Google Pixelbook: Can Chrome OS Become Your Daily Driver?

So, the Google event finally came to an stop, with the search engine giant announcing multiple devices. There's the new Google Home Mini, the Google Abode Max, the Pixelbook & Pixelbook Pen, Google Clips, Daydream View, Google Pixel Buds and finally, the Pixel 2 & Pixel 2 XL. While conspicuously, the Pixel 2 and Pixel two Twoscore were the stars of the show, allow u.s. not forget about the successor to Google's premium Chromebooks, the Pixelbook. Sadly, the Chrome Os on the Pixelbook has had a long unsuccessful past. But with all the new changes announced to the hardware besides every bit the software, many people are wondering whether the device can really supplant their existing Windows and macOS, and hold its place as their daily driver.

Earlier we go into talking whether the new Pixelbook can concur its worth confronting its competitors, let us get-go see what the Chrome OS exactly is. All the Chromebooks are powered by the Chrome Os, which is Google's have on building their own full-fledged desktop Os. Basically a Web OS that's based on the Linux kernel, Chrome OS uses Google Chrome every bit its principal user interface. It inherits all the capabilities of Google's powerful spider web browser, forth with the functionalities of the Linux organisation. Besides, with the launch of Pixelbook, Chrome Os has finally gained full native back up to the Google Play Store, thus enabling the system to easily run full-fledged Android apps seamlessly.

Google's Chrome Os has always been associated with upkeep-friendly Chromebooks. Fifty-fifty though Google did bring out premium Chromebooks, the last one was the Chromebook Pixel LS, launched in 2015. Now, Google has revived the entire premium Chromebook market with the launch of the Google Pixelbook, and boy, does it wait adept. At a toll tag of $999, the Pixelbook goes head-to-head with the Microsoft Surface 4 and the Apple MacBook Air. Now, if you'll ask me whether the Pixelbook can replace your Windows or macOS laptop, the curt answer is yes, it tin. If y'all wanna know the long answer, read on and let me explain my statement.

Starting off with the build quality, the Google Pixelbook is 1 of the slimmest yet sturdiest laptops out there. The device comes with an aluminum unibody with unique glass detailing using Corning's Gorilla Glass, which also bears the signature bear upon of the Pixel smartphone lineup. The entire laptop is just soo pleasing and appealing to the eye. Now while design and build quality arguably practise not have a major bear on on the productivity, they still do impact it somehow.

The entire design on the Pixelbook has been crafted with pixel-perfection (pun intended) to ensure a comfortable user experience. The keyboard on the device is well positioned, with sufficient space between the keys. While the key travel of 0.8mm is still a tad flake higher as compared the Surface or the MacBook Air, it does feel simply virtually right. The laptop also features wrist-rests made of avant-garde silicon. They provide a comfy pad for those long typing hours and fifty-fifty double up as anti-skid feet when using the device in tablet mode. The edge-to-edge trackpad is made out of etched glass surface and feels quite comfortable to use as well. In my opinion, it also helps give the laptop the aforementioned color contrast signature tone as that of the main surface panel.

The same signature drinking glass shade of the Pixelbook also helps the device accomplish amend WiFi signals thank you to the embedded WiFi antennas. The Google Pixelbook has only 2 USB Type-C ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and, oh wait, that's all. It is kind of sad to come across that the premium Chromebook does non feature an SD card reader, but to be honest, I've always boarded the higher internal storage railroad train. The base model has a 128 GB SSD storage chapters and it goes all the way up to 512 GB. For me, this is a great improvement, and I don't fifty-fifty miss the SD card adapter.

Now let's exist honest, a premium device isn't premium until information technology has the perfect residuum of the build quality along with the hardware. While the build quality is swell, the hardware on previous gen Chromebooks has never been top-course. This all changes, thanks to the Google Pixelbook. The base variant of the Pixelbook comes with a seventh gen Core i5 processor coupled with viii gigs of RAM, and it can all be bumped upwardly to the pinnacle version featuring a 7th gen Core i7 processor and 16 gigs of RAM. Now that'southward an overkill, especially if you're because that the device runs Chrome Bone, which is, still, in the end, a spider web operating system. Oh, and battery life y'all inquire? The Pixelbook features a 41 Whr battery that should hold upward for near 10 hours with mixed usage. That puts the Chromebook comfortably between the Surface 4 and the MacBook Air, with the Apple device still just edging out the Pixelbook.

The Pixelbook features a 720p photographic camera that's powerful enough to shoot videos at 60fps. While the overall camera quality is still to be tested, it should suffice for normal video calls and stable use in the implementation of Android apps that I'll be addressing later on. The keyboard too features backlit lighting, and might I add, that it looks relatively amend every bit compared to the MacBook Air. The 12.3″ brandish has a resolution of 2400×1600, which works to an aspect ratio of 3:two, which is similar to Google'south traditional Chromebooks. While this does seem like an unusual ratio, information technology actually works out quite well, especially for the Chrome Os. The screen also has touchscreen support, and can hands be paired with the Google Pixelbook Pen for easier interaction.

