03:28 PM , Rating: 1
And that's why this is NOT targeted at you OR me. This is targeted for those, admittedly few, people who buy Chromebooks but want a higher end device.

Why is this such a hard concept to grasp? Like it or not, Google has a market for these things. It's very small, yes, but it's there. Comparing a Chromebook to a MacBook is idiotic.


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By ritualm on 2/21/2013 6:14:58 PM , Rating: 2
Your arguments make no sense.

Overpriced, underspec'ed, underpowered, paired with what is essentially a web browser at its core? If you think this is a good thing then I have a bridge in Alaska I'd loooooooooooooove to sell to you.


By blue_urban_sky on 2/22/2013 3:24:24 AM , Rating: 3
His argument did make sense, you may not agree but those two things are different.

As for overpriced and under powered, The first is subjective unless you mean based on component costs. Like saying Apple products are overpriced.

The second, and you really only had the two points there, is muted by the fact that apparently it only has to run "what is essentially a web browser at its core".

I lived in Japan almost 10 years ago and I had in my rubbish apartment 100/100Mbs fibre. So a cloud based OS may be a viable product for some people and I think it is an interesting direction to take.


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By btc909 on 2/22/2013 1:10:48 AM , Rating: 2
Hardware wise it looks fantastic, I'm sure the price will be laughable but anyways. If you want to push a Windows alternative OS great, but as before this will end up being a crippled piece of crap. Looks great, does very little.


RE: "The mob is fickle, brother..."
By althaz on 2/22/2013 1:15:23 AM , Rating: 1
You can be sick of the status-quo without wanting something as shite as this. No offence to Google, but this is no way a realistic competitor without a real operating system.


By NellyFromMA on 2/22/2013 12:46:00 PM , Rating: 2
Eh, I agree in the sense that competition is good for the market and consumers as a whole.

That said, Thank god people are saying a version of what you describe.

At least it means peopel aren't cheering for a team, but for a product. That's what matters right?

Android 4.x, good. ChromeOS, bad. That's ok IMO and slightly encouraging compared to what I normally expect here.

Worse than all of that, though, is the fact that this device makes NO SENSE competing with the Macbook Pro. I'm not sure Google is really posturing itself like this or if the article author is just positioning these products against each other but its laughable.

The Macbook Pro is a beast in its category whereas the Chromebook struggles to even find a purpose. Google's biggest fans don't even get its purpose at the moment.

We dont' need MORE people in the industry just picking a company or brand and taking non-sensical positions on how their brand of choice is superior to all others. We need more people evaluating product-by-product without reflexively become venemous at the notion another brand or product is superior that iteration.

Just my two.


Uninstall Chrome -> Install real OS
By tayb on 2/21/2013 4:11:39 PM , Rating: 2
I cannot think of a single legitimate reason anyone would buy this unless their intentions were to remove Chrome OS and install something else such as Windows 7/8 or a Linux distro.

The 13 rMBP is $1,500 and has much better hardware.




By semiconshawn on 2/21/2013 4:58:22 PM , Rating: 2
Again though if put windows on it you have even less space and with no usb 3.0 externals and flash drives are just painfully slow.


RE: Uninstall Chrome -> Install real OS
By Reclaimer77 on 2/21/13, Rating: 0
RE: Uninstall Chrome -> Install real OS
By ritualm on 2/21/2013 5:56:37 PM , Rating: 2
That this is an oversized, stupidly expensive, glorified-web-browser ultrabook that cannot function without being always connected to the cloud.

Great hardware coupled with shoddy software is a terrible overall user experience, and the Pixel isn't changing this equation at all.


RE: Uninstall Chrome -> Install real OS
By UpSpin on 2/21/2013 6:01:15 PM , Rating: 2
RE: Uninstall Chrome -> Install real OS
By ritualm on 2/21/2013 6:10:38 PM , Rating: 2
And how does that matter?

Great screen, underpowered CPU/GPU combo, USB 2.0 connectivity, up to 64GB of storage? What the hell was Google thinking when it made this monstrosity?

My music collection alone is 25GB compressed, 100GB+ uncompressed. My limited movie collection is 60GB large. 1TB storage on the cloud sounds great... until you look at just how fast you can upload all of 1TB up there and your monthly bandwidth caps.

