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Googlebook

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Re: Googlebook

#231

Post by computerex »

efskap wrote: post #185
hypersoar wrote: post #151

I attended Google I/O in 2013 and was given a Chromebook Pixel, their $1300 laptop. The hardware was very, very nice, and I quite enjoyed using it for a while. One day, I dropped it and damaged the screen well outside of its warranty period. "Oh no," I thought. "This is probably going to be pretty expensive to fix." So, bracing for the damage, I called up Google and told them what had happened. They replied that ther…

Looks and feels premium, but ultimately fundamentally disposable. This pattern extends to so many goods in modern life. Washing machines, microwaves, etc aren't worth the time of a local repairman. Repair is economically incompatible with its life cycle. Clothes are replaced, not stitched. And after a few washes at that. Cars, phones, etc, consist of proprietary parts all sealed up.

That’s a western perspective because we are spoiled and have no thought for sustainability.

Please take a look at poor countries of the world like Pakistan. They have a repair culture. They have vehicles from the 80’s out on the road doing daily driving work instead of being used as vintage show pieces. It’s a poor country, this is a necessity. But nevertheless seeing the repair culture there in contrast to the disposable culture in the western world makes me pause.

Re: Googlebook

#232

Post by loeg »

efskap wrote: post #185
hypersoar wrote: post #151

I attended Google I/O in 2013 and was given a Chromebook Pixel, their $1300 laptop. The hardware was very, very nice, and I quite enjoyed using it for a while. One day, I dropped it and damaged the screen well outside of its warranty period. "Oh no," I thought. "This is probably going to be pretty expensive to fix." So, bracing for the damage, I called up Google and told them what had happened. They replied that ther…

Looks and feels premium, but ultimately fundamentally disposable. This pattern extends to so many goods in modern life. Washing machines, microwaves, etc aren't worth the time of a local repairman. Repair is economically incompatible with its life cycle. Clothes are replaced, not stitched. And after a few washes at that. Cars, phones, etc, consist of proprietary parts all sealed up.

"Disposable" is fine! Things have a useful lifetime and uneconomic repairs are just that. Nothing needs to last forever.

Re: Googlebook

#233

Post by kelnos »

abirch wrote: post #209
hypersoar wrote: post #151

I attended Google I/O in 2013 and was given a Chromebook Pixel, their $1300 laptop. The hardware was very, very nice, and I quite enjoyed using it for a while. One day, I dropped it and damaged the screen well outside of its warranty period. "Oh no," I thought. "This is probably going to be pretty expensive to fix." So, bracing for the damage, I called up Google and told them what had happened. They replied that ther…

I used to have everything Google. Strata Pixels, Nest Cameras Google Smart Speakers Nest Home Security system but then I broke my Google Pixel 1 watch. I ended up chatting with service in India and they pretty much told me that there was no way to fix it. After that, I quit buying all things Google and switched to Apple. Now I only buy Google software products, no consumer devices.

How is Apple any different? IIRC Apple watches have an abysmal repairability score too.

If anything, Apple is in general the worst on this particular metric. Switching to Apple because you had a repairability problem with another brand is kinda funny.

Re: Googlebook

#234

Post by kommunicate »

mherrmann wrote: post #145
kommunicate wrote: post #90

I will never buy another google hardware product again after my most recent pixel experience. I was sent a phone with a defective modem that they refused to replace. This is despite having bought 5 other pixels and also using google fi and a bunch of other google products. I will never trust them with a hardware purchase ever again.

As another n=1, I've been happy with my Pixel phones over the years and never had such an experience.

I was very happy with them until they sold me a defective phone, jerked me around for months, then refused to replace it.

Re: Googlebook

#236

Post by dakiol »

There must be such a disconnection between the general people and more technical oriented people. I would never ever buy such a laptop. The reasons are very simple:

- it's owned by Google. Google is the worst tech company out there to trust your data

- it has AI all over the place. Overuse of AI depresses me. And a laptop is something very personal to me. I don't want to be depressed every time i open my laptop

- the "files" functionality is cloud-based. That's insane. I don't want my files in the "cloud". I want a file system

I run linux, and still own Macs (because their hardware is great on laptops). Of course I'm not the target audience. But still.

Re: Googlebook

#237

Post by abrowne »

troymc wrote: post #21
jerojero wrote: post #14

I think if I wanted a cheap laptop I'd probably get the macbook neo, and if i wanted a non-gaming expensive one i'd get a macbook pro. I really don't see the market fit for this, I guess the android integration. But my god, I'd die of cringe if someone asked me about my laptop and I had to say "googlebook". Believe it or not, these things matter a lot, particularly if you're trying to target a young audience.

I think it's a successor to the Chromebook. In the vast majority of modern K-12 public schools, the school district owns the hardware, not the students.

I don't think these are Chromebook successors. This is supposed to be a premium line according to the "Android Show" video. But I suspect future Chromebooks will use this OS eventually.

Re: Googlebook

#238

Post by yread »

I like the footnote:

> 1. Check responses.

Eh sure. Everyone will totally check the vibe coded "widget". Is this really all that's necessary to discount all responsibility when that widget deletes your disk and kills your grandmother?

Re: Googlebook

#239

Post by simonh »

cj wrote: post #213
hypersoar wrote: post #151

I attended Google I/O in 2013 and was given a Chromebook Pixel, their $1300 laptop. The hardware was very, very nice, and I quite enjoyed using it for a while. One day, I dropped it and damaged the screen well outside of its warranty period. "Oh no," I thought. "This is probably going to be pretty expensive to fix." So, bracing for the damage, I called up Google and told them what had happened. They replied that ther…

I really miss the Chromebook Pixel / Pixelbook / whatever it was called. It was my travel laptop for at least 5 years. It was expensive, but the quality, performance, and durability was top tier. And it lasted 5+ years. The Pixelbook also had a "Google Assistant" button built in the keyboard. Should be easy enough to relaunch the hardware and swap in a gemini button...

I still think it’s amazing they manage to fit all that AI technology into something as small as a button.
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