The Google Chromebook Pixel, for many, including myself, was an excellent machine that really championed just what is possible with excellent engineering and ChromeOS.
It was stupidly expensive, and limited in its capabilities compared to a Windows or OS X machine, but it was still a very solid, reliable performer that kicked a lot of ass – and continues to do so, even now.
Many believed Google’s premium Chromebook line was dead, but today word has leaked about a new, premium Chromebook machine dubbed the Google PixelBook, which will apparently launch alongside the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL on October 4.
The news comes via Droid Life, which reports that the Google PixelBook will cost $1200 and feature a new design that incorporates a convertible hinge, so you can detach the display and use it as a tablet in a similar fashion to Microsoft’s Surface machines.
“That’s a long-overdue change for Google’s laptop,” notes BGR, “and one that could make it almost worth the money. The Pixelbook will ship with an optional Pixel Pen, a pressure-sensitive stylus you can use with the laptop. That puts it squarely in the same class as Microsoft’s Surface or Surface Book: a device that’s powerful enough to meet everyday laptop requirements, with an input method convenient for creative types.”
The pitch of the Google PixelBook, at least, if this leak is legit, is the high-end laptop/hybrid market, meaning it will be going toe-to-toe with the likes of Microsoft’s SurfaceBook and Apple’s lineup of MacBook Pro machines.
The big question, however, is whether punters will go for this price point when you can pick up very capable ChromeOS convertibles from Asus and Samsung for under $500?
I mean, ChromeOS has always been about value for money, doing things for less, and this, for many, was why the ChromeBook Pixel, while an excellent machine, was seen as nothing more than a proof of concept by Google, an example of what could be done with ChromeOS when budget was of no concern, and not an actual viable option for consumers en masse.
Still, this is a very interesting turn of events. Even more so when you consider that Google has been flirting with the idea of merging Android and ChromeOS for a good long while now.
All will become clear on October 4, I guess…
by rgoodwin via Featured Articles
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