Google announces the £1,049 Chromebook Pixel

[Arthur]

The rumours were true after all.

Source: Google (via Pocket Lint)

Google has revealed its anticipated high-end next-generation Chromebook, known as the Chromebook Pixel.

Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Chrome and apps at Google, introduced the new premium Google notebook, which is pitched at the premium Chrome user, with a premium price to match.

"For a user who lives in the cloud, what is the best computer we can design?" was the challenge that Pichai had set to the design team at Google. The result, 2-years in the making, was the Chromebook Pixel.

When asked who'd actually manufactured the Pixel, Pichai was reluctant to disclose who'd physically been involved in the process.

The display is the star of the show, with a high-resolution 2560 x 1700 pixel, 12.85-inch display with a 239ppi pixel resolution. Like Apple's Retina display, the Pixel's display has been designed, in the words of Pichai so that "you never see another pixel in your life."

Sitting at the heart of the Pixel is a dual-core Intel Core i5 chipset clocked at 1.8GHz and 4GB of DDR3 RAM. In terms of graphics, the new Chromebook doesn't have a discrete solution, instead using the integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000.

There will be two versions of the Chromebook Pixel available, a Wi-Fi version and a 4G LTE version.

The Wi-Fi version of the Chromebook Pixel will have 32GB of SSD storage, the LTE version will have 64GB. Initially the LTE version, in collaboration with Verizon, will only be available in the US. Currently there are no details for bringing the LTE version to the UK.

However, as the Chromebook is designed for those living in the cloud, you'll get 1TB of Google Drive storage for 3-years, which Pichai said was the expected lifetime of the Pixel. Once that 3-years is up, however, you'll then have to pay for that storage or, we guess, buy another Chromebook. In the US Google offers 1TB of cloud storage for $50 per month if you buy it separately. Over three years, you'd spend $1800, giving you an actual saving comparatively.

The battery life is documented as 5+ hours, according to Google's testing.

The Chromebook Pixel will cost you $1449 (from April) for the LTE version. The Wi-Fi only Pixel will set you back $1299 in the US, or £1,049 in the UK.

The Chromebook Pixel will be available to buy from Google Play today, or in Best Buy and PC World stores.

[CyberNerd]

I think I'll pass.

[plexer]

Indeed £1000+ what market is this aimed at?

Ben

[Jamo]

Looks pretty, I can't be doing with the cloud though, too foggy for me. I will stay on the ground and grump like an old man.

[hawc]

Looks suspiciously like a Macbook Pro

[Arthur]

If the Pixel is only expected to last three years according to Sundar Pichai, then this means that Google's other Chrome devices will only last two years (since they come with 100GB of free Google Drive storage for two years).

Do Google really expect people will replace their Chromebooks/boxes when the 'free' Google Drive storage space runs out?

[Arthur]

The most annoying thing for me about the Pixel is the fact that Google have intentionally crippled it with USB 2.0 ports. Laptops from other manufacturers which use the same processor (Core i5-3337U) have USB 3.0!!!

[bwestlake]

id rather have my MacBook pro

[3s-gtech]

That's mad. MBP makes much more sense, or just a good quality Ultrabook. The screen res is not enough of a positive for the price premium over a regular laptop.

[ZeroHour]

ROFL are they serious???

[gshaw]

Am I missing something here, thought the point of cloud apps would be to reduce the amount of grunt needed on the client side yet this beast has equivalent power to a full blown desktop PC?!

[Dos_Box]

For that price you'd want the option of doing some decent gaming. On a Chromebook though?! Really?

[rich_tech]

I would actually get a Macbook pro before that on the price basis alone, the whole "brushed metal" look is being overdone now to death as well with the laptop manufacturers I think.

[Arthur]

the whole "brushed metal" look is being overdone now to death

Yeah. I wish there were more magnesium or carbon fibre laptops like the NEC LaVie Z, Sony VAIO Z, Thinkpad X1 Carbon etc.

thought the point of cloud apps would be to reduce the amount of grunt needed on the client side yet this beast has equivalent power to a full blown desktop PC?!

I think there are four reasons you need a fast processor in a Chromebook.

1. To drive the 2560x1700 display.
2. Games e.g. Cut The Rope.
3. Users who work with lots of tabs in Chrome.
4. Cloud apps that leverage local processing capabilities (via Portable Native Client), but potentially also Android apps now there is a Chromebook with a touch-screen.

Am I missing something here

Actually the real reason the Pixel exists is to inspire manufacturers to create the next generation of Chromebooks (just like Microsoft are doing for Windows tablets with the Surface RT/Pro)...





Most of the current range of Chromebooks are just plasticy Windows laptops with ChromeOS installed made by unadventurous OEMs like Acer and HP. Making cheap Chromebooks isn't exactly a good long-term strategy for Google since there's less profit to be made and people will associate ChromeOS with low-end hardware - which isn't "cool".

[Arthur]

Mirror, mirror...



If Apple can put anti-glare coatings on their screens, why can't Google?