One of the stiff points of the Google Pixelbook is that it tin be used in multiple ways. While Apple tree's MacBook Air tin only function as a laptop, the Surface 4 can be used both as a tablet or equally a laptop with the add-on keyboard accessory. With the Pixelbook, switching the different modes is as simple as it gets. Yeah, it has the keyboard always attached, but at a thickness of just 10mm and a weight of just one.1kgs, tablet use is quite easy. Also, the keyboard acts as a stand up to help use the device in a rested tablet mode. For me, this brings out the all-time of both worlds. It gives me the ability to utilise the device the style I desire to, rather than the other way around.

Security is another primary area of concern in the current earth. And allow'southward exist honest, the Windows OS is plagued with the majority of viruses. That being said, macOS itself isn't that far behind. With the growing trend of macOS, the number of vulnerabilities for Apple's Os is also high. On the other hand, Chrome Bone is essentially a distro of Linux, which has practically the best security arrangement overall. It has the ability to run Android apps, whilst maintaining the security standards of Linux. At present, I did previously effort the Windows 10S, which is supposedly Microsoft's attempt at creating a secure surroundings. While it does hope enhanced levels of security, it basically locks yous downward into Microsoft'southward environment. In short, a Windows PC without the ability to install tertiary political party apps is merely a large no, particularly when the Windows Store is light years behind when compared to the Google Play Shop.

In the ever-evolving earth of technology, new changes gyre out every twenty-four hours. This is a place where all three operating systems work well. Apple was the kickoff to arrive at the scene, providing simple bug fixes as well every bit seamless upgrades to the newer OS version, as long equally the hardware supported it. Microsoft also boarded the seamless update train with Windows 10, making it the last official Windows. All time to come upgrades will be added on as updates to the OS. Lastly, we have Chrome Bone, that happens to exist the best in this example, providing timely updates to all of its users. Also, while Stable builds are common, dev builds are a dissimilar story altogether. While Apple just releases beta builds a couple of months before the official launch, Microsoft has an Insider Preview programme that allows the user to try the new features before anyone else. Google takes things one pace further, past having a Stable, Beta, and a Programmer channel for its builds.

While the Stable channel is cocky-explanatory, the Developer channel is the first to receive any new updates. These updates, when reported to exist fifty-fifty slightly successful are then pushed onto the Beta channel to receive mass feedback. Finally, the stable versions are pushed onto the Stable channel. Oh, and don't forget that all this takes identify seamlessly. In this way, Google ensures that y'all ever stay on the haemorrhage border of latest engineering science. For me, Chrome Os is mode ahead of the bend in terms of updates.

The Pixelbook is the first Chromebook to ship with the Google Assistant. While both its competing devices to feature their own assistants, Microsoft'southward Cortana and Apple'south Siri, none of them even come shut to the powerful fauna that is Google Assistant. With years of development behind it, the Google Assistant has proven itself to be the all-time assistant overall out there. The Google Assistant has the nearly avant-garde voice recognition, to begin with. Add together to that the search engine'due south powerful capabilities to be able to answer whatever query you lot throw its way. The banana also features device-specific features, then if the keyboard and touchpad AND the bear on-screen weren't enough, I now have the power to use the device with my voice as well. I've been using the Google Assistant on my smartphone, and I absolutely love it. To know that an even advanced version is available onto the Pixelbook makes it all the more than tempting.

Edifice onto the functionality part, Google likewise announced the Pixelbook Pen ($99) which volition be sold separately as an addition accessory to the Pixelbook. Apple's MacBook has no product in this field, and even if you brought out the iPad Pro forth with the Apple Pencil, information technology still won't be able to lucifer the level of productivity of the Pixelbook Pen. The Pixelbook Pen goes head-to-head with Microsoft's Surface Pen, and for me, while the Surface Pen certainly is more powerful in some means, I would still accept to give the winning edge to the Pixelbook Pen.

To get-go off, the Pixelbook Pen is designed in partnership with Wacom and is an inductive stylus with pressure level sensitivity. While previously, the Apple pencil's 20ms latency was able to beat out Surface Pen'southward latency of 21ms, Google has beaten them both out of the park. The Pixelbook Pen features a latency of merely 10ms, making it the fastest stylus out there. Oh, and the Pixelbook Pen has seamless compatibility with the Google Assistant. Yous can utilize the pen to describe on the screen and simultaneously trigger the Google Assistant to help you out. Clearly, Google wasn't kidding when they said their focus was going to exist on Software + Hardware + AI. Also, the Pixelbook Pen has 2,000 levels of pressure sensitivity and 60 degrees of athwart sensation. Now that is something that really enhances the overall user experience, making the utilize of a stylus nearly natural. While the Pixelbook Pen lacks the power to attach itself to the laptop as exhibited past the Surface Pen, it still stands its ground and makes itself a worthy and affordable accessory.

