Google has released its next product in the ChromeOS line – the Chromebook Pixel. It is not a laptop for the normal guy like me who plays games and runs MATLAB and other biggies on his machine. This one is solely for the cloud enthusiast. But seriously, the Pixel is without doubt the best Chromebook around. Let’s dig in, shall we?

Why Google named it Pixel is a no-brainer. For pixels are the one thing you won’t spot in the display – it has the highest pixel density of 239 PPI. Put that in a 12.85 inch 2560 x 1700 screen and what you get is gorgeous HD display. Then there’s the Intel Core i5 processor and 4 GB DDR3 RAM… You know what? I’m going to lay out the usual details for you at the end of this article and get right to what’s different about Google’s this little baby.

Google VP Sundar Pichai at the launch

First up is the ChromeOS of course. Frankly, ChromeOS is just too new and too untested. One will obviously have far fewer headaches simply going for something that runs either OS X or Windows but you can argue that that is exactly we all initially thought about Android too. Still, this particular OS is essentially a web browser of sorts. So when thing you’re not going to do on Pixel is Photoshop. Now because the ChromeOS is so pro-internet and this Wi-Fi model doesn’t cut it at all times, Google will also be launching another version of Pixel with a built-in LTE radio. Another difference between these two models will be that the LTE one will have 64 GB of solid state drive as compared to just 32GB for the Wi-Fi- only model. That is so less, right? Don’t worry; you get free 1 TB space on Google Drive for 3 years. Like I said, it is all about cloud!

Stunning looks.

The next different thing is the aspect ratio of 3:2. Why in heaven’s name would one do that you ask? Again, the answer’s in the internet. Google argues that the web still focuses on displaying the content horizontally and the 3:2 aspect ratio wraps around this much better than your standard 16:9. Also, the screen has a 0.55 mm of touch enabled Gorilla Glass fused right on it. Really, the folks at Mountain View are not exaggerating when they say they built the best display ever.

Gorilla® Glass magic

The Chromebook Pixel costs $1,299. Read that price tag again if you like, I’m not bluffing. Needless to say, thus, that this is a premium device not meant for the every bloke on the block. Certainly marketability was not the clear focus behind this product. But then that is not surprising looking back at Google’s pricing history of first generation devices. So many consumers will still perhaps stick to buying a MacBook or Ultrabook at that price range instead of taking such a costly risk for ChromeOS, time will only tell. Though rest all aside one thing is for sure – the Pixel certainly lays the ground for more touch enabled laptops in the future.

Here are the full technical specifications I promised to mention:

INPUTS
Gorilla® Glass multi-touch screen
Backlit Chrome keyboard
Fully clickable, etched-glass touchpad
720p HD Webcam

SCREEN
12.85″ display with a 3:2 aspect ratio
2560 x 1700, at 239 PPI
400 nit screen
178° extra-wide viewing angle

DIMENSIONS
297.7 x 224.6 x 16.2 mm
3.35lb / 1.52kg

PORTS
2 x USB 2.0
Mini-display port
2-in-1 card reader supporting: SD, MMC

INNARDS
Intel® Core™ i5 processor (Dual Core 1.8 GHz)
Intel® HD Graphics 4000 (Integrated)
4 GB DDR3 RAM
32 GB solid state drive (64 GB for LTE model)

AUDIO
Headphone/microphone jack
Built-in microphone array
Integrated DSP for noise cancellation
Powerful speakers tuned for clarity

DESIGN
Active cooling with no visible vents
Machined from anodized aluminium
ENERGY STAR® certified

BATTERY
Up to 5 hours of active use (59 Wh battery)

NETWORK
Dual-band WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n 2×2
Bluetooth® 3.0

Links:

Official Chromebook Pixel website

Back to square one!