When Google’s new ChromeBook Pixel was unveiled last week, the new laptop looked intriguing, though flawed. On the one hand, the thin new notebook was very pretty, and its screen looked gorgeous.
But the Pixel is going to be expensive, especially considering its tiny storage space ($1,299 for 32 GB, $1,449 for 64 GB). Hands-on reviews would be needed.
The reviews seem to confirm initial reports. Engadget calls the Pixel “another impractical marvel from Google,” and praised the build quality of the laptop, comparing the new device’s integrity to an Apple product.
“It’s all machined aluminum, anodized in a dark, almost gunmetal color that successfully bridges the gap between sophisticated and cool.” Engadget also points out the keyboard’s quality construction: “Typing on this machine is a joy.”
The Verge’s David Pierce praises the Pixel’s screen, calling it “the best laptop display I’ve ever seen.” He describes the 2560 x 1700 display as “astonishingly sharp, bright, accurate and vivid.” Pierce also praises the Pixel’s 3:2 screen ratio, saying the almost-square screen shape is a huge improvement on the industry standard 16:9.
The sound’s not bad on the Pixel either. Engadget claims the speakers on the Chromebook are “at least on par with your average mid-range Bluetooth unit.”
But the new machine is not without its shortcomings, the major one being its high price. The Chromebook Pixel is good, even great, but just not good enough for $1299. As Engadget says, “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.”
Another shortcoming is the laptop’s reliance on the Cloud. Google’s substitutes for programs like Adobe Photoshop and Final Cut just don’t cut it. As CNET comments, “until Google can provide a Web app ecosystem that’s as robust as the vast software libraries for Mac and Windows, and a cloud-based architecture that’s as convenient as working on your local hard drive, this sort of high-end Chromebook is going to remain a tough sell.”
The new Chromebook Pixel is a great device, with a stunning display and a great keyboard, and its strong, minimalist construction place it among other high-end laptops like the MacBook Pro with Retina display. But the world is not ready for a computer like the Pixel, and its price is just too high for a computer that doesn’t quite fit.
As Engadget puts it, “it embraces a world where everyone is always connected and everything is done on the Web — a world that few people currently live in.”
