Amid rumors of a Chrome tablet coming to the market, Google unveiled Chromebook Pixel, a top-of-the-line laptop that would rival Apple's Retina MacBooks, Windows Ultrabooks, and Microsoft's Surface Pro tablets. The device, which Google says brings together "the best in hardware, software and design", features a web-reliant Chrome OS software, access to Google web apps (as well as support for offline apps), a touch-enabled screen, a powerful Intel Core i5 processor, and a 4G LTE connectivity option. The device's screen is reminiscent of Apple's retina display: its 12.85-inch screen supports 2560-by-1700 pixels, for a density of 239 pixels per inch -- the highest of any laptop ever. Notwithstanding the top-notch specs, experts are already questioning Google's Apple-like pricing strategy. Available on Google Play February 21st, the device costs a whopping $1,499 with integrated Verizon LTE and 64GB of storage and $1,299 with just Wi-Fi and 32GB of storage.
What Else You Need To Know
- A premium version of the Chromebook, the Pixel also features a glass-etched multitouch trackpad, back-lit Chrome keyboard, and HD front facing webcam, is light-weight at only 3.5 lbs, and comes with 1 terabyte of free storage at Google Drive for three years.
- Top Google Chrome executive Sundar Pichai says that hardware partners may release in the future Chrome devices that would be tablets with keyboard docks, similar to the Surface tablet.
- Launched in 2011, the Chromebook earned acclaim for its security features and an affordable price tag of as low as $199, but never gained mass appeal due to its limited offline capability and lack of native applications.
Other sources
It's a big bet and one has to wonder, can the Chrome OS survive at this altitude?- Lance Ulanoff, Mashable
It only has a 32GB SSD, it only runs web apps, and its battery life is not extraordinary. There is nothing in there that costs $1300, nothing.- Dima Aryeh , DroidDog
- Trusted Reviews - Phones
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- Google’s Chromebook Pixel: The Chromebook Goes High-End
- GigaOM
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Google announces new Chromebook Pixel, a top-of-the-line, touch-enabled cloud machine: My impressions
I surfed through a few websites — and clicked on a lot of ads, unintentionally. I used Google Maps and Google Photos and used touch to experience them. I am guessing that there is a growing number of people who want touch on their laptops — I simply use the iPad for all things cloud.
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