Google Chromebook Pixel

Google has launched its own Chromebook, the Chromebook Pixel. The Chromebook Pixel is a 12.85-inch laptop with a sharp 2560 x 1700 touchscreen display. The Chromebook Pixel is powered by a 1.8 GHz dual core Intel Core i5 processor, a 4 GB hard drive and Intel HD 4000 graphics. Two versions are offered, a WiFi only version with a 32 GB of flash storage, at US$1,299, and an LTE version with US$1,449 with 64 GB of flash storage. 

Yup, that is no typo, the Chromebook Pixel starts at US$1,299. That is a big step up, from the prices of the other Acer (US$199), Samsung (US$249), HP (US$330) and Lenovo (US$430) Chromebooks.

The Google Chromebook Pixel comes with 1 TB of Google Drive storage for three years, instead of the 100 GB of storage bundled with the other Chromebooks. It also comes with 100 MB of LTE connectivity for two years. So a lot of services are bundled in with the price.

All of a Sudden, the Chromebook is a Perfect Fit

When Google released it first Chromebook in December 2010, it did not look like it had a bright future. I mean, it looked like an internet only Netbook, and at that time Netbooks were on the death spiral already. The tablet was here. 

Less than US$250, shipped

Now two years later, it does seem like the perfect tertiary device for many users. Looks at you daily routine. Email and social networking is mostly handled by your smartphone. When you want to do some web browsing, you reach over for you tablet. Your gaming habit is more and more moving from your PC, to your iPad or Nexus 7. Hell, games are much cheaper on Android and iOS than on any other platform, and getting better each year. You edit pictures to upload to the web, which you took with the camera on your smartphone. Why not edit it directly on your mobile device and upload it? Cut out the middle man.

Your laptop, which was your pride and joy in the previous decade, well, you now power it up less and less each day. There are the power users who need a powerful laptop or desktop. But in these days when people are more and more spending more on smartphones than ever before and are gravitating to the tablet, who want to spend US$1,000 on a laptop they will use to compose long emails, write a report or record their monthly expenses.

Chromebooks, come in at US$200-US$400. The right price for a tertiary device. Once you factor in the software, it even gets cheaper. No need to buy and Office Suite or Photo Editing app. No need to pay for OS updates on a yearly basis.

I could never give up a laptop and its keyboard. I type too much. But I don't feel like replacing my MacBook Air with another one. For the past two weeks, I have tested just using the Chrome Bowser and web apps, and am doing fine.  I am thinking more in terms of an iPad mini or Nexus 7, and a Chromebook come replacement time. The pair would cost just over half the price of the Cheapest Macbook Air. Hell, the pair would cost as much as a entry level laptop.

All of a sudden, the Chromebook is a perfect fit.

Should Google Sell Chromebook's in the Philippines?

Netbooks are dead, and this time it is for real. Asus and Acer, the last two holdouts, have officially announced that they will stop production of their Eee PC and Aspire One netbooks in 2013. Netbooks have been good sellers in the Philippines, and other developing countries because of their low cost, while having large storage and good productivity. These netbooks with started their life priced at the Php20K to Php30K price range, gradually came down in price to cover the Php10 to Php18K price ranges. In a way, they are not as necessary today. You can get a decent 11-inch to 14-inch laptop today for a little over Php18,000.

But is a way, netbooks are not dead. Both Samsung and Acer produce Google Chromebooks. Chromebooks are literally netbooks. The Chromebook is literally the new netbook. These Chromebooks are powered by Google Chrome operating system. Basically, it is a operating system which really only includes the Google Chrome browser. What makes the interesting, is they cost a lot less. The Acer C7 Chromebook retails for US$199, so it would be a Php10K or so laptop. The Samsung Chromebook retails for US$249 for the WiFi only model, so about Php12-13K.

If you want to see what this is like, you can try using your current PC using only the Chrome Browser. You can download the apps you need from the Chrome Webstore. 

Apps you download will appear in your browser or when you open a new tab.

To create documents, spreadsheets and presentations, you can use Google Doc's and should have no problem reading and creating Microsoft Office compatible formats.

Earlier, I said this is literally a "Netbook". For the most part it needs an active internet connection to work. I have not tried all the apps in the Chrome Webstore, so I cannot say all of them need an active internet connection to work, but for the most part at least they do.

As far as I can tell offline capabilities are limited to creating documents and GMail, which will both work offline. Email you create and send while offline will be sent next time you have an internet connection. For me that is enough for my everyday work. Those who do a lot of spreadsheets and presentations may find all this limiting. 

One issue I have is photo-editing. There are several photo editors available, and I like Pixlr Editor. In order to edit a photo, you have to upload the picture to edit it.

So basically, these Chromebooks have good functionality online, and rather limited offline functionality. 

On the one hand, limited internet access in developing countries would mean that these Chromebooks would not be useful to many. On the other hand, I rarely use an computer these days unless I have internet access.

What might I do offline? I prepare documents and spreadsheets. I edit photos. I really have no other user for my laptop offline.

I think the Google Doc's needs to get spreadsheets and presentation to work in offline mode too. Chrome OS really needs an offline photo editor. 

Should Google sell Chromebooks in the Philippines and other developing countries? On the one hand they are cheap, and cheap laptops are useful in developing countries. On the other hand, they have limited functionality for those who do not have an internet connection handy at home and other places they frequent.

Me, I want one.