So does the display. I'm simply not used to seeing this nice a screen on a Chromebook. In fact, I don't think I've seen one this nice since the first Pixel came out two years ago. As before, the Pixel has an oddly shaped That's a aspect ratio, by the way, meaning it's noticeably taller than your typical inch laptop screen.
Indeed, thanks to those extra vertical pixels, the screen density comes out to an impressive ppi, making it ever so slightly sharper than the inch Retina display MacBook Pro ppi.
Not that you can spot the difference. As it turns out, too, that Retina MBP comparison is an apt one, and not just because of their similar screen resolution; the quality is on par, too. In addition to being sharp, the Pixel's display boasts rich colors and wide viewing angles, even despite the touchscreen's glossy finish.
The visibility is so good, in fact, that when my seatmate on a recent flight asked me to open the window shade, I could make out the contents of the screen, even with sunlight streaming in next to me. My only concern is that the tall display could be a problem for travelers stuck in coach.
As it happens, I was seated in Economy Plus on a newer plane, and the person in front of me was kind enough not to recline, but I bet that on a smaller aircraft and with less considerate neighbors , things would have gone differently.
Heck, even with the inch Air, which has a lower-slung screen, I've had problems using it in coach. Google's "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy applies to the keyboard as well. For all intents and purposes, this is the same tactile, well-spaced keyboard as last time, with one exception: Whereas the row of function keys used to have a stiff feel, they now have the same shape as all the other buttons on the keyboard.
And that's a good thing. With the exception of my Google password, which has a lot of special characters and is easy to mess up -- I was able to type at a fast clip with very few typos. The buttons don't even have that much travel, per se, but the keys are large and easy to hit, and they're springy enough that I didn't have to mash the keys in order for my button presses to register. The touchpad is also a joy to use: spacious with smooth, controlled tracking.
That leaves one of the few things that's actually different about the design, and that's the ports. But whereas Apple caused a controversy by including just one port on its new flagship laptop, Google mercifully built in two Type-C connections -- along with two "regular" Standard A USB ports for good measure. In particular, I like that there's one Type-C port on either side -- it means I have some flexibility in terms of where I plug in the charging cable.
As I type this, for example, I'm sitting in a middle seat on a plane, with a power outlet on either side of me. The lady on my left indicated she might need an outlet at some point. Good thing there's another one on my right, with a nearby power plug to match. Finishing up our tour, there's also a headphone jack and full-sized SD card; kind of a crucial detail on a Chromebook with only 32GB of built-in storage. Basically, then, you have all the ports you'd likely want, unless you were holding out for an HDMI socket.
And if you were, you've heard of Chromecast, right? Truly, it seems that as long as there are still standard USB 3. You also can get away with carrying just one power brick for all your gadgets, including your Pixel and whatever phones or tablets you own. At the same time, you don't need an adapter to use your existing peripherals Ethernet adapters, USB headsets, etc.
Apple might be right that people will one day require fewer ports, and that USB Type-C, in particular, will be ubiquitous. But we're not there yet. For now, then, this mix of old and new USB sockets feels like a sensible compromise. Chrome OS has come a long way since we reviewed the original Pixel, back in February In fact, the selection is big enough that there's even a section of the Chrome Web Store dedicated to offline-capable apps.
In short, then, the idea that Chromebooks are crippled without an internet connection is a big fat myth. I will say this, though, there is nothing more infuriating than being locked out of a Chromebook during a flight because you have two-factor authentication and can't receive your six-digit code over SMS.
That happened to me while testing another Chrome OS laptop recently and, well, let's just say I won't be making that mistake again. Always have backup codes handy, kids. What else has changed in the last two years? It's now easier to juggle multiple accounts. As of late last year, Chromebooks have always-on , "OK Google" voice search. The Pixel's touchscreen now supports pinch-to-zoom. You can remotely lock your machine if it gets lost or stolen.
At-a-glance features Thank you for your interest! This device is currently only available in select markets. Check back soon for changes to availability. Pixelbook has a 4-in-1 design to seamlessly adjusts to whatever you want to do with laptop, tablet, tent and entertainment modes. Laptop, tablet, tent and entertainment modes.
Quickly get answers, get things done, manage your day and more. Meet the smart, responsive pen for your Google Pixelbook. With up to GB of hard drive storage, you can store your favorite movies, shows, music and more. Proper laptops offer an order of magnitude more storage, with solid state drives starting at GB, and slower hard drives generally hovering around the GB or 1TB mark.
Performance testing a Chromebook remains a tricky proposition, as none of our typical testing apps run on this Web-based OS. But we do have a few options, in the form of Web-based benchmarks that are designed to test browser performance.
We've pitted the Pixel's performance against a slew of other Chromebooks, and it performed favorably -- check out our charts below. The hardware had no trouble keeping up with everything I threw at it.
Granted, that isn't very much: there aren't too many corners of the Web that are especially hardware intensive, and the fast CPU, generous amount of RAM, and lightweight Chrome operating system made short work of all of the video-streaming and online image-editing tasks I threw at it. Gaming is admittedly largely limited to stuff on the Web and things in Chrome's Web store, but the gorgeous and skillfully narrated Bastion is also available in Chrome here's our review of the iOS version , and it runs flawlessly.
Google reports that you'll see up to 12 hours of battery life from the Pixel, up from five in the last model. For our tests, I set the screen brightness and volume to 50 percent and streaming video over the Web, to simulate the typical usage scenario of someone who watches far too much television: the Pixel lasted for an average of about seven and a half hours.
My own usage revolves around streaming audio via Spotify, streaming the occasional YouTube clip, plenty of reading, and lots of writing. The Pixel easily made it through the average day and beyond, without complaint. Better still, I never once worried about running out of power because getting more power is so easy, thanks to USB-C: you can charge the laptop from anything that accepts a USB cable.
I generally always have a battery pack or two at the ready, and being able to keep a laptop topped up with the pack I keep in my bag is surprisingly liberating.
I also sapped power from the other laptops and PCs around me, which came in handy on the occasions when I forgot to tote the Pixel's charger. You'll still want to keep the charger handy, though. With it, the Pixel will soak up enough juice to run for about two hours in just 15 minutes, and the battery will hit maximum capacity in about an hour and a half.
The Pixel remains a case study in compromise. The new model offers better battery life and better performance than its predecessor, and Chrome OS has also picked up a few tricks, including the ability to open and edit Microsoft Office documents without being forced to convert files into a different format. A few Android apps have made their way onto Chrome OS , too. The initial showing is a little sparse, but blurring the lines between Android and Chrome OS paints an interesting picture for the future of Google's mobile and PC operating systems.
Microsoft has taken a similar approach with Windows 10 , with the operating system and some apps appearing on desktops and mobile phones. Support from for Chrome OS other major players is coming: Google and Adobe have partnered on a project that promises to bring a streaming version of Photoshop to Chrome. The high-resolution display and capable hardware offered here would be a perfect fit for editing my photos, and while there are some apps available on the Chrome Web store -- and even some that'll run offline -- none of those really hold a candle to Adobe's wares.
And therein lies the rub: the Chromebook ethos -- cheap, and always online -- feels at odds with the Pixel's expensive, high-end hardware. And the strides Chrome OS has made still simply evaporate once your Internet connection dries up. Granted, you can still work within Google's ecosystem, creating and editing documents and viewing any media you may have left stored on the machine.
But I'm looking for robust software that runs offline.
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