It has been rumoured for many weeks. Leaked advert, touch-screen features added to Chrome OS and code directly referencing the “Link” device. Today, Google has finally released the Chromebook Pixel, Google’s first Chromebook.
Chromebooks have been around since 2011, this is the first time Google is releasing their own Chrome device. The Chromebook Pixel is a premium laptop, which they claim is designed to support power users who are fully in the cloud.
The Pixel’s stand out feature is its Gorilla Glass-covered touch screen display. While it is the first Chrome device with a touch screen, its main highlight is the display. It is the highest screen density display ever used on a laptop.
With a screen size of 12.85 inches and a resolution of 2560 x 1700, it is aiming directly at the MacBook Pro with Retina Display.
It is a very sleek design, using Apple’s uni-body like construction. It is a very premium product. The design is finished off with backlit chiclet keyboard, glass touchpad, impressive speakers, noise cancelling microphone and a HD camera.
Under the hood, you will find the speediest Chromebook ever. Featuring a 1.8Ghz Dual Core Intel i5 CPU with a Intel HD 4000 graphics chip. 4GB RAM and 32 or 64GB SSD. Connectivity options include dual-band 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 3.0. The usually array of ports include two USB 2.0 jacks, Mini DisplayPort, headphone jack and a SD Card slot.
With such a high spec premium Chrome device, comes a high price. The WiFi-only 32GB Pixel costs $1,299/£1,049 available today. With an WiFi/LTE model with 64GB arriving in April priced at $1,449. Google has also thrown in 1TB of Google Drive storage for 3 years, which is worth noting would usually cost $1799.64.
While Chrome devices have usually been low-cost secondary computers, Google has certainly aimed this device at the high end of the market to combat Apple’s Macbook Air and Microsoft’s Surface RT device. It will be very interesting to see if this device will pay off, if the price is too high for consumers.
