Google Pixelbook

VERDICT

A beautifully designed laptop with plenty of power, but it could be more flexible

- David Ludlow

THE GOOGLE PIXELBOOK elicits gasps of appreciation when people first set their eyes on it. It’s a staggering bit of work, just 10.3mm thick with a distinctive profile. Make no mistake: this is a highly desirable laptop.

There’s not much room on a chassis this thin, so you get just two USB Type-C ports. They’re Thunderbolt 3 models, though, so can be used with converters to hook up the Pixelbook to an external screen.

The Pixelbook will also elicit gasps when the price is revealed: a starting price of £999 puts this firmly into premium Windows 10 laptop territory, yet this is a Chromebook. Aren’t they supposed to be cheap?

Clearly, Google is trying to raise the profile of Chromebooks, and the Pixelbook redefines what you can expect from the devices. Gone are the days of Chromebooks being budget laptops with limited use, as the Pixelbook expands what these computers are capable of.

APPY DAYS

Since Chromebooks first went on sale, times have changed. Whereas the reliance on Chrome apps and web services used to be a limitation, that’s not the case any more. Just think how many services you use purely online, and you’ll probably be surprised at how few desktop apps you use.

The core component of a Chromebook is Google Drive. It’s now a powerful and flexible office suite, with amazing collaboration features and a great offline mode.