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2015 Chromebook Pixel

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Re: 2015 Chromebook Pixel

#541

Post by Htsthbjig »

IkmoIkmo wrote: post #532

I don't really understand the appeal personally. At this price level you could get a dell xps. ChromeOS seems brilliant at a few hundred bucks, especially for kids & elders who get the browser/video/text experience, without the complexity, bloatware, viruses etc of a windows environment. But at $600 or $1000, there just seem to be better windows alternatives, to me at least. And above that you get into OS X range. Ch…

I believe that is exactly the idea.

Google as the ecosystem provider (ChromeOS) does not really want to compete with the companies that are intended to use the OS.

Google does not want to compete with Dell, HP, Lenovo or Acer, but to convince them to use ChromeOS.

Google creates hardware as a reference for others to follow. This is very important, as there is a before an after the release of the Nexus phone.

Google releases high quality hardware with their OS to prove that a good machine could be make with it, but at a price that does not compete with others.

Re: 2015 Chromebook Pixel

#542

Post by cttet »

IkmoIkmo wrote: post #532

I don't really understand the appeal personally. At this price level you could get a dell xps. ChromeOS seems brilliant at a few hundred bucks, especially for kids & elders who get the browser/video/text experience, without the complexity, bloatware, viruses etc of a windows environment. But at $600 or $1000, there just seem to be better windows alternatives, to me at least. And above that you get into OS X range. Ch…

Maybe it is just not targeting the "average straight up consumer". There should be a product for everyone..

Re: 2015 Chromebook Pixel

#543

Post by superbaconman »

dripton wrote: post #526
superbaconman wrote: post #396

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thing runs linux. Like if you ever wanted a linux laptop this is for you. I just bought a toshiba cb2, and with crouton installed it's one of the best laptops I think I've ever owned (for the price).

All my laptops run Linux. Two of them came with Linux preinstalled. Two of them came with Windows preinstalled. All four had the preinstalled OS overwritten by my Linux distro of choice. So what they came with isn't really that important. (Granted, if something comes with Linux then that saves you the step of making sure all the hardware has Linux support before you buy it.)

(Random and probably a little minor) But what about those keyboards? How about those Ctrl and alt keys? Have both on each side? Actually in the same order, and spaced well for programming / emacs? That's the reason I hate my Mac pro so much, and I haven't seen a win based keyboard doing much better. The CB key layout is the best I know of.

Re: 2015 Chromebook Pixel

#544

Post by bsimpson »

mitchell209 wrote: post #524
bsimpson wrote: post #514

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My Chromebook Pixel is hands down the best screen I've seen on a computer, and my work laptop is a Retina MacBook Pro. My only complaint is that it's really sensitive to temporary burn-in; then again, so is every other retina laptop I've seen.

Can you explain why the pixel is so much better than the Retina MacBook's screen? My retina is by far the best screen I've ever seen, but I've never had the opportunity to use a Pixel. FWIW, I've never had any burn in issues with my first gen Retina MacBook in all the years I've owned it. Although based on many of the complaints I've read, that's because I was lucky to get the better screen.

Honestly, I find the backlight less obnoxious. I can use my Pixel indefinitely with no complaints. The Retina is the only computer I've used that hurts my eyes after a couple hours of work.

The screen's also 8% sharper. (220dpi vs 239dpi). I don't have them side-by-side right now, so it's hard to say if that part's noticeable. I mostly base my judgement on the quality of the backlight in conjunction with the super-high DPI and touchscreen.

Re: 2015 Chromebook Pixel

#545

Post by MAGZine »

IkmoIkmo wrote: post #532

I don't really understand the appeal personally. At this price level you could get a dell xps. ChromeOS seems brilliant at a few hundred bucks, especially for kids & elders who get the browser/video/text experience, without the complexity, bloatware, viruses etc of a windows environment. But at $600 or $1000, there just seem to be better windows alternatives, to me at least. And above that you get into OS X range. Ch…

Writing this from my 2011 MBA. Looking at a replacement, and the CBP is a strong contender. If I swap out the storage for a 256 or 512 GB drive and throw linux or windows on it, then it's better hardware than a macbook air, for cheaper. In fact, it's impossible to build a MBA that stands up to CBP's hardware.

the chromebook represents essentially what i wanted out of a macbook air refresh, instead the ipad-with-a-keyboard Macbook showed up.

