Pixelbook

Last updated

Pixelbook
Google Pixelbook.jpg
Pixelbook
Manufacturer Google
Product family Google Pixel
Type Chromebook
Release dateOctober 30, 2017 (2017-10-30)
Operating system ChromeOS
CPU Intel Core i5-7Y57 or i7-7Y75
Memory8 or 16 GB RAM
Storage128, 256 or 512 GB SSD
Display12.3 in (310 mm), 2,400 × 1,600 resolution
Connectivity
Dimensions(W×L×H):
220.8 mm × 290.4 mm × 10.3 mm (8.69 in × 11.43 in × 0.41 in)
Mass1.11 kg (2.4 lb)
Predecessor Chromebook Pixel
Successor Pixelbook Go
Related Google Pixel Slate
Website store.google.com/us/product/google_pixelbook_specs

The Pixelbook (codenamed Eve during development) is a portable laptop/tablet hybrid computer developed by Google which runs ChromeOS. It was announced on October 4, 2017, and was released on October 30. [1] In September 2022, Google cancelled future generations of the product and dissolved the team working on it. [2]

Contents

Unlike most typical Chromebook devices, the Pixelbook's retail price is much higher at around $1,000, comparable with laptops such as the Microsoft Surface Laptop. [3] [4]

History

A rumored Pixel-branded Chromebook was anticipated to be launched at Google's annual fall hardware event in 2017 as a successor to the Chromebook Pixel; [5] it was potentially a spinoff from the prior year's Project Bison, which was anticipated to be a laptop that could convert into a tablet mode. [6] Google developed and launched a similar tablet with a detachable keyboard in 2018 (codenamed 'Nocturne') as the Pixel Slate. [7]

The Pixelbook was planned as the next generation of Google laptops after the Chromebook Pixel laptop was discontinued in 2016. [8] The company realised the Chromebook line had become successful after a slow start, obtaining a market share of 58% of schools in the US, and designed the Pixelbook as a serious industry player that can compete with Apple and Microsoft in this field. [9]

Limited details, the name, and preliminary pricing for the Pixelbook leaked ahead of the official announcement; in addition, a stylus accessory would also be available. [10] The Pixelbook was officially announced on October 4, 2017, at prices starting at US$999. [11]

The Pixelbook Go was announced in October 2019 as a Chromebook with similar performance as the Pixelbook and also equipped with a touchscreen, but the Go dropped tablet mode and stylus support. By September 19, 2020, Google had de-listed all models of the original Pixelbook from its online store, effectively marking its discontinuation. [12]

Features

The Pixelbook features a 12.3-inch (310 mm) touchscreen design, allowing the device to be used like a tablet. The device also features Google Assistant with a dedicated button. It runs ChromeOS and can launch Android applications natively. [13] There is a front-facing camera capable of recording video at 720p, 30 frames per second. [14] The hinge allows nearly a full 360° range of motion, enabling the computer to operate in "laptop", "tent", or "tablet" modes, depending on the opening angle. [15]

It features instant tethering; if a wifi signal is dropped, the Pixelbook will automatically connect to a suitable smartphone signal. [4] Either of the computer's two USB-C ports may be used for charging; [16] using the provided 45 W charger, charging takes up to two hours. The 41 W-hr battery has a claimed life of 10 hours. [14]

Pixelbook initial pricing and configurations [14] [15]
ProcessorRAMStorageGraphicsPrice
(USD/GBP)
Core i5-7Y57 8 GB128 GB Intel HD 615 US$999 / £999
256 GBUS$1,199 / £1,199
Core i7-7Y75 16 GB512 GBUS$1,699 / £1,699

The top-end version with a Core i7 processor was exclusive to the Google Store and availability lagged the other models; it was not available to order until December 2017, with first shipments in January 2018. [17]

Accessories

The device is compatible with Pixelbook Pen, a stylus designed for Pixelbook and sold separately for $99/£99. [18] The stylus is pressure- and angle-sensitive, and features latency of just 10 ms. [15] It is powered by a AAAA battery. [16]

Response

The Pixelbook had a mixed response from the press, who praised the build quality but questioned the market for the device given the price.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Netbook</span> Class of small and inexpensive laptops

A netbook is a small and inexpensive laptop designed primarily as a means of accessing the Internet. Netbooks were sold from 2007 until around 2013, when the widespread advent of smartphones and tablets eclipsed their popularity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samsung Galaxy</span> Series of Android smartphones, mobile computing device and Android applications