This hideous, disgusting rendition makes the failing Surface RT/Pro look good.


RE: Uninstall Chrome -> Install real OS
By Reclaimer77 on 2/21/13, Rating: -1
RE: Uninstall Chrome -> Install real OS
By ritualm on 2/21/2013 6:29:58 PM , Rating: 2
You are the reason I ran out of downvote points against your posts on the Tesla vs NYT article, sir, because you are too freaking stupid on untold levels.

And you're here publicly accusing me and others of trolling. Pot, kettle, black.

Grow a pair, internet tough guy.


RE: Uninstall Chrome -> Install real OS
By Reclaimer77 on 2/21/13, Rating: 0
By ritualm on 2/21/2013 6:39:44 PM , Rating: 2
Translation: I, Reclaimer77, suck at forming factual arguments.


RE: Uninstall Chrome -> Install real OS
By UpSpin on 2/21/2013 6:26:49 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
And how does that matter?

It shows that what you say:
quote:
cannot function without being always connected to the cloud.

is nonsense.

Now you cannot complain about 'no offline work possible' any longer, so you start complaining about the 'underpowered CPU/GPU'. That device is no gaming laptop. It's as underpowered as the rest of the ultrabooks/Windows tablets. So it's not underpowered at all.

On any other SSD based ultrabook/tablet you won't fit your uncompressed music collection and limited movie collection, especially not on a Surface! So all of them are useless and garbage, too?
What the heck is wrong with you?


RE: Uninstall Chrome -> Install real OS
By ritualm on 2/21/2013 6:37:20 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
On any other SSD based ultrabook/tablet you won't fit your uncompressed music collection and limited movie collection, especially not on a Surface! So all of them are useless and garbage, too?

and
quote:
What the heck is wrong with you?

How apt. Sums up all your pro-Chromebook posts on this article in a nutshell.

Keep spinning this as a "I am right, you are wrong, shut the hell up!" jive talk, kid - you're trying your damned hardest to win at arguing on the internets.


By theapparition on 2/22/2013 10:48:50 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
Keep spinning this as a "I am right, you are wrong, shut the hell up!" jive talk, kid - you're trying your damned hardest to win at arguing on the internets.


And yet you seem to be doing just the same with your multiple posts on the subject.

Just an observation.....carry on.


RE: Uninstall Chrome -> Install real OS
By tayb on 2/21/2013 6:22:59 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
MacBooks are an entirely different market. Why do people keep making this comparison?


Different market? This is a piece of computer hardware. It can run Windows, OSX, Linux, Chrome OS, or others. There is no different market. The point people are making is that notoriously overpriced Apple has a better deal on hardware. Go buy a rMBP and install Chrome OS. You'll have a better system than this. Or better yet just don't uninstall OSX and be able to do everything the Chrome OS can do inside your Chrome browser...

quote:
Look this isn't hard. Google has fostered a market with their Chromebooks. Yes, it's a very small market, but it's there nonetheless.


Google has fostered a nearly non-existent market selling $300 lightweight/portable machines running Chrome OS. IDC estimates fewer than 300,000 Chrome OS equipped devices have been sold. People are laughing because they beefed up the hardware on a cloud device... a device that fundamentally does not need beefy hardware.

You are the Google version of an Apple zealot.


RE: Uninstall Chrome -> Install real OS
By Reclaimer77 on 2/21/2013 6:32:12 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Different market? This is a piece of computer hardware.


???

Well if that's your argument then I demand my Epson be made to fit in my pocket just like my phone...

quote:
It can run Windows, OSX, Linux


Not officially. Officially it only runs ChromeOS.

Sorry but for you to insist Google is targeting the MacBook crowd with this is beyond delusional. These are two entirely different mobile segments. Fact, get over it and move on.


RE: Uninstall Chrome -> Install real OS
By tayb on 2/21/2013 6:44:32 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Sorry but for you to insist Google is targeting the MacBook crowd with this is beyond delusional. These are two entirely different mobile segments. Fact, get over it and move on.


lawl.

Article title: "Touch-Screen 'Pixel' Chromebook Takes Aim at Retina MacBook Pros"
Subject: Comparing Pixel to Retina Macbook Pro

Yes. You're probably right. There is an entirely separate market segment for people who want high-resolution mobile displays running browser based operating systems. No one considering this laptop would ever comparison shop this to a MBP. I must be delusional. And you must be a Google fanboy.


