Google’s New Chromebook Pixel Looks to Target the Retina MacBook Pro

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Google today announced their new Chromebook Pixel, their latest notebook offering:

Today we’re excited to announce our newest laptop—the Chromebook Pixel—which brings together the best in hardware, software and design to inspire the next generation of Chromebooks. With the Pixel, we set out to rethink all elements of a computer in order to design the best laptop possible, especially for power users who have fully embraced the cloud. The philosophy of Chrome has always been to minimize the “chrome” of the browser. In much the same way, the goal of the Pixel is to make the pixels disappear, giving people the best web experience.

Chromebooks run Google Chrome OS, essentially a system based on Linux with Google Chrome as the web browser, which means the system runs best when connected to the internet. Here are the specs of the latest Chromebook Pixel, which comes with a touchscreen display:

  • Intel Core i5 dual core processor at 1.8 GHz, integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics GPU
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 12.86-inch touch screen with 2560 x 1760 pixels; 239 pixels per inch (13-inch and 15-inch Retina MacBook Pros have 227 PPI and 220 PPI respectively)
  • 32GB or 64GB of flash memory storage
  • Five hours of battery life
  • 1TB of free Google Drive cloud storage for 3 years
  • WiFi version: $1299
  • WiFi + LTE version: $1449

Below is Google’s promo video for the Chromebook Pixel, check it out:

YouTube video

The Verge went hands-on with the Pixel and you can see from their tests the touchscreen is not perfect by any means.

Not sure what Google was thinking with trying to price these notebooks starting at $1299 when the device relies on an internet connection to be completely useful and also has limited local storage options. To put this insane pricing strategy into perspective, a refurbished 13.3-inch Retina MacBook Pro with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of flash storage is actually cheaper, priced at $1269.

Anyone going to buy a Chromebook Pixel?

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