Samsung Galaxy is a series of computing and Android mobile computing devices that are designed, manufactured and marketed by Samsung Electronics. The product line includes the Samsung Galaxy S series of high-end phones, Galaxy Z series of high-end foldables, Galaxy A series, Galaxy F series and Galaxy M series of mid-range phones, the Galaxy Book of laptops, the Samsung Galaxy Tab series, the Samsung Galaxy Watch, the Galaxy Buds series and the Galaxy Fit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ChromeOS</span> Linux-based operating system developed by Google

ChromeOS, sometimes styled as chromeOS and formerly styled as Chrome OS, is a Linux distribution developed and designed by Google. It is derived from the open-source ChromiumOS, based on the Linux kernel, and uses the Google Chrome web browser as its principal user interface.

Google Nexus is a discontinued line of consumer electronic mobile devices that ran a stock version of the Android operating system. Google managed the design, development, marketing, and support of these devices, but some development and all manufacturing were carried out by partnering with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Alongside the main smartphone products, the line also included tablet computers and streaming media players; the Nexus started out in January 2010 and reached its end in October 2016, replaced by Google Pixel family.

Chromebook is a line of laptop and tablet computers that runs using ChromeOS, an operating system developed by Google.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2-in-1 laptop</span> Mobile device combining laptop and tablet characteristics

A 2-in-1 laptop, also known as 2-in-1 PC, 2-in-1 tablet, laplet, tabtop, laptop tablet, or simply 2-in-1, is a portable computer that has features of both tablets and laptops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chromebox</span> Small form-factor PC running Chrome OS

A Chromebox is a small form-factor PC that runs Google's ChromeOS operating system. The first device debuted in May 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nexus 10</span> 2012 Android tablet by Google and Samsung

The Nexus 10 is a tablet computer co-developed by Google and Samsung Electronics that runs the Android operating system. It is the second tablet in the Google Nexus series, a family of Android consumer devices marketed by Google and built by an OEM partner. Following the success of the 7-inch Nexus 7, the first Google Nexus tablet, the Nexus 10 was released with a 10.1-inch, 2560×1600 pixel display, which was the world's highest resolution tablet display at the time of its release. The Nexus 10 was announced on October 29, 2012, and became available on November 13, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chromebook Pixel</span> 2013 Google laptop

The Chromebook Pixel is a 2013 laptop at the high end of Google's Chromebook family of machines, which all come preinstalled with ChromeOS operating system. The Chromebook Pixel is part of the Google Pixel series of consumer electronics. An updated model was released in 2015. Chromebook Pixel stopped receiving software and security updates in August 2018.

Google Pixel is a brand of portable consumer electronic devices developed by Google that run either ChromeOS or the stock version of the Android operating system. The main line of Pixel products consist of Android-powered smartphones, which have been produced since October 2016 as the replacement of the older Nexus, and of which the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro are the current models. The Pixel brand also includes laptop and tablet computers, as well as several accessories, and was originally introduced in February 2013 with the Chromebook Pixel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Google Assistant</span> AI-powered digital assistant from Google

The Google Assistant is a virtual assistant software application developed by Google that is primarily available on mobile and home automation devices. Based on artificial intelligence, The Google Assistant can engage in two-way conversations, unlike the company's previous virtual assistant, Google Now.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuchsia (operating system)</span> Computer operating system by Google

Fuchsia is an open-source capability-based operating system developed by Google. In contrast to Google's Linux-based operating systems such as ChromeOS and Android, Fuchsia is based on a custom kernel named Zircon. It publicly debuted as a self-hosted git repository in August 2016 without any official corporate announcement. After years of development, its official product launch was in 2021 on the first-generation Google Nest Hub, replacing its original Linux-based Cast OS.

The Pixel and Pixel XL are a pair of Android smartphones designed, developed, and marketed by Google as part of the Google Pixel product line, succeeding the Nexus line of smartphones. They were officially announced on October 4, 2016 at the Made by Google event and released in the United States on October 20. On October 4, 2017, they were succeeded by the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Google Lens</span> Image recognition tool developed by Google

Google Lens is an image recognition technology developed by Google, designed to bring up relevant information related to objects it identifies using visual analysis based on a neural network. First announced during Google I/O 2017, it was first provided as a standalone app, later being integrated into Google Camera but was reportedly removed in October 2022. It has also been integrated with the Google Photos and Google Assistant app and with Bard as of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pixel Slate</span> Tablet computer by Google

The Pixel Slate is a 12.3-inch tablet running ChromeOS. It was developed by Google and released on October 9, 2018, at the Made by Google event. In June 2019, Google announced it will not further develop the product line, and canceled two models that were under development. The Pixel Slate was removed from the Google Store in January 2021.

