The Chromebook Pixel Review
by Jason Inofuentes on May 31, 2013 8:00 AM ESTConclusion
Something magical happened during the course of this review. I know many of you have been waiting for it, and we apologize for the delay. But truth be told, it was worth it. I’d already spent a few weeks with the Pixel when it entered the bowels of Anand’s lab to have its display characterized. I used that time to put together much of what you’re about to read. My conclusion was somewhat complex but came to this: If you want Chrome OS to succeed, can put it to good use now, and have Retina MBP class money to spend, you should get it. Philosophically the flaws of Chrome OS are its assets, and its assets are occasionally flawed. And once I’d retrieved the Pixel from Anand’s labyrinth (you thought I meant laboratory didn’t you?) I opened it up to give it one last look, and something magical had happened. It got better.
Operating systems change and improve, that’s nothing new. Bug fixes are and point updates are released that buff up the design, smooth out the dings and add functionality. This is generally something that trickles out over months, if not years. Yet in just a few weeks, Google’s team had brought to the Stable release more fixes and features than I was prepared for, and which sent much of my review back to square one. And, perhaps, that’s the perfect introduction to this review; a testament to the fact that if nothing else, when you buy a Chromebook, you’re buying something that’s getting better faster than any other operating system you’ve used before.
The user experience remains limited. Some have joked that Chrome OS should have a giant Beta tag on its side; indeed, these naysayers may have a point. If that is the case, the value of your $1300 lays not with the silicon, lithium-ion cells, metal chassis, nor that display; the true value of the Pixel comes in the potential that comes with a platform given nearly all the hardware features we could ask for. Chrome OS continues to improve, with frequent updates that affect every aspect of the software. Packaged apps, Native Client and asm.js are all new techniques for bringing more immersive, beyond-the-browser style apps; while APIs like WebRTC, WebGL and WebAudio enable more complex applications to be built entirely within the browser, and leveraging hardware resources for performance. Indeed, Chrome OS’s future seems ever more fortified by the preponderance of web apps being introduced by Google at I/O this year. Some of the most exciting things that surfaced during the keynote were services that span across all platforms. Multiplayer games that can be played on iOS, Android or any Chrome browser. Notifications that can be responded to or cleared in your browser, and register as acted upon on your phone. All enabled through services and incorporated with no user intervention.
This is a future that could play out wonderfully. It could also find itself floundering for years, unable to gain sufficient traction to attract the developers that will make Chrome OS feature competitive. Or, as plausible, the real dagger in the heart of Chrome OS, will be Chrome itself. As compute becomes cheaper, the need for a cruft free operating system to drive a fast and seamless web experience diminishes. I don’t know which way this might go, but I want to be a part of it. And I think that’s the primary criteria that buyers should consider. If you’re compelled by the notion of the web as a platform, this is a notebook for you. If you want the nicest looking laptop around, and aren’t beholden to legacy apps, this is a notebook for you.
Frontiers aren't for everyone, though. There'll never be many buyers for the Pixel, and Google was always going to be okay with that. Though they built this to serve a particular sliver of the market, it faces competition even there. The stiffest competition comes from an unsurprising place: the 13" MacBook Pro with Retina Display. Starting at $1499, it is just a hair above the LTE model we're testing today, and not so far from the base Pixel to leave them in distinct price categories. And for your extra cash, you get a capable operating system with an existing application ecosystem able to serve the most discerning of users. And that's the real clincher, any app you'd like (even Chrome), not just the promise of a bright future of web apps. Google's content to bring all of Chrome's features to every platform, so that the success of the web as a platform can be available to all. So, if you're not ready, consider the rMBP. If, on the other hand, you're ready to leave all other platforms behind, and set forth with only Chrome by your side, then you'll find no better option than the Chromebook Pixel.
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Crono - Friday, May 31, 2013 - link
I don't mind when reviews talk about design aspects or aesthetics. But the focus on the subjective seems out of place on AnandTech. It's not a bad review overall, and I don't want to sound too negative (I appreciate the effort it takes to write reviews), but when we start to factor in whether a piece of hardware or a computer is a "status symbol" or not into review, I think we're in danger of losing sight of the tangible, quantifiable elements of computing and well-built machines.themossie - Saturday, June 1, 2013 - link
"Status" is the only way to judge this computer - that and a premium (albeit minimalist) experience.Judging the Chromebook Pixel from a purely technical standpoint would be silly - it's not based on offering superior value for money or superior functionality. There is no direct economic justification to buy this computer.
But some will buy it anyways. It's all about 'feel' - the OS as much as the physical machine itself. If a consumer can live with the pure web functionality, you get a bulletproof OS with a gorgeous screen and case - for a pricetag which can only be justified by "status" and a luxury experience.
For the right person, this could be the ultimate minimalist laptop.
I'm sure Google doesn't expect this to be a high-volume product; if they did, they would have cut the price significantly. Instead, they were looking for a truly premium halo product to - a nice looking piece of kit which puts Chrome OS out there as something other than a cheap, crappy modernized netbook.
SomeNiceGuy - Friday, May 31, 2013 - link
It would be nice to know the latency and the accuracy of the touch screen. iOS devices excel at this, others don't. Even if you haven't measured it, do you experience the touch screen laggy compared to an ipad? I think this can make or brake a touch centric device.mfenn - Friday, May 31, 2013 - link
"Once revealed, the grey slab is irresistible. It wins you over before it does anything but sit there. The exposed hinges are masked by a silver barrel that runs the width of the device. The aluminum is cold to the touch, and the only flourish is the LED strip lower down the lid, dormant, but nonetheless exciting for its potential. It’s lighter than you expect when you lift it, and feels solid; not simply in the sense of its rigidity, it feels like a block of aluminum weighing just north of 3 pounds. Right angles abound but are softened with chamfered edges making it comfortable to hold and touch. Its meager thickness is uniform across its length, and the weight is similarly balanced, avoiding the rearward bias of other notebooks. Almost without thought I find myself torquing and flexing against the device; my hands struggling to elicit a single creak or bend from the frame. Setting it down and lifting the lid, it boots in a breath, and reveals an image so rich with detail I’m drawn closer to get a better look. Chromebook or not, the Pixel is a status symbol. And I want it."Is Engadget or Anandtech?
neo_1221 - Friday, May 31, 2013 - link
"50 shades of Chrome"themossie - Saturday, June 1, 2013 - link
Made my day!lmcd - Friday, May 31, 2013 - link
Chrome is great, but...The biggest problem is Java. There haven't been efforts to put Java on Chrome. Android, ironically (and expectedly), is holding Chrome OS back. Hopefully efforts are made to replicate Android's provided resources with Dart or C++, then bindings added for Java.
Google is currently its own devil. Dalvik needs to become an extension to PNaCl, or needs to move towards it. If Google doesn't have a hidden repository where they're pushing to this (regardless of their short-term plans and their visible work) they are risking their whole web business model.
wffurr - Wednesday, June 5, 2013 - link
Are you talking about Java applets? Aren't those dead by now?Or do you mean running Java desktop apps like Eclipse? There are no desktop apps on Chrome OS except Chrome.
bji - Friday, May 31, 2013 - link
The review had alot of good detail but too much superfluous chatter. I think you need to work on understanding when brevity is more appropriate than verbosity. You'd do better to use the florid language as a highlight where needed instead of being present in nearly every sentence in the article. Just sayin' ...bji - Friday, May 31, 2013 - link
Forgot to mention - the review should be more objective and less subjective as well. This is a tech review site, and I think the numerous comments about how enamored the reviewer is over subjective qualities of the laptop are out of place.