Google recently announced the new version of it's flagship chromebook, the Chromebook Pixel. The Pixel has the best hardware, software and design and is a showpiece and test device to see what works and what can be done with Chrome OS. It has a great design, construction and specs.
It uses a USB Type C connector for charging and connections. This new connector allows for multi-device charging, high speed data and display connection and can work with all types of devices. The Pixel has two, one on each side. It has WiFi, Bluetooth and 2 regular USB 3 ports and an SD Card reader. Take that new Macbook.
The Pixel has an aluminum body, high-res touchscreen, smooth glass trackpad, a wide angle camera lens and some serious internal parts. It comes with an Intel Core i5 with 8GB of RAM and a 32GB SSD. This is more powerful than my Windows Ultrabook (that cost more). There is also a higher level version, called the LS (for Ludicrous Speed - Google does have a sense of humor) that has a more powerful processor and more memory.
The battery life is also amazing, promising 12 hours on a single charge. It also has quick charging, allowing you to get 2 hours of battery life after only a 15 min charge.
All of this for $999. (The original Pixel was $1300).
All-in-all, this is an amazing device. However, many tech outlets are wondering who would want such a device? Me, that's who. And, I'm guessing many others would if they understand Chromebooks. Most of the articles seem to think that Chromebooks aren't as powerful or as useful as a Windows laptop or Macbook. But, I'm guessing that most people don't need Windows or a Mac. Chromebooks can do almost everything.
Think about it. Most people spend their day in their browser - email, internet, cloud based services. There isn't much you can't do online these days. Only a very small number of people need Computer Aided Design, full Photoshop and Video editing. There are online versions of all of this.
Many people still think you need to be online to do anything with a Chromebook. Not true. Many Google Apps work offline, as do other apps and some of the new Android apps that work on Chromebooks. like Evernote.
Chromebooks are awesome devices and this one is the best. I can just imagine how fast it is considering how fast my Acer C720 is. I was able to use the original Pixel for about 20 min at a conference and was amazed by it and that was two years ago. This one must be mind boggling.
Here are some more articles about why Chromebooks are awesome. Read them and then you should realize how incredible the new Pixel is and how it is an incredible device that is all most people need for a device.
What can you do on a Chromebook? Pretty much everything.
Google Apps and Chromebooks Web App Recommendations - a whole lot!
Chromebooks - definitely awesome for education
Tips and Resources for Using Chromebooks offline
Google Announces Android Apps for Chromebooks
Here's a video about the Chromebook Pixel:
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David Andrade is a Educator, Educational Technology Specialist and Education Administrator in CT. Before teaching, David was an Aerospace Engineer for 10 years.He is the author of theEducational Technology Guy blog, where he reviews free educational technology resources for teachers, discusses ways to use technology to improve teaching and learning, and discusses other issues in education. He is also a professional development trainer, educational technology consultant and presenter at conferences.
Disclaimer: The information shared here is strictly that of the author and does not reflect the opinions or endorsement of his employer.
Check out his blog at
http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/ for more resources, tips, links, information and more.