Re: 2015 Chromebook Pixel

#547

Post by TazeTSchnitzel »

gburt wrote: post #421
TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They don't make you. Apple's approach is you do everything wirelessly. For the laggards, well, you might need an adapter or two, but it's still more portable than a thicker and heavier laptop.

Laggards? Have you ever actually tried to work on wireless peripherals?

I use a wireless mouse and connect to the Internet wirelessly. My external HDD is over USB, but the latency (from it not being an SSD) is bad enough that wireless would change nothing.

Re: 2015 Chromebook Pixel

#548

Post by grecy »

jeena wrote: post #442
bduerst wrote: post #336

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I cannot endorse this more - I bought an additional 3 yr everything-covered warranty on an Elitebook, and it ended up saving me $1100 in repairs to the laptop. Even Squaretrade warranties are better than nothing.

Perhaps I am just lucky but I out of principle never buy any insurance if it is not required by law. If something breaks I either try to fix it myself or buy a new one. I never calculated it but I don't feel that I miss out or pay more in the long run. Quite the opposite, I have almost no running expenses and can invest the money others pay the insurence companies into new stuff. The only exception of that rule are i…

> Perhaps I am just lucky but I out of principle never buy any insurance if it is not required by law. If something breaks I either try to fix it myself or buy a new one.

Insurance companies know the odds better than us, they set the premiums, and they still manage to make a profit every year (billions of dollars in lots of cases)

It glaringly obvious that "on average" the average person should not get insurance when not required, because otherwise you're just paying for the profit of said insurance company.

Re: 2015 Chromebook Pixel

#549

Post by sithu »

jonnynezbo wrote: post #529
rcraft wrote: post #437

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I purchase all expensive electronics on my AMEX card. They offer an additional year on all manufacturers warranty at no additional cost, along with 90 day purchase protection for any accidental damage. Its fantastic. Visa Signature offers similar coverage, however making a claim with Visa vs Amex is a much bigger headache. I've submitted multiple warranty and purchase protection claims with AMEX and its about the eas…

Just to clarify: does it extend an Apple warranty from 1 to 2 years?

Yes, if you purchase the item using the card. It's an extended warranty. Quote from benefits section of the gold card:

Extended Warranty can extend the terms of the original manufacturer's warranty on warranties of five years or less. We match the length of the original warranty if the original manufacturer’s warranty is less than one year, and we provide one additional year if the original manufacturer’s warranty is between one year and five years. Shipping and handling costs for the purchase will not be refunded. Certain purchases are not covered, e.g. items with physical damage, damage as a result of natural disaster, software, motorized devices and vehicles and their parts. Other important exclusions apply. You will only be covered up to the amount charged on your eligible Card; coverage is limited up to a maximum of USD $10,000 per occurrence; not to exceed USD $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. You may be required to send the purchased item to us, in which case we will reimburse you for shipping cost. This product is in excess of other warranty plans that you have in place for the eligible item.

Re: 2015 Chromebook Pixel

#550

Post by grecy »

lobster_johnson wrote: post #501
Alupis wrote: post #392

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> we'll all be so happy with the obvious (in hindsight) decision to switch to USB-C. I don't think the issue is the inclusion of USB-C -- in fact, USB-C offers a lot . I think the issue is only having one connector on the entire laptop. What happens if that port fails or beaks? Your laptop stops working...

What I hear people complaining about is that the product isn't complete out of the box: You immediately have to go out and buy a hub, or at least a charger that also acts like a hub, and/or an HDMI adapter. Some of these gadgets are, for now, a little expensive -- $40 for something that used to be built in is, for some people, an insult. (I don't mind myself; I take the long view about things like this.)

If you have devices that immediately require you to buy a hug for the new MacBook, it's obvious you're not the target market, and you need to buy one of the more "Pro" ones.

I.e. the one with "Pro" in the name.

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