Gone are the days when laptop CPUs were dominated by Intel and AMD. This is probably due in part to Google’s robust marketing campaign, trumpeting the power of its secret weapon: the Google Tensor chip powering its new phones. As reported by 9to5Google, the Pixel 6 and 6a were the fastest-selling Pixel phones ever, outselling the Pixel 4 and 5 combined. In fact, I’ve been musing on it, and I think I know what Google ought to do. In fact, Google is still advertising the Pixelbook Go on its website (opens in new tab). But a new Pixelbook was in development, and it’s also important to note that Google didn’t fire the hardware team those staff were reassigned to other projects instead, and the Pixel brand as a whole is still going strong. According to a report from The Verge, an insider at Google claimed when the Pixelbook team was dissolved that a new laptop was already “far along in development” and slated for a 2023 debut.ĭoes that mean we can expect a surprise reveal at Google I/O? Sadly, I doubt it. There’s a glimmer of hope here - even if it’s a very tiny glimmer, practically a singular speck of dust catching a dim beam of light as it falls. (Image credit: Google) It’s time for a resurrection
With Tensor chips now powering new Pixel phones, Google has some actual experience making products run on its own silicon. Even if Google failed to meaningfully capitalize on that explosion, laptop sales are now starting to slow down again - and with economic downturn squeezing the wallets of many, the time for budget laptops is now.
#NOTEBOOK COMPUTER WINDOWS#
It’s also worth noting that Chromebooks have actually lost market share against Windows laptops and MacBooks in recent years, presumably due to the boom in higher-powered laptop sales by remote-working adults during the pandemic.īut I still feel that the Pixelbook’s demise was unwise and untimely. Google had its reasons - a tightening of belts across the entire company in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic was a key factor - and it’s fair to say that the search engine giant still benefits hugely from Chrome OS, to a point where it arguably doesn’t need to make its own hardware. Its absence leaves us with a mess of third-party laptop manufacturers vying for the Chrome crown. Why did this happen? Why kill off the best Chromebook ever made? The Pixelbook and its sibling the Go were landmarks in the laptop space a demonstration from Google, a case study saying this is how you make a great Chromebook. I agreed with him then, and I’d still love to see it at this year’s event but we probably won’t, because Google shut down production and dissolved the whole Pixelbook hardware team for good measure. Last year, my lovely boss Matt Hanson wrote about how the one thing he wanted to see at Google I/O was a new Pixelbook. One of the best features of the Pixelbook Go was its excellent 'Hush' keyboard. The Go was everything great about the original model, distilled into a slimmer, cheaper design that didn’t compromise on performance or battery life.Īnd then Google took the Pixelbook down to the stream, loaded the gun, and told it to think about the rabbits. And guess what? Google knocked it out of the park with that one too.
#NOTEBOOK COMPUTER FULL#
It was so good, in fact, that Google didn’t release another laptop until two full years later - the Pixelbook Go.
#NOTEBOOK COMPUTER ANDROID#
A sleek and stylish design, best-in-class performance, and a newly charged-up Chrome OS packing full Android app support made it a stellar choice of Chromebook. It was still at the premium end as far as Google laptops went, but it kicked so much ass that we didn’t care. The Pixelbook was, at the time, the best Chromebook ever made. But it wasn’t until 2017 that Google finally hit its stride, reinventing its laptop line under a new name: the Pixelbook.
There was an updated Pixel laptop released in 2015, and our review noted several significant improvements even though the price was still high.
It just wasn’t time for a premium Chromebook, evidently the Pixel brand stuck, though, leading later to the excellent Pixel phone product line and the accompanying Pixel Watch. Google had crafted an excellent piece of physical hardware, with a sleek design, gorgeous screen, and unexpectedly great speakers. That being said, we didn’t have much beef with the hardware itself. It was too expensive Chrome OS was too limited the battery life wasn’t great, for a premium Chromebook it ran too hot for such supposedly low-intensity hardware. (Image credit: Google) Dead pixelsīack when we reviewed it, we gave the Chromebook Pixel three stars and a laundry list of flaws. The 2015 model of the Chromebook Pixel was an improvement, but didn't reach the greatness of its successors.
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