Google today announced the new 13” Chromebook Pixel laptop that features the highest pixel density on a laptop screen ever, topping even the Apple MacBook’s Retina Display. The 13” (well, 12.85” to be exact) screen on the Chromebook Pixel has a resolution of 2,560 x 1,700 which gives it a PPI (Pixels Per Inch) density of 239, higher than the 220 PPI of the MacBook Pro Retina. The aspect ratio is a rather strange 3:2, Google claims that horizontal real estate is important on the web and it’s also a common aspect ratio for photography and so chose to go with this over a more typical 16:10. Other features of the screen include the fact it is touchscreen enabled, has a Gorilla Glass coating for durability, a bright 400-nit display and wide viewing angles of up to 178-degrees (no mention of IPS though, so we assume that’s not the display technology used).
Other impressive specs to note are an Intel Core i5 1.8GHz, 4GB of RAM, 32GB SSD, 1TB of Google Cloud Storage (for 3-years), 2 USB 2.0 ports, 1 mini-DisplayPort, SD media card reader and integrated HD webcam. The weight comes in at 3.35lbs and it’s a svelte 0.64” thick. The entire body is constructed of aluminum so you get a sleek look, the standard backlit keyboard also helps out in the style department. Oh, and yes, it does look a little like a MacBook Pro but pretty much everyone has copied that design approach in some way so nothing new there.
So the specs are all great, but the big catch of course is that the Chromebook Pixel does not feature a “real” desktop based OS, so it’s somewhat limited if you don’t have an Internet connection. To add to that, the price is very high at $1,299, well over the average laptop price of around $500 today. Cynics might call this an overpriced web browser, or worse, a paper weight if you have no Internet connection. Still, Google is saying they realize this isn’t for the mainstream but rather for the hard core types that really do “live in the cloud” and have no need to ever install programs but rather do everything they need to via a web browser but want something more than a weak and small $300 Chromebook.
If nothing else, they’ll get some buzz and media coverage out of the Chromebook Pixel and that might enhance the awareness of Chrome OS and increase sales for low end machines. I can’t see too many of the Chromebook Pixel’s selling, glorious screen aside, the price and limits of the OS should deter most. If you’re not deterred, you can order it now via the Google Play Store.
the display is incredible, but price is out there for no real OS;
but they gotta have SOMETHING for the Google store — near you soon
True, you do need shiny products on display to have a retail store. Can’t put the cart before the horse after all.
I think this is all symptomatic of engineers running a company that has too much money. Cool stuff, but not so sure about the business aspect.
Are they out of their mind?!
Couple of weeks ago the samsung series 9 13″ ultrabook with Windows 7 was under $800 on Amazon. Even today many of the windows 8 touch screen laptops with better specs are going below $1,299 e.g. Lenovo Yoga is under $1,000.
I just don’t get it, Google already has an excellent OS for mobile devices…then why they started this Chrome OS?
A Desktop OS which is based on Cloud is a no go!
I doubt if anyone in his right mind will ever gonna buy this machine.
There is no way Chrome OS can compete with windows, mac os or linux.
If I had the money to do so, I’d seriously consider the Pixel. You’re not taking into account that incredible display; most other laptops top out at 1080p, and rarely do 13″ laptops even go that high (save for the Sony Vaio Z, and a small handful of Ultrabooks at this price range). And, aside from the 32GB/64GB onboard storage, the hardware is pretty decent.
Now, the onboard storage is pretty small for a “real” OS, you’re pretty much limited to either ChromeOS or a modified Ubuntu, and USB 2.0 only is a bit of a downer. And for this price, the rMBP 13″ is pretty competitve, especially considering the bigger onboard storage, ports, and a “real” OS.
Aren’t we burying the lead here: 3:2 display! Isn’t this a backdoor victory for proponents of the 4:3 aspect ratio, who vocally complain that I1920x1080 widescreens (16:9) force us to do work through a gunslit? Even Thinkpads are 16:9 now, and most Apple laptops are 16:10.
Personally, I’m used to it, but isn’t this a great point of contention for hardcore nerds, or have I been out of the loop for too long?
3:2 is actually the resolution of the original iPhone up to the iPhone 4S, and I like to think of it as the resolution of an old-fashioned printed photograph–4×6.
There is of course, the other obvious question:
For $1300, do customers get the right to install Windows (or Linux) on their shiny new toy, or is the bootloader locked, and is the SSD soldered?
At my classic question: Does the SD-card slot fit the card flush inside it, or does the card stick out like on the 13-inch Air? If it fits inside, that allows up to 256GB more storage “permanently” on the SD card.
In the beginning talking about 3:2 aspect ratio, I believe you meant to say Google believes *vertical real estate is important for browsing web, not horizontal.
It also seems to me to get a bit old to say that X laptop looks like a Mac, I see it in at least one review site for any laptop that’s rectangular and is a metallic color of any sort. Even on Sony VAIO laptops which are clearly very angular and take no design cues from Apple, the only thing they might share is a silver color if you pick that option (standard, it comes in black). I didn’t see that on this site in particular, the reviews here are better about it, but I do start to roll my eyes now whenever I see a review say “It looks like a MacBook”. By what standard? It’s shaped like a laptop and made of metal?