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Portables (Apple) Chrome Google Operating Systems Software Hardware Technology

Google's Next Pixelbook Is Basically a MacBook That Runs Chrome OS (arstechnica.com) 44

Posted by BeauHD from the telling-it-how-it-is dept.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Google's October 15 hardware event is fast approaching, and in addition to the launch of the Pixel 4, Google Home Mini 2, Google WI-Fi 2, and a new pair of Pixel Buds, the show should usher in a new Pixelbook. We've known the new Pixelbook would be called the "Pixelbook Go," but other than a few details from Chrome OS commits, the device has mostly been a mystery. Google takes its title as "least secretive device manufacturer" very seriously, though, and recently 9to5Google managed to just get a Pixelbook Go ahead of the event. They took a bunch of pictures and video. Unlike the fairly unique design of the original Pixelbook and the Pixel Slate, the Pixelbook Go mostly just looks like a MacBook. 9to5Google got that vibe from the device in person, too, writing: "We can't fathom that this laptop won't immediately be labeled 'Google's MacBook.'" The one unique design aspect is the bottom, which is a brightly colored, ribbed pad that covers the entire bottom of the device. This device is a near-final prototype, with placeholder logos and product names.

9to5Google reports that the keyboard is "just as good or better than the first Pixelbook" and it "feels great to type on." The trackpad is "a traditional "diving board" trackpad and seemed sufficiently responsive and "clicky." There are single USB-C ports on the left and right side of the laptop, along with LEDs indicating the device's charging status. Like with past Pixelbooks, it seems like you can charge the device from either port. On the right side is also a headphone jack. Other specifications include: Intel Core m3, i5, and i7 configurations; Either 8GB or 16GB RAM; 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB storage; 2 front-firing speakers; 2MP front-facing camera -- 1080p at 60fps; Titan C chip; 13.3-inch touchscreen; and 16:9 aspect ratio, both Full HD or 4K "Molecular Display" options.

You can watch 9to5Google's hands-on video here.
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Google's Next Pixelbook Is Basically a MacBook That Runs Chrome OS More

Google's Next Pixelbook Is Basically a MacBook That Runs Chrome OS

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  • Seems like this year's upgrade cycle has produced "point releases"... nothing groundbreaking but good enough to make the gadget fans go to Best Buy...

    • Underpowered, underperformant, too restrictive, too little, too late, too expensive, and completely MacOverflowed.

      Seriously, wasn't Alphabet firing these guys?

  • This is truly a Pro product, it only has USB C ports requiring dongles for accessories.

    I was really disappointed you couldn't get it with an i9 or an NVIDIA 1080i or more that 128GB SSD.

    I can't wait for the teardown to find out if the SSD is proprietary and soldered into the motherboard and of course the repairability score.

  • Will it run Linux? (Score:3)

    by kbahey ( 102895 ) on Friday October 11, 2019 @07:14PM (#59297952) Homepage

    Any chances this new Pixelbook will run Xubuntu 18.04 LTS?

    • Google made Linux run on the last Pixel book. Not sure how well though.

      I know a lot of Mac Users who picked Mac because they got a Unix desktop that just worked. I'm frankly surprised Google doesn't explore that angle more.
    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • feels great to type on

    Lies. It's a laptop. At best it'll be "not totally shit".
    The only things that "feel great" to type on are buckling springs and firm-yet-supple titties.

    • Reminds me of when Apple first decided to use aluminum laptop-style keyboards on their desktop systems, and reviewers were describing those keyboards as a touch-typist's dream. Never mind the membrane vs mechanical debate... who on earth wants to use a laptop keyboard on a desktop system?

    • The old Thinkpads were pretty great. You can do a good keyboard on a laptop, but you need some vertical space for key travel. It's this obsession with thinness that's ruining it.

