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Google's own Chromebook offerings have always been somewhat aspirational, featuring high-end design and pricey components powered by an operating system that, while increasingly fully featured, can't capitalize on raw horsepower the way a Windows machine might be able to. That approach, it seems, has caught up to Google, as a new report from The Verge explains that not only has an in-development Pixelbook device been canceled, but that the company is seemingly finished making laptops for the foreseeable future.
Why the Google Pixelbook is still my favorite (and only) laptop
I wish Google would hurry up with a successor
The original Pixelbook was 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 original Pixelbook may be four years old, but it's still a beautiful piece of hardware, and even my entry-level i5 model is more than fast enough for daily use. In fact, I write 99% of my content here on it. Despite it being a Google device, there's one thing that's felt a little off — the outdated Android version. Android 11 was announced for Chromebooks back in April, with a whole slew of Chromebooks slated to receive it. But the rollout has been slow, with Android 11 only quietly trickling out to more devices.
Don't expect Google to launch a new Pixelbook until at least 2023
Bad news if you were hoping for a new premium Chromebook from Google
Google unveiled its first MacBook-inspired laptop back in 2013 and updated the high-end Chromebook Pixel in 2015. Then came the Pixelbook in 2017, which was a much more Googley affair and reached a much wider audience. This was followed up by the more affordable Pixelbook Go in 2019, which didn't quite hit the same heights. Going by this pattern of launches, we might have expected word of a new Pixelbook this year, but it looks like we might have to wait until 2023 at the earliest.
Over the last couple of years, I have floated between three different desktop operating systems for my work and personal use. Depending on where I am and which computer is in front of me, I’ve been using mac OS, Chrome OS, and less frequently, Windows. I’ve become more or less comfortable with all three platforms and I’m able to keep a similar workflow across them all, save for one teeny tiny missing key that ruins my Chrome OS experience: there’s no skip button on my Pixelbook’s keyboard, and many Chromebooks don’t even have the play/pause one.
Save a cool $100 on Google's i5 Pixelbook Go
A meaty discount on one of the best laptop keyboards around
It's been almost two years since Google made a proper Chromebook for the masses. The Pixelbook Go is the company's most recent device meant for the casual user, with a more traditional form factor and magnesium chassis to improve its affordability and longevity. Despite Google's cost-saving measures, the laptop has simply been too expensive, with a $650 sticker price being less competitive than similarly equipped Chromebooks. But there's still a lot to love about it, and if you've been itching to buy it on sale, today's your lucky day — you can snag an i5 Pixelbook at Amazon for $100 off.
Some Pixelbooks were bricked by a recent Chrome OS Beta update
Google has since updated the Chrome OS Beta channel with a fix, but affected users can't update
It's been a rough couple of weeks for Google's Pixel Slate following our coverage of a severe hardware issue affecting the Core i5 edition. For many Pixel Slate owners, that hardware was a significant step back from Google's critically acclaimed Pixelbook, which has been praised for its stellar design and speedy performance. In what seems like a series of unfortunate events, the original Pixelbook now finds itself in a nasty predicament that, similar to the Pixel Slate situation, can't easily be fixed with a software update.
Pick up a 4K Pixelbook Go with 16GB of RAM for $1,200 on Amazon ($200 off)
If you're going to get a Chromebook, this is one of the best
Google released the company's newest laptop, the Pixelbook Go, last year alongside the Pixel 4. It's a beautifully designed computer with specs that go up against the best in the category. We liked it, but the price was too high for most people to seriously consider buying it. Right now, though, Amazon is offering savings of up to $200 on select Pixelbook Go models like the top-of-the-line i7 variant with 16GB of RAM.The Pixelbook Go can go toe-to-toe with other high-end laptops thanks to an 8th Gen Intel i7 Processor and 16GB of RAM. Considering that Chrome OS is built to run on lower-end hardware, this should make the experience buttery smooth on Google's flagship Chromebook. Chrome OS might have started as a cloud-based operating system, but the Pixelbook Go has a full 256GB of storage. It also lasts up to twelve hours on a charge while weighing barely two pounds.
It looks like the original Google Pixelbook is gone for good
'No longer available' on the Google Store and signs point to this being the end
The original Pixelbook has a good run, but it looks as though Google is no longer making the premium convertible Chromebook. It's now showing as "No longer available" on the Google Store, and when asked about this by Engadget, the company didn't say it would be coming back and instead pointed buyers to the Pixelbook Go.
Google is offering Stadia Premiere Edition for just $79 to select Chromebook owners
The discount is available on the Pixelbook, Pixelbook Go, and Pixel Slate
Stadia Premiere Edition launched last year for the price of $129. It was a lot of fun when we reviewed it. Since then, it's been discounted down to just $99. But if that wasn't enough to sway you, Google is currently offering Stadia Premiere Edition for a mere $79 — as long as you've got a Pixelbook, Pixelbook Go, or Pixel Slate handy.
Google has gradually been improving the tablet experience on Chrome OS over the last few months, adding Android 10 inspired gesture navigation back in January. In Chrome OS 81, which has now entered into the Beta channel, Google continues that trend with a redesigned UI for Chrome tabs.
Google launched the Pixelbook in 2017, but it has thus far refused to offer a worthy successor to this machine. The Pixel Slate and Pixelbook Go don't really fill the same niche, but the OG Pixelbook is still a capable laptop. It's coming down in price, too. The top-of-the-line model costs $1,649 from Google, but Best Buy has the same device for $352 less.
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The Pixelbook Go isn't exactly cheap with a starting price of $649, and it can get way, way more expensive than that. The highest-spec model, which has a Core i7 processor and 16 gigabytes of RAM, costs a whopping $1,399 — and it's the only SKU that comes with a 4K display.
Like so many other would-be surprises today, we saw this coming: following a number of pretty comprehensive leaks, at its New York hardware event, Google has formally announced the Pixelbook Go, the newest in its line of high-end Chromebooks. The Pixelbook Go sports a more traditional laptop form factor than the Pixel Slate and Pixelbook that preceded it, and it's available for pre-order today.
I wanted so much more for Chrome OS. But when Google announces the expected "Pixelbook Go" on October 15, I expect to be left wishing for something that will simply never be.
The Pixelbook Go has already been victim to a pretty comprehensive leak, but our friends over at 9to5Google have just gotten a full hands-on with a prototype of Google's upcoming Chromebook. Price aside, pretty much every detail has now been leaked, meaning that the October 15th event probably won't be all that interesting.
We're just a week out from Google's October 15th hardware event, at which the company is expected to announce a pile of products, including the much-leaked Pixel 4. But there will be more to the next Made by Google event than just a new phone, plenty of other hardware (and software) is expected to land. Let's work through the list so that you know what to expect.
Today, Microsoft announced a bunch of new Surface products — and they all look very, very good (and some of them look very weird). Perhaps the least sexy, but most utilitarian, of them was the new Surface Laptop 3. But in one fell swoop, Microsoft proved that it had both the platform and the vision to build a professional-grade laptop that Google could only dream to. And it was in that moment I knew, whatever the next Pixelbook will be (and we have a pretty good idea), it will be a disappointment.
Little has been made of last year's Pixel Slate: an overcomplicated hardware form factor that made using its rather simple Chrome OS somewhat challenging. It made customers contort to buying keyboards and pens. Critics have said Google should've just stuck to a laptop. Well, perhaps the Pixelbook Go may be the laptop you've wanted since last year... from last year.