I realized for the first time that Chrome OS can really be used ... "Pixelbook" review
I've come to want it in Japan too ...
In North America, the "Chromebook" series equipped with Google's Chrome OS is said to be competing for market share alongside Windows machines. It's still a rare device in Japan, so the excitement seems to be a story of a distant world. However, the "Pixelbook" released from the high price range of 1000 dollars recently is a high-end model that easily exceeds 100,000 yen in Japanese yen, but it is said that it is "worth the price". .. Here's a review by Alex Cranz, a reporter from the Gizmodo editorial department.
Google's Chromebook is a new $ 1000 model, but you have to change your perspective. This gorgeous 2-in-1 style device has become my favorite hardware.
Unfortunately, it has Chrome OS, which is the worst operating system for computers. If you've grown up as a power user of Mac, Windows, and Linux, nothing feels as unsatisfactory as Chrome OS. Even if the hardware is great, it doesn't cover the poor quality of Chrome OS.
So, in this review, I won't go into lengthy mention of the serious shortcomings of Chrome OS. Become a Chrome OS lover and review your Pixelbook. It was a bitterer experience for me than when I tried to stop drinking soda, but by completely changing my perspective, the following facts became clear. This means that for users who fit Chrome OS perfectly, there's no laptop like this!
What does it mean to be the right user for Chrome OS? It's meant for the younger generation, where mobile phones were the first computer before touching the so-called "PowerBook 520c," as Google is targeting. For people of this generation, Photoshop for the first time is an Android or iOS app. Mobile games such as Fallout Shelter and Asphalt 8 are the first games to experience. I don't know how much fun it is to tinker with the OS with Quicksilver or Alfred and customize the UI (user interface) with Rainmeter. IDC reports that as many as 58% of schools in the United States now have devices running Chrome OS, but computers are not a tool for young people of this generation. Perhaps it's just the Internet and a portal that connects to the Internet and beyond ...
Computers are just a portal to the wider world. Mobile apps are more detailed than computer software. If these two conditions are true, it's a perfect and very comfortable OS for Chrome OS.
Last year, Google officially launched support for Android apps for Chrome OS. Since the beginning of this year, Google has been more serious about working with Android app developers to expand support for Chrome OS. When the Android app became available on Samsung's Chromebook Pro, it was initially resized to the Chromebook resolution and displayed, so I couldn't get rid of the awkward impression. But now it's completely improved, and this time I tried opening Android apps such as Adobe Lightroom and ComiXology on the Pixelbook, and it seemed like a native Chrome OS app. I didn't feel like I just displayed the smartphone app in a large size.
Of course, it's still not as creative as Windows, Linux, and macOS. However, the smooth expansion of app support will greatly contribute to the maturity of Chrome OS. At least, it is considered for creators because it has a design that is more conscious of typing than the iPad.
The perfection of the Pixelbook's hardware design can be quite impressive. First of all, the thinness of the main body is only 0.4 inches (about 1 cm), which catches the eye of the surroundings. And you'll be amazed at the weight of just 2.4 pounds. On the other hand, the metal and glass coating design is profound and you don't have to worry about dropping it, scratching it, or bumping it into it. The keyboard has a soft and comfortable rubber specification even when you type it, and you can use it as crisply as if it were a MacBook, such as a glass trackpad!
Since it runs Chrome OS with a lightweight design, it does not require a processor cooling mechanism like a personal computer. So it's very quiet and doesn't get hot as you use it. In that sense, it's also a device close to the iPad. If you rotate the display part with a hinge that rotates 360 degrees and move the Android application, you may think that this is a touch screen tablet.
It may be natural to compare the Pixelbook with the iPad. By the way, the iPad was also the first computer and device for the younger generation of mobile enthusiasts. Apple has positioned the iPad as a tablet, but for the generation that can't spend more than $ 1,300 on macOS machines, Apple is about to sell the iPad Pro instead of a PC.
