Google Pixelbook 12.3″ Touchscreen LCD High-Performance 2-in-1 Chromebook Review

Google PixelBook 12.3″ Touch LCD 2-in-1 Chromebook

Silver Google PixelBook is the brand new release, premium 12.3-inch 2-in-1 Chromebook with high-end features like the LCD touch display, a backlit keyboard, an i5 processor, the SSD of the size of your choice, 8GB of memory and more by Google. It is a very recent release late 2018 model 4-in-one Chromebook so there aren’t many customer reviews online yet.

But what we see so far is rather positive and promising. You can choose either 128GB or 256GB Solid State Drive (eMMC) as storage and for snappy performance. This is combined with a seventh generation Intel i5-7Y5Y dual core processor and a large 8GB LPDDR3 at 1,866MHz speed or memory for multitasking power to be able to perform several tasks at once. The Intel i5-7Y5Y dual core processor (4MB cache) runs at speeds between 1.2 and 3.3 GHz depending on what speed the task on hand requires.

The 12.3-inch Full HD  touchscreen LCD display has the 2400 x 1600 pixel resolution (400 nits, 72% NTSC color, 3:2 aspect ratio) that is even better than Full HD. It has the built-in Intel HD Graphics 615 GPU that can handle the Chrome games easily. And there are four built-in microphones, two built-in speakers and a webcam for 1.0 MP photo and 720p video (60fps) for entertainment or business purposes. It has a super slim panel and there is no optical drive, but still comes with some useful connectivity options.

These include the two USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C ports and a 1/8″ (3.5 mm) Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack, Bluetooth 4.2,  Wi-Fi 5 Dual-Band (2.4 & 5 GHz) (2 x 2 MIMO). The operating system is naturally the Google Chrome OS that doesn’t require any additional virus protection. The silver Google PixelBook weighs only 2.45 pounds and measures 11.4 x 0.4 x 8.7 inches- it is super thin! It comes with a durable 41 Wh lithium ion battery for long lasting performance especially when you’re out and about or on your travels.

It is the first laptop in history with the Google Assistant installed. As you may already know most stuff happens online on Chrome browser, but there are also many offline Google apps you can use. You’ll get the apps like Youtube, Lightroom, Slack, Google Photos, Evernote, Infinite  Painter, Google Play Movies and more. The fact that you can add the many Android applications that you normally use on your smartphone makes this a quite attractive option for many Windows or Mac users.

This Google PixelBook is the first ever Chromebook that is worth considering by the customers of the robust Mac or Windows machines. The design is really good, you have more and better software than before and actually the options you do not have with many Windows or Apple devices. We are referring to the full Android applications support here and the stylus support that is available on more expensive Windows machines. Pen is not included in the package and you need to get it separately.

There is a glass trackpad for accurate and smooth tracking with single or multi-touch gestures. The sound performance is not great from the dual speakers but it’s OK for 2-in-1 machine. You’ll hear some tinny sound as the dual speakers are below the keyboard, common to light and thin laptops. We like the subtle clicking sound of the keys on the backlit keyboard that are 0.8mm apart. The screen is great for photos, movies and even editing jobs, helped by the 400 nits of brightness. But it is a bit glossy and is not great in direct sunlight. It would have been nice to have the PixelBook Pen included in the price. But if you can afford the price, it is most certainly worth it.

Google PixelBook is a proper high performance and compatible hybrid computer that can do a lot for you. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it one of the best 2-in-1 laptops on the market, not just the best Chromebook. The tech giant Google seems to have invested heaps into the creation of this awesome laptop that appears to be like a high-end Chromebook mixed with the Pixel C tablet by Google. And you’re getting so much at such a low price as compared to the comparable Apple Mac laptops. All the PixelBook models are fan-less thanks to the low power low heat Intel Y series chips. It looks and feels absolutely beautiful, with a brushed aluminum frame with flush edged and rubberized underside and palm rest.

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