RE: Uninstall Chrome -> Install real OS
By Reclaimer77 on 2/21/2013 6:51:20 PM , Rating: 2
I have not ever nor do I have plans to ever own a Chromebook. Dude seriously, what is with the hate? I'm being far more objective than you here.

quote:
Article title: "Touch-Screen 'Pixel' Chromebook Takes Aim at Retina MacBook Pros" Subject: Comparing Pixel to Retina Macbook Pro


Umm so we define reality based on DailyTech headlines, designed to grab reader attention???

quote:
No one considering this laptop would ever comparison shop this to a MBP.


No one who actually knows what ChromeOS is, no. I have to believe ChromeOS is a total non-starter for anyone looking into a OS X/Windows machine. If you can't agree...I don't know what to tell you.

quote:
And you must be a Google fanboy.


How am I being a fanboy here just because I'm not joining in with the hate-fest??


By tayb on 2/21/2013 11:25:30 PM , Rating: 2
We define reality based on reality. This is being compared to a rMBP because it is in the same price range as a rMBP and similar hardware. Anyone who considers this laptop would shop around for alternatives and without a doubt find the rMBP. No one considering a rMBP would consider the Pixel for the same reason no one else is considering the Pixel so I actually agree with you on that front. There is a reason this is being widely mocked all across the tech sphere.

rMbP = Pixel + Superior Hardware + Superior OS. I find it beyond silly that this is even an argument especially on a site that just absolutely blasted Apple for such a ridiculously overpriced laptop. Every computer has Chrome OS, it's called the Chrome browser. Hell even the Nexus 10 with a keyboard is an improvement due to the app selection. Hey, it has Chrome, Drive, Gmail, and a high res screen too...

If I had more time or even a slight hint of giving a damn I would go through your comments and find the ones where you blast Apple about the rMBP and post them here just for the fun of it.


RE: Uninstall Chrome -> Install real OS
By Helbore on 2/22/2013 9:28:23 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
No one who actually knows what ChromeOS is, no. I have to believe ChromeOS is a total non-starter for anyone looking into a OS X/Windows machine. If you can't agree...I don't know what to tell you.


So, you are saying that the Pixel is a laptop for morons?

The Chromebooks have a meagre marketshare. What they do have, they have because they are cheap. Now whilst there might be a market for an expensive Chromebook and that market consists of people who hate windows, hate OSX and a too stupid to buy a cheaper PC and install Linux on it, I have to assume that market is very limited.

Its kinda like saying the old three-wheeled car had a market, so there would be a market for a three-wheeled $100,000 sports car and that since the sort of people who would want to buy such a car obviously wouldn't be interested in buying a Porsche or a Mercedes, then its a totally different market and not worth comparing.

Well, yes, in a really twisted logic kind of way, that's true. But anyone who walked into a board meeting and used that logic would rightfully be laughed out onto the street. Or so you would hope, anyway.


RE: Uninstall Chrome -> Install real OS
By Reclaimer77 on 2/22/2013 11:01:06 AM , Rating: 2
I'm not saying there's a big market for these. But so what? What does Google lose by releasing this product? Nothing that I can see. It's not like they're a laptop manufacturer.

Although I think it should be embarrassing for other Windows laptop manufacturers that Google was somehow able to come out of nowhere with a laptop display that puts 99% of the ones out there to shame.

Still do NOT understand what is so goddamned controversial about this topic. It's ridiculous how polarized DT is over everything.


By Helbore on 2/22/2013 4:21:20 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Still do NOT understand what is so goddamned controversial about this topic.


Its not controversial. What else are people going to post in the comments section on this topic?


RE: Uninstall Chrome -> Install real OS
By TakinYourPoints on 2/21/2013 6:27:51 PM , Rating: 2
They're making that comparison because for only $50 over the 64GB version you can get a retina MBP with double the SSD storage, USB 3 and Thunderbolt, a real operating system with real applications, and the ability to run Chrome and all other Google apps (ChromeOS, functionally speaking), as well as the ability to run Windows, any flavor of Linux, whatever.

