Why the Google Pixelbook is still my favorite (and only) laptop
Theoriginal Pixelbookwas released just over four years ago, and as of last month, that’s exactly how long I’ve had mine. I’ve used this Chromebook every day since I bought it, initially for fun and eventually for work once I joined AP. The Pixelbook has been a staple of my workflow since the day it arrived, and it’s been so good that it’s worked its way into the workflow for my family as well. However, Chromebooks — and laptops in general — have come a long way since 2017, so why am I still using the Pixelbook over something newer, be it another Chromebook, a Windows laptop, or a Macbook? And why am I especially hoping for a successor from Google?
The display on the Pixelbook is still impressive — even by today’s standards — thanks to its 2400x1600 quad HD IPS display with a perfectly respectable 400 nits of brightness. The resolution is the main reason I love the screen. Over the last year, I’ve looked at potential upgrade paths out of curiosity, not necessity. It’s surprising to me to see how prevalent 1080p displays are, even on more expensive devices than my Pixelbook. Word processing is the main task I do on this laptop. Having a higher resolution display is a meaningful benefit in combating eye fatigue and makes the experience better overall.
The only thing I don’t like about the screen is the size. At 12.3", it’s a bit on the small side, especially when I have two windows open side-by-side when writing. It’s not cramped enough to make me want to jump to something else, but it is something I notice daily.
Design, build, and battery life
The Pixelbook is beautiful, and everything about its hardware screams quality. The aluminum unibody and gorilla glass construction have held up remarkably well, considering it survived my last few weeks of collegeandhas been unceremoniously thrown into backpacks full of junk more times than I care to mention. Despite that, the display is completely scratch-free, and the only sign of damage is a small dent on the lid from when I dropped Optimus Prime on it. The size and weight make it perfect as a properlaptop, rarely using it at a table or desk. The fanless design also helps here because I don’t have to worry about my clothes blocking cooling vents.
It’s not perfect, though. As much as I love the comfort of the wrist rests, they haven’t aged too well. Even though I’ve regularly cleaned them with alcohol (only the finest Scotch for my beloved laptop), they’ve grown discolored over the years. They don’t look awful or anything, but instead of matching the pure white of the trackpad, they’ve become a dull gray color instead. And while the weight is perfect for a laptop, it’s still far too heavy to use as a tablet, as illustrated by when I gave myself a black eye by dropping it on my face in bed.
The battery life isn’t great, but it’s not awful either. I get a respectable seven hours on a charge when I’m writing, but if I’m playing a game from the Play Store, it can drop as low as three or four hours, depending on the title. What’s impressed me most about the battery is how well it has held up over four years. According to the battery stats, it’s still sitting at around 90% health, which is impressive considering I always fast charge it.
Keyboard and mouse
These are the biggest reasons I have for keeping this Chromebook around. The keyboard and mouse are sublime, and I love everything about them. The keys are topped with a soft-touch material that absorbs harsh impacts without making the typing experience mushy. The backlighting is well-executed, thanks to it being evenly lit and offering fine control over brightness. The soft wrist rests — discolored as they may be — are another factor in my continued use of this Pixelbook. Despite their cosmetic damage, they’re still super comfortable to rest my hands on, and I can type for hours on end without fatigue.
The trackpad is another high point, even if it’s small by modern standards. The etched glass has a satisfying click mechanism that requires just the right amount of pressure to activate, and best of all, the precision is on point. The gestures built into Chrome OS that switch between apps and desks are intuitive and easy to use as well, and whenever I use my wife’s Windows laptop, I feel lost without them.
Chrome OS and performance
Chrome OS isn’t without faults — I’ve certainly had issues with it over the years. It wasn’t very enjoyable to use as a tablet OS for the first two years, and while that’s improved, the on-screen keyboard is still sub-par. Android app support, while useful, isn’t something I regularly use either. Android apps have never looked good on big screens, so I use web apps most of the time instead.
Thankfully, I bought this thing as a laptop first, so those issues don’t bother me much. For my needs, Chrome OS is almost perfect. I still see many people claim it’s impossible to get real work done on a Chromebook, but that simply isn’t true. I will freely admit that some jobs and workflows won’t work on a Chromebook, but mine does, and I’m able to be productive on it every day.
A significant advantage of Chrome OS is how lightweight it is. I have the entry-level Pixelbook with a 7th-gen Intel Core i5, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of eMMC storage. It’s not a powerhouse by any stretch of the imagination, but it has never failed to handle the tasks I throw at it. Writing articles, light photo editing, and keeping on top of incoming messages and emails are a breeze. Linux support has been another bonus, although I don’t use it too often. Most of the photo editing I do is through the browser, but occasionally I’ll fire up the Linux version of GIMP, and everything runs fine. When I take a break, I can even play games like KOTOR and KOTOR 2, which are great on a display this size.
The design changes and tweaks made in the last year,especially with Android 11, have made everything prettier and friendlier to use. The newWindows-style app drawercurrently in testing is something I’ve wanted since the very first day I got my Pixelbook. All I need from Google now is toadd alphabetization.
I’ve loved almost every minute with my Pixelbook, and nothing has tempted me away from it. I like the look of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, but not enough to justify spending that sort of money on it. But while my Pixelbook has held up incredibly well over the years, I’m still desperate for Google to release a true successor.
I have three years of updates left, but realistically my battery will start to fail before then. I know there’s the Pixelbook Go, but it was released too soon after this model for it to be worth upgrading when it launched. It also hasn’t dropped in price — the 1080p model is still over £800, which is a lot for something two years old. There’s a chance Google will releasea modern Pixelbook in 2023, and I just hope mine can last until then.
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