The Pixelbook Go is a portable touchscreen laptop computer developed by Google which runs ChromeOS. It was announced on October 15, 2019 as the successor to the Pixelbook, and shipments began on October 27 for the United States and Canada. The Pixelbook Go was later made available for the United Kingdom in January 2020. Unlike preceding Google-branded Chromebook devices, the Pixelbook Go is not considerably more expensive compared to Chromebooks with similar functionality and specifications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Google Tensor</span> Series of system-on-chip processors

Google Tensor is a series of ARM64-based system-on-chip (SoC) processors designed by Google for its Pixel devices. It was originally conceptualized in 2016, following the introduction of the first Pixel smartphone, though actual developmental work did not enter full swing until 2020. The first-generation Tensor chip debuted on the Pixel 6 smartphone series in 2021, and were succeeded by the Tensor G2 chip in 2022 and G3 in 2023. Tensor has been generally well received by critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pixel Tablet</span> 2023 Android tablet developed by Google

The Pixel Tablet is an Android tablet designed, developed, and marketed by Google as part of the Google Pixel product line. It was previewed at the Google I/O keynote in May 2022 and announced in May 2023. It was released in June 2023. At launch, a charging speaker dock was sold with each device. However, a standalone version without the dock was released on May 14, 2024.

References

  1. Hardawar, Devindra. "Google's Pixelbook is a 2-in-1 premium Chromebook". Engadget . Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  2. Google canceled its next Pixelbook and shut down the team building it, The Verge
  3. "Google Pixelbook, Laptop with Google Assistant" . Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Google launches Pixelbook – the most expensive Chromebook yet". Which. October 12, 2017. Archived from the original on August 28, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  5. Ruddock, David (August 21, 2017). "Exclusive: Google plans to launch a new Chromebook Pixel, mini version of Google Home alongside new phones". Android Police. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  6. Ruddock, David (September 26, 2016). "Exclusive: Google is planning a 'Pixel 3' laptop running the 'Andromeda' OS for release in Q3 2017". Android Police. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  7. Bradshaw, Kyle (September 5, 2018). "[Update: Pixel Slate name, renders] Everything we know about 'Nocturne', the first of a few potential 'Pixelbook 2' prototypes". 9 to 5 Google. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  8. "Google discontinues the Chromebook Pixel 2 | VentureBeat". venturebeat.com. August 30, 2016. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  9. "Google Pixelbook review: the Chromebook grows up". TechCrunch. October 26, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  10. Gao, Richard (September 19, 2017). "Google Pixelbook, a laptop-tablet hybrid with a $99 "Pixelbook Pen," will start at $1199 and top out at $1749". Android Police. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  11. Palmer, Jordan (October 4, 2017). "Google's Pixelbook is official, starts at $999 with an optional stylus for $99". Android Police. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  12. Hollister, Sean (September 21, 2020). "Google seemingly discontinues the original Pixelbook but won't quite say". The Verge. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  13. "Hands on: Google Pixelbook review". Tech Radar. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  14. 1 2 3 "Pixelbook specifications". Google Inc. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  15. 1 2 3 Amadeo, Ron (October 4, 2017). "The Google Pixelbook brings back to the $1,000 Chrome OS halo device". Ars Technica. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  16. 1 2 Amadeo, Ron (October 5, 2017). "Google Pixelbook hands-on: Stunning hardware with the usual limited OS". Ars Technica. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  17. Whitwam, Ryan (December 20, 2017). "The high-end Pixelbook with Core i& CPU is now available on the Google Store, ships in January". Android Police. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  18. Fingas, Jon. "Google's Pixelbook Pen searches for what you circle". Engadget . Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  19. "Google Pixelbook review: emperor of Chrome". The Verge. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  20. Gibbs, Samuel (December 7, 2017). "Google Pixelbook review: the king of Chromebooks is pricey but first rate". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  21. "Google Pixelbook review: A premium Chromebook that's worth the price". Engadget. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  22. "Google's new Pixelbook packs a punch – but is it enough for pros?". Wired. October 4, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  23. Waters, Richard (October 26, 2017). "Review: Google's Pixelbook — nearly everything breaks new ground". Financial Times . United Kingdom. Retrieved October 29, 2017.