There is a huge mismatch between the quality of specific pieces of hardware in the Pixel (the display) and what it is capable of doing.

The bottom line is that the Pixel is objectively overpriced when it is only $50 cheaper than higher quality hardware that is capable of doing so much more.


RE: Uninstall Chrome -> Install real OS
By Reclaimer77 on 2/21/2013 6:43:51 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
The bottom line is that the Pixel is objectively overpriced when it is only $50 cheaper than higher quality hardware that is capable of doing so much more.


You realize this is the exact same argument used against the MacBook Air line years ago, right? I should know, I milked it good :D You paid a huge premium for slick thin hardware, yet ended up with a far less capable product (no optical, poor storage, lack of ports etc etc)

And I don't disagree with what you're saying, as it's being couched. The problem is we're obviously comparing apples to oranges here.

Frankly the idea that any laptop priced over $1k is for general consumer use is a bit skewed. The Macbook's AND the Chromebook Pixel are both niche brands.

It also goes without saying that Google doesn't have Apple's supply chain efficiency when it comes to bringing a display panel of that caliber to the market.


By TakinYourPoints on 2/21/2013 8:02:04 PM , Rating: 2
The main strike against the MBA when it launched was that SSDs weren't affordable yet, otherwise the concept of dropping the optical drive and physical ports was sound.

It is sound, the ultrabook concept is the result of the MBA's huge success. Optical drives are a thing of the past, wifi and cellular tethering are ubiquitous, and two USB 3.0 ports when on the road are enough for most people. Putting the money into a good display, long battery life, good keyboard, good trackpad, high performance, all in a slim enclosure are all practical attributes for a portable laptop.

The dropping of on-board storage and a real OS at this price point is much much bigger question mark. What are the benefits of offloading so much to the cloud? It only makes sense at the $250 price point, otherwise it doesn't cost much more to get so much more.

quote:
Frankly the idea that any laptop priced over $1k is for general consumer use is a bit skewed. The Macbook's AND the Chromebook Pixel are both niche brands.


I wouldn't say so, Apple had about a third of laptop sales in the US last year and 90% of OEM PC sales over $1000. Again, other companies wouldn't be doing ultrabooks if the MBA wasn't such a big hit. ChromeOS is a different story, it sells in the hundreds of thousands, not tens of millions.

I say this as someone who loves Chrome, it is one of my favorite pieces of software out there and its a frigging web browser. :)

Perhaps the Pixel will make sense if it ends up at a quarter of its price in a couple years, otherwise there is just too much being given up IMHO. I do think that the traditional inexpensive ChromeOS notebooks are a viable "third" computer option for a household. They're so cheap that they're almost disposable, so why not?


$$$
By xti on 2/21/2013 3:30:45 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
That version will fetch $1,449 USD.


and we were hating on the surface pro last week....




RE: $$$
By Varun on 2/21/2013 3:53:11 PM , Rating: 1
Yeah that's a hefty price for something that is basically just a web browser.

What's up with Google? Why don't they just ditch this idiot Chrome OS and stick with Android?


RE: $$$
By Reclaimer77 on 2/21/13, Rating: 0
RE: $$$
By semiconshawn on 2/21/2013 4:43:19 PM , Rating: 2
32gb ssd with no usb 3.0.

quote:
Also it's a touchscreen so it actually makes sense if you wanted to install Windows 8 to it.


Of course you would have even less available storage then and no fast usb connect for additional space. Its an even crappier windows machine than a chrome book.


RE: $$$
By Varun on 2/21/2013 4:44:10 PM , Rating: 2
Except it comes with no storage. 32 GB for $1300?

I don't think they are throwing down the gauntlet as much as they are looking foolish. Yes it's a nice looking machine, with decent specs. Due to their own product it's competing against a $299 device.

I mean, other manufacturers also have nice notebooks - the Thinkpad X1 Carbon Touch is a darn nice machine and it's got better specs than this with the exception of the resolution.

And the reason widescreen monitors are nice in Windows is that you can run two apps at the same time side by side. This 3:2 res is bizarre.


RE: $$$
By Reclaimer77 on 2/21/2013 5:24:31 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Except it comes with no storage. 32 GB for $1300?


You can't get anywhere near that resolution, not even CLOSE, for less than that though. Google didn't make the rules, it's the market that dictated extreme price premiums for high resolution.

