Is there any real technical reason to have soldered RAM and storage ? A well built $1200 linux laptop would still be OK if it weren't artificially gimped. M.2 ssds are already quite thin. So the form factor argument doesn't hold. The storage markup on these devices is huge considering that a 1 TB nvme pcie m.2 ssd goes for under $350 (even less during sales).
Google Pixelbook Is Google’s New Chromebook
91–100 of 183 posts
Re: Google Pixelbook Is Google’s New Chromebook
#92Cool dev machine but for 1200 dollars I want to be able to run Microsoft office when people send me documents without asking them to reformat and also edit and modify images with standard software when necessary. In a collaborative world it is not worth the pain to pay 1200 and not be able to work with people who do not code. Chrome books are acceptable at the 200 dollar price point (I have one that dual boots archli…
Can't new Chromebooks run Android applications? Microsoft has Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for Android so it seems like the only think you might be missing out on is Access. I can't speak to the quality of the Android applications, but the iOS versions are surprisingly well done.
They can be glitchy(in the sense they are not supported) in my experience not to mention the Page Down doesn't work in Android applications on a Chromebook(unless the app has implemented it which is incredibly rare). I'm just trying to say they aren't useful for many people but just not for me.
Re: Google Pixelbook Is Google’s New Chromebook
#93I think I'll stick with my Toshiba Chromebook CB35. - It runs native Linux - Works awesome for every day web development - 1080p IPS display - $350 bucks total If anyone wants to see how to set that up (it requires installing GalliumOS which is a native Linux OS for Chromebooks) and read a full review it's over at https://nickjanetakis.com/blog/transform-a-toshiba-chromeboo... .
Very important observation: this article links to a M.2 2242 SSD with 64-512GB capacity and there seems to be ample stock on Amazon.com. This is important because the second SSD on the ThinkPad T470 and consequently the ThinkPad Anniversary 25 can only be a 2242 one and they are a major PITA to find. While some 2242 drives were broken for a few months it has been fixed a week ago https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad…
Surprisingly enough, the keyboard on the Toshiba is really good. I think I even type faster on it than my desktop keyboard.
Trackpad is a different story (I guess it's average but I suck with trackpads in general because I rarely use it). I feel like it takes me 10 seconds to select text with a trackpad when I could do it in like 1 second with a mouse. Watching me use a trackpad is easily comparable to an ape trying to use hand tools.
Re: Google Pixelbook Is Google’s New Chromebook
#94I've been using an Asus Chromebook. I don't have the specs, but it's ~ a year old and was at the higher end of sub $500 pack at the time.
I've pretty much given up on using it. I liked to use it for ssh over to my real computer (over wifi) to get work done; but this was always noticeably laggy. Trying to use basic tools on it (zoom, slack) is painfully slow - and if you run two bandwidth-hungry things at once, forget it. I have to jump through hoops to get a decent shell for ssh that Just Works - which sorta means it doesn't Just Work after all. Running anything heavier than the shell is slow.
I don't know the specs on the one, but I think I'm done with ARM on anything but phones. At least when them, I don't have any expectation of good performance from applications/sites to begin with.
Re: Google Pixelbook Is Google’s New Chromebook
#95Cool dev machine but for 1200 dollars I want to be able to run Microsoft office when people send me documents without asking them to reformat and also edit and modify images with standard software when necessary. In a collaborative world it is not worth the pain to pay 1200 and not be able to work with people who do not code. Chrome books are acceptable at the 200 dollar price point (I have one that dual boots archli…
Can't new Chromebooks run Android applications? Microsoft has Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for Android so it seems like the only think you might be missing out on is Access. I can't speak to the quality of the Android applications, but the iOS versions are surprisingly well done.
You're right that there are android apps for some of the software I mentioned, but my experience always feels like they are some compromise of the real thing (formatting issues, some problems with commenting involving multiple people...) and image editing software doesn't compare with adobe. My point is this type of compromise is acceptable at a lower price range but not when you're paying 1200 or more.
Re: Google Pixelbook Is Google’s New Chromebook
#96To people tempted by the Pixelbook, why not by a Macbook for that price? instead of getting a machine which OS basically amounts to a browser forcing you into google cloud services? You're basically paying a premium to get data-mined... And MacOS runs Chrome so I don't see the big deal here.
You're paying a premium for good linux and coreboot support. A macbook isn't that unique, and quite a sink of money since it can't run any other OS too well. It certainly can't run linux, and windows isn't too good either. A good linux laptop that ships with coreboot is rare. You can also run windows on these things generally.
Re: Google Pixelbook Is Google’s New Chromebook
#97I've been using an Asus Chromebook. I don't have the specs, but it's ~ a year old and was at the higher end of sub $500 pack at the time. I've pretty much given up on using it. I liked to use it for ssh over to my real computer (over wifi) to get work done; but this was always noticeably laggy. Trying to use basic tools on it (zoom, slack) is painfully slow - and if you run two bandwidth-hungry things at once, forget…
My Chromebook Pixel LS included a Core i7 that was more than enough for regular Chrome OS usage, plus running Arch Linux via Crouton.
Re: Google Pixelbook Is Google’s New Chromebook
#98As someone who has attempted to use the original Chromebook Pixel as a development machine, I'm glad to see they've added more storage options. The original Pixel had 32GB of storage, and this one offers 512GB. For those unfamiliar with ChromeOS, it allows you to run Linux application using Crouton/chroot, so it really has a lot of potential as a Linux dev machine. However, I ultimately ran out of storage space, and…
This is actually a good reason to go with a 3rd-party manufacturer. Almost all non-Google Chromebooks include microSD card slots, so you can get another 128GB of persistently-mounted executable flash for large builds and similar. Google does not want you to use microSD cards. Google wants you to use Google Drive.
My Chromebook Pixel LS has an SD card slot. It wouldn't be a surprise if this one also has one.
Re: Google Pixelbook Is Google’s New Chromebook
#99From my experience with a 2013 Pixel I got from I/O, these machines come with a huge caveat: you can't get them repaired. At all. I cracked the glass over the screen on mine and called Google about getting it fixed, expecting them to tell me that it'd cost $X00 for an out-of-warranty repair. But they wouldn't take it at all. They suggested contacting 3rd-party repair shops, but some research into that nixed the idea pretty quick.
So if something goes wrong with machine 1 day after your warranty runs out, you're probably SoL. Apparently replacing the battery isn't too difficult, but, other than that, you don't have a lot of options. That's okay for a $300 laptop. But I don't think it's acceptable for a $1,200 one.
Re: Google Pixelbook Is Google’s New Chromebook
#100To people tempted by the Pixelbook, why not by a Macbook for that price? instead of getting a machine which OS basically amounts to a browser forcing you into google cloud services? You're basically paying a premium to get data-mined... And MacOS runs Chrome so I don't see the big deal here.
You're paying a premium for good linux and coreboot support. A macbook isn't that unique, and quite a sink of money since it can't run any other OS too well. It certainly can't run linux, and windows isn't too good either. A good linux laptop that ships with coreboot is rare. You can also run windows on these things generally.
What do you mean a Macbook can't run Linux? macOS is a Unix.
As for Windows it works great in either a VM or dual boot. I know people that have bought a Mac because they can (legally) run more software than any other computer.