However, the powerful performance of the Pixelbook is overwhelming because it uses a completely different OS and processor from the iPad. Compared to other Samsung Chromebook Pros, the difference is clear. The $ 1000 minimum configuration Pixelbook features a 7th generation Intel i5 processor with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD. The $ 1650 high-end Pixelbook is a gorgeous 7th generation Intel i7 processor with 16GB of RAM and a faster read / write 512GB NVMe SSD. Meanwhile, the $ 550 Samsung Chromebook Pro specs are the slower m3 processor of the previous generation, with only 4GB of RAM and 32GB of SSD. This is very slow, there are limits to how much you can save your app, and multitasking can be tedious.
The Pixelbook's 12.3-inch display resolution is 2400 x 1600 pixels (235ppi), which is inferior to the 12.9-inch iPad's 2732 x 2048 pixel resolution. But the speed of the Pixelbook is outstanding. In the WebXPRT's in-browser benchmark score measurement, the Pixelbook scored 453, demonstrating performance comparable to laptops such as the MacBook Pro, LG gram 14, and Razer Blade Pro. On the other hand, Samsung's Chromebook scored 267 and iPad's 232. Benchmark measurements of running Android apps on Chrome OS on Geekbench 4 showed that Samsung's Chromebook stayed at 2571, which is close to a single-core iPad, while the Pixelbook was a laptop-class 4168.
You will be able to experience this benchmark speed as you use the Internet every day. On the Pixelbook, playing Netflix while opening 20 tabs in your browser, running Fallout Shelter in the background, doesn't mess up at all! When I run Samsung's Chromebook under the same conditions, it always freezes, and on the iPad, this kind of multitasking is completely useless ...
The battery life of the Pixelbook wasn't very moving. If you keep playing YouTube videos, the battery will run out in 8 hours and 53 minutes. The latest model, the 13-inch MacBook Pro, had a battery for 11 hours and 10 minutes under the same conditions. That said, although it can't be helped by continuing to watch movies, the battery will rarely be a problem if you mainly use the Internet. Perhaps you need a USB type-C charger when you've been using it all day and finally on the second day.
The most interesting thing about Pixelbook is when using a pen. Using a Chromebook for art seemed pretty appealing. However, with the $ 100 Pixelbook pen, no matter what app you're using, you can't help but worry about the time lag between pen touch and drawing. Isn't this not very useful? Unless this is the only device you have to use a pen and you have to draw on your Pixelbook or take handwritten notes, it's wise to do the same task on your iPad. Of course, there is a story that you will get used to the time lag of Pixelbook soon.
However, there are some things that can never be managed with iPad or Samsung Chromebook. The Pixelbook has a "Google Assistant"! Instead of launching with a long press of a button like Siri on the iPad, the Pixelbook has a dedicated button to launch the Google Assistant. And once you start it, you can use it like a smartphone or "Google Home". If you have a dedicated pen, you can use it conveniently by enclosing a word or image in a circle and Google Assistant will search the net immediately. Of course, that doesn't mean you can't use it without it, but if you're used to talking to Siri or Google and working with it, the Pixelbook's Google Assistant will also feel very comfortable.
If you've only used a computer like a smartphone before, but are thinking about taking the next step, the Pixelbook is the best choice. Should I use it as an iPad with Best Buy? Or is it a Chromebook? No, should I choose a laptop? If you get lost, you should definitely choose the Pixelbook. It's a well-balanced device that can be used as a tablet while also typing.
And even for power users, it's actually very satisfying. Because I was like that. As expected, image editing on the Pixelbook was difficult. Capture One isn't available on the Pixelbook, and the mobile version of Photoshop isn't comparable to Photoshop on macOS or Windows. But other than that, I didn't feel much dissatisfaction. When I wanted to see Halt and Catch Fire on the weekend, I reached out to the Pixelbook before I knew it. Pixelbook is enough for games, comics, and the internet. $ 1000 isn't cheap at all, but it's definitely the best device for a device with Chrome OS, and you'll often be convinced that it's worth the price.
Paying more than 100,000 yen for the Pixelbook may still be a resistance, but it was also a review that made you want to use it as a first step to get in touch with Chrome OS. I hope it will be released in Japan as soon as possible.
Image: Alex Cranz
Alex Cranz --Gizmodo US [Original] (Shingo Yugi)