I agree the storage sucks, but since ChromeOS is a Cloud Computing concept device, having large amounts of physical storage would be defeating the point. Plus there's USB slots for that anyway.

quote:
I mean, other manufacturers also have nice notebooks - the Thinkpad X1 Carbon Touch is a darn nice machine and it's got better specs than this with the exception of the resolution.


I totally agree. But again, that's a big exception with that resolution apparently.

Again I'm not making an argument on the spec sheets. I just respect the concept.


RE: $$$
By UpSpin on 2/21/2013 6:17:03 PM , Rating: 2
It comes with 1TB free cloud storage! That's not nothing!

However if you don't use the cloud, then you won't buy this Chromebook, got it?

But people who constantly use cloudstorage on Windows already (those who buy DropBox/Evernote/... subscriptions), might have a good use for a Chromebook.

screen size:
Screens were 4:3 in the past, then 16:10 came and people complained how idiotic it is and how much better 4:3 for word processing is. Then 16:9 came and people complained that it's idiotic and how much better 16:10 is because it gives you more vertical pixels. Now Google moves back and offers 3:2, now people complain and try to defend how much better 16:9 is.
Honestly: 16:10/16:10 is great on a 24" Display because there you can fit two pages side by side and still read the text on it. On a 12" display however, text gets too tiny if you do some text processing. 16:10 is great on a notebook because it makes it handy, but maybe 3:2 is not that much different. And you know what? You still can fit two apps side by side :-)


RE: $$$
By ritualm on 2/21/2013 6:25:01 PM , Rating: 2
1TB free cloud storage for 3 years, hah! Kindly tell me how secure it really is to store 1TB of personal data at a place where you have no direct access or control?


RE: $$$
By UpSpin on 2/21/2013 6:34:42 PM , Rating: 1
Ask the people who use Evernote/DropBox/Google Drive/MS SkyDrive, and even buy monthly subscriptions.
People use it, people trust it.

Just because it's in the cloud doesn't mean you don't have a physical copy on your desktop computer.
If you have some additional sensitive personal data, you can store it on the Chromebook and don't have to upload it to the cloud.

If you don't use the cloud, or don't trust it, then just ignore it, but don't complain that others want to use it.


RE: $$$
By ritualm on 2/21/2013 6:43:49 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
People use it, people trust it.

Trust? All it takes is one B&E.; Just ask the guy who once had the @mat Twitter handle.


RE: $$$
By UpSpin on 2/21/2013 6:58:26 PM , Rating: 2
Just ask all the people running infected Windows computers who don't even know that they have a trojan on their computer.
The disadvantage of Windows, an advantage of Chrome OS and the cloud.

Your argument: 'all it takes is one B&E;' is valid for every computer worldwide.


RE: $$$
By tayb on 2/21/2013 6:38:31 PM , Rating: 2
It comes with 1TB free cloud storage. Good deal! Then after 3 years you pay 8.5 cents a GB per month ($85/month if you're using it all).

I used Google Music when I had an Android phone. It was extremely enjoyable uploading my very meager 3GB collection of music. It only took a couple of days. Of course there is onboard storage but with pictures, music, and movies 32GB is not nearly enough.

This is a product at least a few years ahead.


RE: $$$
By UpSpin on 2/21/2013 6:45:16 PM , Rating: 2
There are people out there who actively use cloud storage and who currently pay lots of money for such a huge amount of storage. Just compare prices on DropBox.
Here, you get 1TB for 'free'.
After three years, most people buy a new and much better laptop, and if it's only because the battery lost half of its capacity after three years.

I don't understand why people have the desire to suddenly upload their music and movie library to this device.
How about documents? To do some work?


RE: $$$
By Flunk on 2/21/2013 4:45:15 PM , Rating: 2
I think you're missing the point. The hardware is basically useless because of the OS. There is really no need for all that hardware to run ChromeOS. Not only that, ChromeOS devices ship with locked firmware so you can't upgrade to a real version of Linux or Windows.


RE: $$$
By Reclaimer77 on 2/21/2013 4:53:10 PM , Rating: 2
Not missing the point, but this IS the first iteration of this product line you know?

