CHROMEBOOK PIXEL 2015 : REVIEW
The new Chromebook Pixel (2015) is here, since the original release of the Pixel 3 years back.Chromebooks in the recent years have made an impact in the PC market by making their way into the basic and affordable PC segments.The Pixel from Google is said to be the pinnacle in the Chromebook market, this time let's see if Google has bridged the gaps from previous Chromebooks ?
HARDWARE
The new ChromeBook Pixel looks much alike like it's predecessor which was launched 3 years ago.It has the same "boxy feel to it ", which is kind of not bad also. In simple terms the design looks "solid", when you see the laptop it has a great finish for an aluminium body.The new ChromeBook feels heavy at 3.3 pounds. That’s less than half a pound heavier than the 13-inch Mac Book Air, but a lot of the Pixel’s weight is situated in its large 3:2 touchscreen, overall it's feels "weird" . As before, there's a thin LED strip on the lid, except now, you can "knock " it to see roughly how much battery life you have left (up to four bars will light up).
The new Pixel’s has a super-sharp, 12.85-inch, 2560 x 1700 resolution touchscreen display.Although Chrome OS has gotten better with basic touchscreen responsiveness , still it's not as up par with the feel you get in Windows versions. Though the touchscreen is not up up to the use but it is a add on feature for the consumer considering it.
In addition to being sharp, the Pixel's display boost's rich colors and wide viewing angles. The visibility is good , even despite the touchscreen glossy finish and in fact the sunlight readability had surprised me.The only concern with the display is height of the display which may be concerning sometimes.
The new Pixel’s has a super-sharp, 12.85-inch, 2560 x 1700 resolution touchscreen display.Although Chrome OS has gotten better with basic touchscreen responsiveness , still it's not as up par with the feel you get in Windows versions. Though the touchscreen is not up up to the use but it is a add on feature for the consumer considering it.
In addition to being sharp, the Pixel's display boost's rich colors and wide viewing angles. The visibility is good , even despite the touchscreen glossy finish and in fact the sunlight readability had surprised me.The only concern with the display is height of the display which may be concerning sometimes.
The Battery life :
The last Pixel was a disappointment in this area , and all other chromebooks were just satisfactory. But the new Pixel as an impressive battery life , it gives around 12 hours and in battery test it gave us around 11 hours which is quite decent. Due to the light Chrome OS the battery is saved more than the normal laptops.Additionally, the Pixel has a fast charging technology , which claims to give 2 hours in 15 minutes, or a full charge in 2 hours, according to Google.
USB C :
The Chromebook Pixel is the first notebook to ship with a USB - C type connector.Just a couple of days ago, we saw Apple aggressively endorse this new standard by making it the only port on the new Mac Book. USB - C also called "jack of all trades" , which equally works as a power , USB connectivity and displays.
Adding these ports to the Pixel should mean we’ll also see them on other, cheaper Chromebooks down the road. Unlike the new Mac Book, Google is keeping the legacy ports on the Pixel, which means you’ll also get two USB 3 ports, an SD card slot, and a headphone / mic jack.
The keyboard is quite literally the same as the first Pixel. The keyboard is well spaced out and the keys have the same design throughout.The keys are large and easy to hit, and they're springy enough that I didn't have to mash the keys in order for my button presses to register. Typing experience was fast with just a few typos.The back light settings on the keyboard have been tuned so it only turns on when your hands are actually over it.The touch pad is also a joy to use: spacious with smooth, controlled tracking.
Adding these ports to the Pixel should mean we’ll also see them on other, cheaper Chromebooks down the road. Unlike the new Mac Book, Google is keeping the legacy ports on the Pixel, which means you’ll also get two USB 3 ports, an SD card slot, and a headphone / mic jack.
The keyboard is quite literally the same as the first Pixel. The keyboard is well spaced out and the keys have the same design throughout.The keys are large and easy to hit, and they're springy enough that I didn't have to mash the keys in order for my button presses to register. Typing experience was fast with just a few typos.The back light settings on the keyboard have been tuned so it only turns on when your hands are actually over it.The touch pad is also a joy to use: spacious with smooth, controlled tracking.
PERFORMANCE
The new Pixel is faster than other Chromebooks , It has a fifth-generation Core i5 processor, Intel HD 5500 graphics and 8GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage (plus the 1TB of cloud storage that you get from Google Drive for three years). The extra RAM means that the Pixel is less likely to bog down when you have lots of tabs open. Still with the least basic chromebooks all the task can be performed very well , as the Chrome OS is so light that the hardware specs just don't matter eventually .
CHROME OS:
Chrome OS has come a long way since the original Pixel,back in 2013. The Chrome OS had come into the market as an Internet first OS .But now the story is turning different, Google app has offline access, including Gmail, Drive, Music and Google Play Movies & TV. Many third-party apps, such as Pocket and Amazon Kindle Cloud Reader, now work offline, too. In fact, the selection is big enough that there's even a section of the Chrome Web Store .
As of the previous version, Chromebooks have always-on, "OK Google" voice search.You can remotely lock your machine if it gets lost or stolen. The file manager is better organized. Chrome OS sends photos to Google+ in the background, even if you don't have the app open.
But still the Chrome OS lacks the productivity ,you could talk yourself into the idea that you really won’t need "advanced" apps like full-featured games, photo editors, or video editors.If you are not into high-end stuff , and just want to have a basic multimedia laptop , the Chrome OS may be sufficient.
Hey ! still want the ChromeBook Pixel , and if Chrome OS isn't enough, you can load a new operating system through a USB drive (or you could just run it in its own window).
As of the previous version, Chromebooks have always-on, "OK Google" voice search.You can remotely lock your machine if it gets lost or stolen. The file manager is better organized. Chrome OS sends photos to Google+ in the background, even if you don't have the app open.
But still the Chrome OS lacks the productivity ,you could talk yourself into the idea that you really won’t need "advanced" apps like full-featured games, photo editors, or video editors.If you are not into high-end stuff , and just want to have a basic multimedia laptop , the Chrome OS may be sufficient.
Hey ! still want the ChromeBook Pixel , and if Chrome OS isn't enough, you can load a new operating system through a USB drive (or you could just run it in its own window).
WRAP UP :
It's been three years first Chromebook came out, the idea of a laptop running the Chrome browser as an OS is still a not there yet. The new ChromeBook is priced at $999 , wildly expensive then the current chromebooks in the market.The new Pixel has a great design and a display to make it a premium product. Keeping in mind the new Pixel offers a much better speed and far better battery life than the other chromebooks.
Said all that the Chrome OS is the most stinging part in the whole package. Though the Chrome OS has developed these years , we still can't expect a full-fledged operating system still.And is still not a replacement for what you can do on a Mac or a PC.
"Everyone should dream of one - but not buy one " . Chromebooks have not really captured but the Pixel is the forward leap in it. We hope as time passes it becomes one of the main contenders of the PC race.
Said all that the Chrome OS is the most stinging part in the whole package. Though the Chrome OS has developed these years , we still can't expect a full-fledged operating system still.And is still not a replacement for what you can do on a Mac or a PC.
"Everyone should dream of one - but not buy one " . Chromebooks have not really captured but the Pixel is the forward leap in it. We hope as time passes it becomes one of the main contenders of the PC race.
Full Specs : Chromebook
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