Google Pixelbook Review
I have been using the Google Pixelbook as my primary computer for the past couple months. Here are my impressions so far.
The hardware is great. It’s one of the best designed computers I’ve used. It’s not a standard design, with the aluminum, glass, and plastic combination, but it all comes together nicely when you are using the device. The Pixelbook is thin, light, and durable. The keyboard is very comfortable to use, and I think the screen size is just right for a laptop. Maybe on the big side when you’re using it as a tablet, but not ridiculous.
The pen has been pretty useless. The button on the pen for Google Assistant isn’t that useful (maybe I’m the wrong audience). I’d like to be able to map that button to do something else. Pull up a drawing program or right click in Chrome. I’ve used a Samsung Chromebook Plus and the pen on their seemed a lot more useful and responsive. I’m not an artist and don’t do any detailed drawing. If I need to intereact with touch, I’d rather just use a finger than the stylus.
On the software side of things, I’ve been a long time user of Chromebooks and have used them before as my primary device before. I didn’t have any issues this time around either. Chrome OS is very fast on the Pixelbook and I had no issues running anything. With multiple tabs open, video playing, Chrome Apps, and Android Apps running, I never hit a snag.
Which brings me to Android Apps on the Chromebooks. Android Apps isn’t new to just the Pixelbook, but for me, it was the first time I used a Chromebook with a touchscreen as my primary device. I found myself really using some of the Android Apps. For example, the Basecamp Android App would stay open in a small window on the side of my screen all through my work day.
I used the Pixelbook in tablet mode more than I expected it. I even used the Kindle Androind App to do some reading during down times. Tablet most isn’t something you will use for hours. The device is still pretty heavy to just hold in one hand for extended periods, but it isuseful during certain times.
All around this is a gread devie and I wold definitely recommned....
All around this is a great device and I would definitely recommend with a few caveats. This is still a $1000 laptop. For almost everyone, that means this will be your primary computer. You are’t spending $1000 on a secondary device. You need to be sure you can do all your work on a Chromebook. For 90% of people, I would say this is a non issue. For 95% of people, I would say there is a workaround to make the Chromebook do everything you need. For 5% of user, Chrome OS just isn’t a viable option. You need to be aware of what is possible and what might be a limitation. If you have software the is vital to your job and only works on Windows or macOS, you might be out of luck.
If you have any questions about the Pixelbook, I’d be happy to answer them. You can message me on Twitter, @swoicik.