You know I don't think Daily Tech even comes close to giving us a realistic impression of tech trends and consumer tastes. If it did there would be far less products out there, because anything that wasn't instantly "the best" would just disappear.

quote:
There is really no need for all that hardware to run ChromeOS.


Well if that's your argument than to be honest we don't need the hardware we have today. Windows runs just fine on a Core2Duo machine to this day.

Look I'm not saying this is a great thing, and your ass better run out and buy it today.

quote:
Not only that, ChromeOS devices ship with locked firmware so you can't upgrade to a real version of Linux or Windows.


It can be done, that's already been confirmed. Not saying it's easy or fun to do it, but it's possible.


RE: $$$
By ritualm on 2/22/2013 10:08:41 AM , Rating: 3
You ARE missing the point. Here, let me simplify things further:

The Chromebook is what you'd used to call a 'thin client' in the old days. It's a 'dumb' frontend that only handles data input/output, while a great majority of the data processing takes place on a remote server(s). Thus the sub-$500 Chromebooks makes sense at their price points.

Now Google is trying to make the business case of selling a thin client with the performance of a sorta-high-end ultrabook.

Explain to me why you need a dual-core Ivy Bridge CPU and a 1700v display to run remote HTML5 applications? What can the $1450 Chromebook Pixel do that the $300-ish Chromebook cannot?

Then there's the matter of "why are you putting out this much physical hardware, only to hamstring it with an operating system that consists of one web browser and nothing else?"

Its nearest competitor can do everything a Chromebook Pixel can and do more than just interact with cloud-based apps... for only $50 over the Pixel's sale price. Why would a sane person spend $1450 on a thin client that only does web browsing, when $50 more nets them an infinitely more capable laptop?

The value proposition of this "upgraded" Chromebook is awful. In a vacuum it barely makes any sense. Include alternatives and suddenly you're looking at a luxurious version of the Microsoft Surface Pro, but with less actual functions and abilities than Google's own Nexus 10 tablet!

You are functionally insane to think this is a good idea.


RE: $$$
By TheSlamma on 2/21/2013 3:53:00 PM , Rating: 2
Isn't the point of the Retina display that you can't see all the "pixels"?

Maybe back to the drawing board for the marketing department.


RE: $$$
By tlbj6142 on 2/21/2013 4:25:21 PM , Rating: 2
If it were April 1st, I wouldn't believe this article.


I don't get it
By zlandar on 2/21/2013 3:58:21 PM , Rating: 2
Pros:
$300 less than an equivalent MacBook Pro
Touchscreen
Light OS

Cons
4 GB less RAM
96GB less SSD
Unable to run Windows or iOS software

Who is going to buy this instead of a Windows or Mac notebook?




RE: I don't get it
By tayb on 2/21/2013 4:13:32 PM , Rating: 2
I think it is quite a stretch putting 'OS' as a pro and not a con. It's a web browser. I feel that Android is more usable.


RE: I don't get it
By inighthawki on 2/22/2013 1:11:50 AM , Rating: 2
What prevents you from putting windows on this? It's just a standard laptop PC with a small SSD and a high density screen.


RE: I don't get it
By ritualm on 2/22/2013 3:20:43 PM , Rating: 2
Very limited storage - 32GB (WiFi only) or 64GB (WiFi+LTE), USB 2.0 connectivity (and this is being paired with Ivy Bridge, which natively supports USB3!), and this being x86-based hardware.


RE: I don't get it
By inighthawki on 2/22/2013 9:43:46 PM , Rating: 2
All of the things you've mentioned are only reason why Windows would work on this. Not what prevents me from doing so.


RE: I don't get it
By ritualm on 2/23/2013 3:26:46 AM , Rating: 2
Have you ever tried running Windows on a system with only 30-32GB as its primary storage?

I have.

