Right away when you look at the significantly hefty price tag you want to faint. The Chromebook Pixel rings in at $1,299 for just Wi-Fi access and $1,449 with LTE compared to $330 for the HP Pavilion 14 Chromebook and $199 for the Acer C7. The pretty Chromebook does have better screen resolution at 2,560 x 1,700 (239 ppi) and an LCD touchscreen, but would you really spend all that money for a device that can only search the web?
You probably see everyone immediately running out to purchase the new Chromebook Pixel with a price like that, but I’m sure the transfixing beauty of the device would woo a few big spenders. Pixel buyers do receive 1 TB of “free” Google Drive storage for three years, which would normally cost you about $600 annually, but Google is still sort of asking for a lot.
The main purpose of the other Chromebooks out on the market right now is essentially to give you quick access to the web where it runs Google’s cloud-based Chrome OS. It makes sense for those who practically only use Google Chrome or Chrome-like features anyway and who don’t care about the lack of processing power and higher-end features you find in standard laptops. It really just gives people the option for a virus free system that allows them to browse the Internet.
The Pixel still really is a gorgeous device with a fantastic screen. It has a layer of Gorilla Glass there for protection and it has a brilliant 400-nit brightness to burn beautiful images into your retinas. The Chromebook seems to be aimed toward the same market as the MacBook Air, but with less offline storage the Pixel falls short.
Waiting it out for a bit would probably be your best bet when it comes to buying the Chromebook Pixel. It’s a beautiful Chromebook, but Google needs to make a better case for why level-headed consumers should spend $1299 on a computer that only gives you access to the cloud.
Comments