Fifty-fifty though all this sounds corking, which market does information technology really affect the most? While the above specs are great, the Os is what actually proves to be the deciding factor for most consumers. If you were to compare the Pixel Chromebook (2015) to its generation's Windows and macOS devices, clearly the Chromebook never stood a chance. But things take clearly changed at present. The Android system now has over 80% of the market place share, which straight translates into 80% of the users using Android apps. At present, in the Pixelbook, for the first time always, you lot have the ability to run Android apps natively. What'due south more is that thanks to the dandy hardware under-the-hood, the apps run ameliorate than always. Furthermore, Google personally reached out to developers to further enhance the applications for better compatibility with the laptop. Majority of the users are comfortable with using a smartphone for their daily tasks, and with the cheap all the same vast availability of the cyberspace, everyone relies on the spider web. In such a scenario, bringing along a device that is powered by a web Bone with the ability to run smartphone apps really makes sense, something that makes the Pixelbook a worthy choice.

At present if you intend to use your laptop for office work, the Google Pixelbook should piece of work just fine. The Pixelbook comes integrated with Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides, which are more than plenty for your office needs. Coming in from Apple's suite and Microsoft Office, the interface might just seem a flake different to utilize, but information technology's quite easy to adjust to. In my fair usage of all three office suites, while Microsoft Office still reigns as the undisputed king, thanks to all the added features, Google'due south office suite should work well for users who wish to get work done quickly. The same should apply for students, whether it be creating presentations or searching for content online. Also, the enhanced compatibility with Android apps is great, every bit showcased by Google itself with the use of Adobe Lightroom and instant sharing on Instagram. Google'south search comes integrated within the device, and the assistant rather makes things much easier as compared to other operating systems out there.

But who wants all work and no play? We all desire our devices to satisfy our entertainment needs, and well, the Pixelbook stands strong there as well. Be it watching movies or streaming web shows online, the Pixelbook can do it all. Oh, and might I add that in most cases, it tin can do it amend than others. For instance, the web version of Amazon Prime number Video doesn't allow you to download the videos for offline viewing. Well, with the Pixelbook, cheers to the ability to run Android apps, y'all tin can actually save those videos. And with at least 128GB of storage on board, you won't exist running out of space anytime presently.

But what almost gaming, you ask? Well, if you're a fan of the millions of games available to play on the Google Play Store, then yous're gonna love the Pixelbook. The device can run all of those games, and thanks to the powerful specs underneath, ameliorate than any Android smartphone out there. Thank you to the onboard 3-centrality Gyroscope/Accelerometer and a Magnetometer, using your Pixelbook to control your games with sensors has never been this easier.

Then who is the Pixelbook not for? Well, if yous're a power user that relies on a ton of computational power along with your selected software, the Pixelbook is nearly likely to disappoint. Ability apps such every bit the Terminal Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere are not available on the Play Store, and most likely never will. Also, if you're a hardcore PC gamer, the Pixelbook is going to be a big no. It'south not made for extensive PC gaming, and despite existence built on the Linux kernel, information technology does not support Steam either.

But is that really the market place the Google is actually targeting? Non actually. Instead, Google is targeting the $1000 price bracket where students and office employees would similar to purchase a device that should exist fast, secure, and just get piece of work done. Even Sundar Pichai, the now CEO of Google, who previously worked as the senior vice president of engineering in charge of Chrome and Android, had stated, "… the goal backside the high-stop Pixel model was to button the boundary and build something premium. Google'southward engineers set out on the 'labor of love' project asking themselves, 'What could we do if we really wanted to blueprint the best computer possible at the best price possible?'". What started out as a spider web browser, has over the years, evolved as a full fletched desktop browser whilst technically notwithstanding being a Web Os. For the majority of the users out there, the Pixelbook offers a premium device at a very competitive cost, with exclusive features that make it stand alee of the curve.

The Pixelbook is too a part of the entire Google ecosystem that the company has been trying to build. The series of Google Home devices, Google Pixel Buds, and last but certainly non the least, the Pixel 2 and Pixel ii Forty, forth with the Pixelbook make up the Google ecosystem. And to be very honest, it works quite well. Beingness powered by the beast that is Google Assistant, all devices can piece of work seamlessly with one some other. The Pixelbook and the Pixel ii feature a unique relationship as well. The laptop actually comes with a feature dubbed as "Instant Tethering" that allows the Chromebook to automatically connect to your Pixel's mobile data when there is no WiFi bachelor. At present that is a smashing fob and certainly helps a lot if you're on the go.

So yes, the final decision, as I said to a higher place, is that the Pixelbook tin indeed replace your existing laptop, provided you're a user who wants the make the about out of the web. The spider web is certainly the most advanced area out there, and it'south definitely not going anywhere. With the adoption of net every twenty-four hours, the Pixelbook with a powerful Chrome OS seems to be the plumbing fixtures pick for most normal consumers out there. It combines the all-time of build quality, hardware, software, and operation. And let'south not forget the ever-powerful Google Assistant. For me, the ($999+$99) toll tag of the Google Pixelbook forth with the Pixelbook Pen seems to be a bang for the upkeep bargain, and I am certainly in for it.

But what about you? Are you impressed with the latest premium Chromebook that is Pixelbook, or are y'all gonna stick with your Windows or macOS device? We'd dear to hear your accept on this amazing device. Allow us know your thoughts in the comments department below.

Source: https://beebom.com/google-pixelbook-chrome-os-daily-driver/

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