The amount of file micromanagement required to make sure I don't run out of storage space with such a spec sheet is maddening. Just because it's a x86-based laptop and you can put Windows on it, doesn't mean you should, especially if you value your sanity.


the haters don't get
By UpSpin on 2/21/2013 5:58:31 PM , Rating: 1
1. The special thing about this device is its display. Not only the pixel count is the highest available on a mobile device right now, it also isn't 16:9 or 16:10 any longer but 3:2.
2. You also get a full Office Suite with it (Quickoffice)
3. You get free 1TB cloud storage

Consider following:
You have a desktop at home, on which you do all your work. But you also need a laptop to be mobile.
1. How do you keep your data synced? You can use a sync tool to do it manually before leaving each time or you use some sort of cloud storage like Evernote, Dropbox or Google to keep your documents you're working on synchronised, what many people do already, else such services like Dropbox and Evernote wouldn't exist any longer.
2. You're not a graphic designer, video editor or photo editor, so you don't need Photoshop, 3DSMax, ... You need what the majority!! of people need: A webbrowser to stay up to date and do research, a mail client to communicate (integrated in the web browser) and some sort of Office tool to write in Word, process data in Excel or prepare a presentation in PowerPoint.

This Chromebook offers all the majority of people need through its browser + it offers the best display on the market + it's always up to date (sure it requires a data connection, but this requires a Windows laptop using DropBox or Evernote, too)

It's not a device for everybody but for many.

I would have no use for it, because I need some Windows programs, but I can imagine that lots of less tech skilled people could like it.




RE: the haters don't get
By EasyC on 2/22/2013 7:42:10 AM , Rating: 2
That's all fine and dandy, but a web browser shouldn't cost 1500$.


RE: the haters don't get
By UpSpin on 2/22/2013 8:06:42 AM , Rating: 2
think about it that way:
Buy a three year 1TB cloud storage subscription and get a free laptop with the best display possible with it.
500GB DropBox costs you $500 the year --> $1500, only half the storage, no free laptop.
The same on Spideroak and several others.

You have to see the full package, what many readers here seem to not be able to. But if you do, you'll see that if you're using the cloud, this Google offer is a bargain.


RE: the haters don't get
By ritualm on 2/22/2013 3:31:17 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Buy a three year 1TB cloud storage subscription and get a free laptop with the best display possible with it.

Lock yourself into a three year contract with Comcast and get a free 4K TV.

They both have one thing in common: that's not an incredible deal, that's a ripoff.
quote:
You have to see the full package, what many readers here seem to not be able to. But if you do, you'll see that if you're using the cloud, this Google offer is a bargain.

No it isn't.

You're paying top dollar for an ultrabook that cannot actually operate and work like every other ultrabook on the market, simply because the software stack is a web browser.

You're paying nearly $1500 for a dumb interface that doesn't let you work with your data outside the web browser.

That is not a good deal for a thin client, that is highway robbery in spades.


now with i5 processor
By SublimeSimplicity on 2/21/2013 3:49:16 PM , Rating: 4
It runs nothing faster than ever!




2.85" display?
By cohetedor on 2/21/2013 4:00:15 PM , Rating: 2
So this laptop has a screen smaller than most phones, huh? Whats the real screen size?




RE: 2.85" display?
By Nortel on 2/21/2013 4:12:16 PM , Rating: 2
12.85"


I hate apple, but....
By EasyC on 2/21/2013 4:55:24 PM , Rating: 2
A 13.3" MBPr can be had for 1450 right now. I would take that over a chromebook any day.




2.85" at 2560x1700!
By sheh on 2/22/2013 10:00:27 AM , Rating: 2
1066 DPI is nice progress!

Okay, even if it's just 240 DPI, that's nice. And I'll add market research/search engine fodder: bring on the desktop-sized monitors with high DPI already!




By Wolfpup on 2/22/2013 10:36:46 AM , Rating: 2
Chromebooks have never made sense. Why would you buy something that runs one program-Chrome (not even my web browser of choice) when for the same price you can get an actual PC that runs whatever you want (including Chrome, if that's your thing)?

At least it made some sort of vague sense at $200, but over $1000?!? For a device that runs...a web browser?

I continue to not understand why these things aren't just running Android anyway. Since Android allows programs to be installed separately from Google Play, I'd consider it a real (if right now kind of dippy) PC OS. At least a device like this running Android would make some kind of sense to me...




What a Joke.
By semiconshawn on 2/21/2013 4:30:20 PM , Rating: 1
$1300 for an over spec'd and glorified netbook? On the plus side you do get invasion of privacy and all your data mined for free!!




"Spreading the rumors, it's very easy because the people who write about Apple want that story, and you can claim its credible because you spoke to someone at Apple." -- Investment guru Jim Cramer











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