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Google Pixelbook Is Google’s New Chromebook

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Re: Google Pixelbook Is Google’s New Chromebook

#121

Post by PeachPlum »

danjoc wrote: post #114
hypersoar wrote: post #99

From 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…

>So if something goes wrong with machine 1 day after your warranty runs out, you're probably SoL. https://9to5google.com/2016/12/09/google-pixel-screen-peelin... You're pretty SoL when it's brand new too, evidently.

Are your customer protection laws super weak ?

In the UK I would have gone to the local Trading Standards Office. Seems all people in the US can do is complain on websites and hope someone online-famous enough takes up their cause.

Re: Google Pixelbook Is Google’s New Chromebook

#122

Post by nextos »

shasheene wrote: post #31

I've been using the Samsung Chromebook Plus (ARM chip) laptop/tablet hybrid the past 4 months and it's one of the best devices I've ever owned. Very cheap and has high build quality (great screen and aluminium body). The 4 years prior I used the first ARM Samsung Series 3 Chromebook (much lower build quality, but it was great before it died). I currently use tablet mode for 2-3 hour session for portrait reading (Wiki…

I love the Chromebook Asus C201PA. All RockChip ARM hardware. Supercheap and no proprietary firmware needed if you disable 3D acceleration, which is very slow anyway. A really unique machine. Targeted by LibreBoot of course.

Re: Google Pixelbook Is Google’s New Chromebook

#124

Post by bdcravens »

refulgentis wrote: post #67
mattmanser wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This new pricing strategy for the Pixel line seems a very odd strategy. It sounds like the Pixel phone has sold terribly, and I imagine this will too.

Pixel sold incredibly well and far beyond expectations, it was sold out for months.

I don't know that I've ever seen a Pixel in the wild.

Re: Google Pixelbook Is Google’s New Chromebook

#125

Post by baq »

PeachPlum wrote: post #121
danjoc wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>So if something goes wrong with machine 1 day after your warranty runs out, you're probably SoL. https://9to5google.com/2016/12/09/google-pixel-screen-peelin... You're pretty SoL when it's brand new too, evidently.

Are your customer protection laws super weak ? In the UK I would have gone to the local Trading Standards Office. Seems all people in the US can do is complain on websites and hope someone online-famous enough takes up their cause.

That's the trade-off of having less regulation. OTOH I hear that the US has the most regulation in the world, so I'm confused.

Re: Google Pixelbook Is Google’s New Chromebook

#126

Post by yellowapple »

diebir wrote: post #120
j7ake wrote: post #40

Cool 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…

Wow, who uses Office these days? I thought everyone has migrated to the cloud docs. Have not seen a Office file in years now...

Really? I still deal with them daily. Is your employer hiring? ;)

Re: Google Pixelbook Is Google’s New Chromebook

#127

Post by rsynnott »

baq wrote: post #125
PeachPlum wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are your customer protection laws super weak ? In the UK I would have gone to the local Trading Standards Office. Seems all people in the US can do is complain on websites and hope someone online-famous enough takes up their cause.

That's the trade-off of having less regulation. OTOH I hear that the US has the most regulation in the world, so I'm confused.

I assume you hear that from someone who's either very confused or just making it up. Consumer regulation in the US is generally rather weak as compared to the EU. Some other regulation less so, but the idea that the US has the most regulation isn't really credible.

Some aspects of the American right-wing like making these very extreme claims, presumably on the basis that some people won't bother to check. Another even more implausible one is that America is the most-taxed country; this simply isn't even vaguely true no matter what way you look at it.

Re: Google Pixelbook Is Google’s New Chromebook

#128

Post by sushisource »

t420mom wrote: post #116
hypersoar wrote: post #99

From 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…

+1. I'll never buy Google hardware again. 6 weeks ago, my Pixel C tablet bricked itself playing Minecraft: Pocket Edition (my guess is that the heat corrupted some of the flash memory). Google agreed to replace it under warranty, but they didn't manage to address the package correctly (they forgot to include some details, like the street, city, zipcode, and state (according to FedEx)). What followed was 4 weeks of ca…

Google customer support is a complete joke. I can appreciate their philosophy of trying to spend as little money on it as possible by making quality software... but at some point people are going to call you and it needs to not be a horrible experience.

Especially as they've moved into hardware. Gotta get that right.

Re: Google Pixelbook Is Google’s New Chromebook

#129

Post by IntelMiner »

nickjj wrote: post #73

I 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... .

Just to add to this. If you want something a little more "beefy"

The Dell Chromebook 13 also checks almost all those boxes

- Runs Native Linux (GalliumOS or otherwise. Mainline kernel support was added for all hardware in 4.9)

- Works awesome for every day use. Coding, browsing etc

- 1080P IPS display (touch screen model also available, apparently?)

- Intel Core i5

- 8GB memory

- 8-10 hour battery depending on usage

Re: Google Pixelbook Is Google’s New Chromebook

#130

Post by Theodores »

fhood wrote: post #75
AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #51

Not as fond of the build quality on this new Pixel. The original Chromebook Pixel and Pixel LS is probably my favorite design of any laptop--the aluminum body was gorgeous, and the rectangular "slab" look that did not taper off was distinctly unique and not Macbook-derivative. The new one looks like it has a glass back (?) similar to the Pixel phone.

I mean, it was definitely a tad macbook derivative.

Not at all, the original Pixel Chromebook is a design classic, the updated one is notionally better but it is more like a mid-life update that you get with a car, despite the extra features the design is not so pure. Think of it as like the VW camper van going from split-screen to normal windscreen, better but not if you are into design classics.

The keyboard is designed without legacy cruft, it is still QWERTY but very much redesigned and not to emulate an Apple - there are none of those weird keys with weird symbols on them in the place of where things like the CTRL key should be. There are also no silly Windows keys.

The screen is 3:2 with a touch screen. Apple do not do that. Sure they do 'retina' and that gets the resolution up to Pixel levels of awesomeness.

The speakers are below the keyboard rather than some tinny things hidden under lots of holes drilled in aluminium. I don't believe you can get better sound on a laptop or tablet than what the original Pixel does.

The colour-bar on the lid is not fruit shaped. It does things too, like an Easter Egg rather than 'obligatory branding'.

The tactile look and feel aspects are definitely an improvement on what Apple offers. The keyboard is much nicer for actual typing. I think the same goes for the trackpad but I use an external mouse in Apple world whereas with the Pixel there is no need to plug stuff like external pointing devices in. This is subjective to a certain extent, some people prefer cheap wine.

Then the final form factor. There is no roundy-roundy-ness. It is not overly branded with fruit-style images. It is square, not round. Even the colour sets the Pixel apart from Apple products.

The Pixel is a start from a blank piece of paper design, it is not a copy of a rival product, it is an example of what can be done and that is not the same idea as 'derivative'.

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