Pixelbook Go from Google.
Have you been keeping an eye on what’s happening with Chromebooks in recent weeks? The previously limited laptop range is undergoing a transformation due to Google’s renewed interest in the product, while other software companies are taking a different look at Chrome OS.
Recently, I wrote about how the Chromebook Pixel 2015 in 2020 had become my main laptop over my Surface Book and Macbook, even though it was older than both. Read that story here. But the main reason was simple: it showed almost no signs of aging.
As the joints of other, more sophisticated laptops from Microsoft and Apple creek under the weight of years of apps and files, my Chromebook remained in out-of-the-box 2015 stasis. The only thing that dates back is its physical battle scar from years of use and the fact that Google will end OS support next year, which I think makes no sense.
I have now upgraded to the recently released Pixelbook Go (8th gen Core i5, 8GB RAM, FHD display) which is the successor of the 2015 Chromebook Pixel. There are some important differences, both good and bad.
The angular, brutalistic design of the Chromebook Pixel 2015 has been replaced by Google’s new, friendlier style: pastel colors, soft edges, lightweight and flexible. Nowhere is that apparent other than in the keyboard, which is delightful to use and easily one of the best features of the laptop. Google has found the right balance of resistance and softness when typing.
But what works best is that the Pixelbook Go performs that it is a Chromebook particularly well. Open the lid, which has a fair amount of resistance, and you’re good to go. There is no waiting for the machine to wake up. The only thing missing process is some form of biometric security – the Pixel 4’s 3D face unlock would be welcome here.
It has the look and feel of a laptop much more expensive than its $ 849 price tag (which is still very expensive for a Chromebook), although you can pick up a cheaper $ 649 Core M3 model with 8GB of RAM. Thanks to the nature of Chromebooks, you will not be penalized in performance with lower specifications if you opt for the more affordable model.
Google says that the laptop is “made to move” and at 1070 grams, the first thing I noticed was how light it is. This meant I finally took it on the few trips I still undertake. For example, I had to visit the hospital and I knew I had to wait to be seen, so took the Pixelbook Go to do some work while I waited. I would not have done this with a heavier, bulkier, laptop, despite the difference in weight and size fully manageable. It’s a strange trick of the mind. Being lighter than competing laptops makes the Pixelbook more portable in comparison.
The downside is the lack of connection. Gone are the USB 3 ports and SD card reader of the old Chromebook Pixel. Instead, users will have to deal with two USB-C ports and Amazon is looking for an adapter that will not break in two months’ time. However, the headphone jack remains happy.
I’m still trying to make up my mind as to whether the eminently functional FHD 1920 x 1080 display has a light tint. It looks like there is a very light blue screen filter running, but there is not. I had a similar problem with Google’s Pixel 4 XL display, but the Ambient EQ feature switched and playing with colors did it. There is no similar option on the Pixelbook Go.
Displays are generally not very good on Chromebooks, especially against the excellent panels you find on expensive Macbooks and Surfacebooks. I think that’s part of the price change. Fortunately, the screen does not discharge on the battery, which took 8-10 hours in testing. Although the promise of 12 hours of battery life is never very short.
The specs tell one story, but there’s a much more interesting story for Chromebooks this year.
Chromebooks have evolved
This week, Nvidia announced that their game streaming service GeForce Now is compatible with Chromebooks. This is good news for Chrome OS users, as it opens up a whole new world of previously inaccessible content.
Stadia from Google has apparently always worked on Chromebooks, but the Nvidia service offers more in free to play and pay for games outside of Stadia’s carefully collected selection. You can also access your Steam library through GeForce Now, allowing you to play the games you have purchased through other stores.
Microsoft tells me that Project xCloud will not be coming to Chromebooks when it launches next month. But it’s not hard to imagine that at some point like GeForce Now and Stadia it’s proving to be popular medium for streaming games on ChromeOS. Now that schools include Chromebooks for students, there is an enormous user base of teens that Microsoft wants access to.
Indeed, this was part of Nvidia’s thinking, as Andrew Fear, senior product manager at Nvidia, explained to ZDnet. “Millions of students have Chromebooks and GeForce Now can give them gaming in their downtime.”
There’s also the new partnership between Google and Parallels that will bring native Windows apps to Chrome OS. Enterprise Chromebook users (initially, at least) can run Windows apps locally on Chromebooks without an Internet connection or restart. You can now of course access your Windows apps through the Parallels Remote Application Server, but that requires an always internal connection.
Dual launching of ChromeOS and Windows on a Chromebook is not the ultimate goal for Google, it intends to make access to apps on both systems “seamless”, said Google representative in an interview with The Verge. “In the future, we’ll have other types of things where you do not even have to run the entire Windows desktop, you’ll just run the app you need,” said Cyrus Mistry, Group Product Manager for Chrome OS.
You can already get a Chromebook with a selection of decent Android and Chrome apps like Zoom, Slack and Adobe Lightroom. Not to mention Linux apps that should not be missed, such as the sadly named “GIMP” imaging app or LibreOffice document suite. Enhance all this with native Windows apps and in the space of a year, the humble Chromebook is completely transformed.
The Pixelbook Go handles it – and will handle it all perfectly. The specs of the laptop are not earthquake but Chrome OS is not taxable like the mentioned apps and services.
For many
You can pick up a Windows Surface Go 2 tablet and do pretty much everything mentioned in this article, and more, because it can run Windows 10 Home (although the apps you can run are limited by its lightweight specs) .
But this is where things get interesting, your Chromebook will be able to run Windows apps at some point in the future en you have access to Android apps. All in one safer, and cheaper (depending on which model you choose), package.
The most expensive version of the Pixelbook Go will set you back $ 1399, which in my opinion is too much for a Chromebook. The profession is price, safety and simplicity. Chromebooks should always work exactly below what is offered by Windows and Mac machines, otherwise the comparison may be blurred.
The model I check is about the happy medium in terms of price and performance. Don’t get me wrong, you can not run powerful applications like Adobe Premiere Pro, or run a graphically challenging video game locally, you need much better specifications and a different OS for that.
But for everything else, the Pixelbook Go treats it with aplomb and asks the question why you would spend more to do the same tasks. There’s a good reason why companies and schools are adopting Chromebooks en masse, it’s because they’re good enough for almost everyone. Unless you do special creative work, these laptops are for you and the Pixelbook Go is one of the best in the range.
After years in the wild, Chromebooks are finally having their day. They are now good value for money because of the new capacities and because of their longing.
I knew from personal experience that they last, because I used my Chromebook Pixel 2015 firmly for five years and I just kept going, because Google will not keep up with next year’s security updates. Otherwise it works as if it could go on for a few more years before age finally picks it up.
Hopefully I will write a similar article about the Pixelbook Go in 2025.
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