Chromebooks have never been a mainstream computer type, even though they have gained a lot of market share in education. Because they run the browser-based Chrome OS, Chromebooks are almost all sold on cheap, lightweight user experience, much like previous netbooks. Of course, the exception is one model, Google’s own Chromebook Pixel.
Chromebook Pixel is one of the most beautiful laptops, with a refined aluminum body, a large keyboard, a detailed screen, and the most powerful processor among Chromebooks. However, the price of US$1,299 (approximately RMB 8,133) doomed its fate, because after all, it is just a Chromebook. Google launched the 2015 Chromebook Pixel, which adopts a new interface design, updated hardware configuration, and significantly improved battery life. The starting price has dropped to US$999 (approximately RMB 6,255). But obviously, this price is still beyond the scope of "light netbook", so is the new Chromebook Pixel worth spending a high price to buy?
Design: Continuing the design language of the previous one, adding USB Type -C interface
In fact, except for the new USB Type-C interface, the design of the new Chromebook Pixel is almost the same as the previous one. The silver body made of aluminum alloy may remind you of a MacBook, but its body thickness is obviously not as thin as the former, but the weight of 1.5 kg is still relatively mainstream.
Like the previous game, you can find a long strip of LED light on the top cover. Now you can double-click it to check the remaining battery power. This is a very convenient function. As for the screen, the new Chromebook Pixel is still the clearest Google notebook currently. The 13-inch screen with a resolution of 2560*1700 pixels is comparable to mid-to-high-end 2K screen Windows notebooks, and the display effect is very delicate.
The real change in the design is the addition of two new USB Type-C interfaces. The significance of the USB Type-C interface is to give the new Chromebook Pixel more connectivity, making it easier to connect external storage and input devices, and to charge Android phones faster through them. Unlike Apple's new MacBook, we can still see two traditional USB 3.0 interfaces, which means users do not have to buy additional adapters to achieve more connections. Although the USB Type-C interface is likely to be the future connection standard, it is clear that Google’s approach is better than Apple’sThe fruit is milder.
As for the keyboard, the 13-inch body has enough space to accommodate larger keys. The design of the keys is also similar to the MacBook series. The difference lies in the special characters on the upper function keys. Overall, the keyboard feels good and I can input text quickly.
Performance and battery life: better than its predecessor
Chromebook Pixel is equipped with Intel’s fifth-generation Core i5 or i7 processor, integrated HD 5500 graphics card, and has 8GB to 16GB RAM and 8GB to 32GB storage are available. No matter which version is purchased, users can get 1TB of Google Drive cloud space (free for three years), priced at US$999 (approximately RMB 6,255) and US$1,299 respectively. (approximately RMB 8,133).
Engadget conducted a performance and battery life test on the new Chromebook Pixel. The performance score was significantly higher than the mainstream Celeron or ARM core Chromebook in the market. There is no doubt that the Chromebook Pixel The price is also much higher. However, since Chrome OS itself is a lightweight browser OS, who really cares about performance?
As for battery life, the improvement of the new Chromebook Pixel is still very obvious. In the notebook comprehensive battery life test It achieved a score of 10 hours, which was doubled compared to the previous game which was less than 5 hours, which means that it is truly capable of mobile use.
Software: Still not mainstream enough
Chrome OS has been developed for a long time, so what progress has been made in its practicality? The answer may be disappointing. Although most Google apps can run offline, the touch screen of the new Chromebook Pixel now supports pinch-to-zoom, users can also remotely lock the computer through mobile devices, the file manager is more user-friendly, and there are some Android apps such as Evernote, Flipboard can be used, but compared to true desktop OSes such as Mac and Windows, Chrome OS is still more restrictive.
Using "almost" to describe Chrome OS may be the most appropriate, because many user experiences are like this. For example, many applications can only be accessed through browsers, and there are no independent applications; you also cannot get mainstream smart hardware and peripheral drivers, because most of them only support Windows and Mac; except for some casual games transplanted from Android, There are also very few mainstream masterpieces. Ultimately, you'll really miss those desktop platform apps.After all, they are the main purpose for people to use computers.
Media evaluation
Through the trial of the new Chromebook Pixel, foreign mainstream technology and digital media also expressed their opinions on it. Among them, Engadget believes that from a product perspective, the new Chromebook Pixel has indeed become better, including interface design, battery life, etc., but it is still not worth buying. The reason lies in the limitations of Chrome OS itself. Users cannot use mainstream desktop applications such as Photoshop, nor can they connect well with other smart devices. Users pay an expensive price just to get a beautiful netbook, which seems to be more gain than loss.
Gizmodo’s review is “close to purchase”, which is a little more polite, but the overall view is similar to Engadget. The new Chromebook Pixel is beautiful and unique. From this perspective, it can satisfy users who like unique products; but obviously, it can only run the Chrome browser. Similar models on the market only cost about $200, and it cost $1,000 to buy. The new Chromebook Pixel may just be worth buying for its looks and moot performance.
The editor of Theverge called it a product that “everyone should want, but almost no one buys.” This expression seems to be very accurate. The current direction of Chrome OS is still lightweight and cheap. The positioning of Chromebook Pixel is inconsistent with this, so it must be an extremely niche product.
Summary
Obviously, the new Chromebook Pixel still seems to be a combination of contradictions, and its noble temperament is actually contrary to the direction of Chrome OS. Perhaps Google launched the Chromebook Pixel just to highlight that "Chromebooks can also be very sophisticated" and achieve some kind of marketing purpose. However, unless Chrome OS changes fundamentally, there is little way for high-end Chromebooks to gain market acceptance.
The above is an introduction to How about Google Chromebook laptops? Chromebook laptop related reviews, I hope it will be helpful to you!