      • you just need to have full travel keys that are clamped down when you close the laptop. sure your lid will fly open like a jack-in-the-box when you open it, but that's a better compromise than shitty keyboard for a thin computer.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by kriston ( 7886 )

      I bought a Dell XPS 12 years ago. This was one of the first 2-in-ones and had a very unique screen flipping feature.

      While the keyboard wasn't too bad, I bought wire plate holders (the kind your grandma used to display her Norman Rockwell plates) and plugged my mechanical keyboard and trackball into it. I did this at a job interview that required live skill demonstrations and everyone was impressed.

      I don't have to do the plate holder trick with the Surface Pro because it has its own kickstand.

  • if they actually had a screen colour profile then I might be interested...
    in fact thats the only thing that a MacBook is really better at

    font management and Screen calibration sorted out and then frankly it would be used in more places...

    regards

    John Jones

  • In terms of thickness, 9 to 5 Google photos make it look more like the old MacBooks from a decade ago - not the newer iteration anorexic things with the no-travel keyboards. Thank goodness they chose not to copy the current Mac keyboards!

    Of course, we’ll have to see how Google prices the things. Lately they seem to be copying Apple in that regard as well.

  • everything is made in the same Chinese factories. Heck, there aren't even that many design houses doing this kind of work.

  • So really bad but shiny and expensive hardware? (Score:5, Funny)

    by BAReFO0t ( 6240524 ) on Friday October 11, 2019 @07:52PM (#59298058)

    Like a top-shelf i7 throtting down to old shlock i3 levels because air vents don't look stylish, ... and connectors do too, ... failed power designs, glued in SSDs, and hinges that would look feeble on a Galaxy Fold?

    Yay! Looking forward to selling my car to get it!

  • They're made by Quanta - an ODM (original design manufacturer) [wikipedia.org]. That's like an OEM excep they also design the product. The brand name just slaps their label on it and handles the aftermarket service. The vast majority of laptops (over 90%) on the market are made by ODMs, including pretty much every one from the big brand names (Dell, HP, Lenovo, Apple, Acer, Asus - in fact Acer and Asus started off as ODMs).

    The figure is probably even higher than the 94% listed in the wiki article since Sony sold off

  • Not true (Score:4)

    by phalse phace ( 454635 ) on Friday October 11, 2019 @09:45PM (#59298278)

    Google's Next Pixelbook Is Basically a MacBook That Runs Chrome OS

    Not true.

    I don't have that feeling of smugness and pretentiousness when using a Pixelbook

  • Is that the Pixelbook has a keyboard you can type on reliably and an escape key. So it's better then some crappy apple laptop.
  • Do you think Tim Apple (saving time!) will be upset by Sundar Google copying his products, and is the hype BS even warranted before users get their hands on the crippled Macbook wannabes?

    Disclosure: I've never owned a single Apple product nor used any of their services, though I respect their hardware and I use several Google products and services every single day.

  • Take a real computer, put ChromeOS on it, and what you've got is a crippled computer, mainly good at letting Google spy on you, but not good at running the productivity applications and Steam games you want to run.

    • Take a real computer, put ChromeOS on it, and what you've got is a crippled computer, mainly good at letting Google spy on you, but not good at running the productivity applications and Steam games you want to run.

      Hypocritical Googler with mod points, fuck you and your crappy Chromebook spymachines.

  • ...not enough "courage" in there

  • I have a 4K widescreen Lenovo Chromebook, running ChromeOS, Linux, and Android apps. Yes, all three exec environments are useful. Heck, I even have one Windows app running under Wine emulation (performance is pitiful but at least it works.) If I could get Mac apps on there, I'd have a use for them, too.

    It's the Swiss Army knife of laptops. The way Google implements containers works remarkably well. Integration with the desktop and the file system is good-but-not-perfect, very usable but still a few time-con

  • With any luck the next iteration will go all the way and copy a 2010 IBM Lenovo Thinkpad - minus the weight and with five times the battery life and a decent ips screen.

  • Who holding it, in this person hand the laptop look like a 25 inches laptop

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