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I gave up on Android tablets after I discovered the iPad as a writing tool
Oh, the wasted years (and wasted money!) trying to do this on Android
There’s a dream I’ve had for years: a platonic ideal of consumer electronics. I dream of the perfect mobile writing machine.I imagine a device that’s compact and light enough to carry anywhere, without the need for supporting hardware, and which differs enough from a conventional laptop or desktop interface to let me focus entirely on writing. With all that included, it needs to be powerful enough to run multiple applications at a time: a word processor, a small browser window for supplementary research, and a media player for music.Since I’m also a fan of mechanical keyboards, as are many self-described writers these days, a tablet + wireless keyboard combo is part of my ideal. (Yes, the keyboard counts as "supporting hardware." No one ever said dreams had to be consistent.) If I could get a tablet, or perhaps a convertible laptop with its fold-back screen, and an “endgame” keyboard, and I’d finally achieve portable writing perfection. Then maybe I’d finally run out of excuses for finishing off that second novel.
The Core i5 Pixel Slate's flash storage is failing for some users
Google is aware of the issue and is actively investigating the situation
It's no secret that Google's Pixel Slate has been a colossal disaster since it launched in late 2018. Google was betting big on making a compelling tablet powered by Chrome OS, but the software quirks, egregious price, and awkward tablet experience made it a painful product to use. The good news is that Google fixed most of the weird software bugs with updates, resulting in a much-improved user experience that doesn't nearly impede your workflow as much as it did before. However, the Pixel Slate once again finds itself in a nasty predicament, and it's something that can't easily be fixed by updating the software.
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 reportedly decided to call it quits on tablets (again) after the Pixel Slate failed to take off, but after several Chrome OS updates and a few price drops, it's a great device. With many popular Chromebooks currently out of stock from everyone buying laptops right now, the Pixel Slate is a better option than ever.
For as flawed a Chromebook as it is, the Pixel Slate may still be your future second computing option. But when the Google Store and other retailers have kept the tablet along with its accessories have kept close to their full price into 2020, perhaps you probably ruled it out. Well, what if you could pick up the whole kit and kaboodle starting at just $499? You can now.Mind you, during the Black Friday and post-Christmas periods, Google offered a slightly better deal: $350 off MSRP for all Pixel Slate models, meaning you can get one with an Intel Core m3, 8GB RAM, and 64GB of storage for $449. Plus, the Google Store threw in a free Pixelbook Pen and Pixel Slate Keyboard.Still, as the store has updated its listing page copy to no longer mention the previous MSRP, that could potentially indicate that the Slate has taken a permanent price drop, though other retailers still have the MSRP comparison. Either way, this is as good a time as any other to grab one while stock still exists.
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.
The Pixel Slate may not be the most beloved Chrome OS device out there, but when prices plummeted during Black Friday last year, a lot of people still decided to give Google's tablet/laptop hybrid a go. Unfortunately, it looks like not only the device itself is a beautiful mess, but its distribution is subpar as well, as many are still waiting for their discounted Slate to ship more than a month after purchasing it. They might finally receive their order this month though, judging from an email Google sent to a Redditor.
Over the years, Google has slowly fleshed out its Pixel laptop lineup to meet a variety of form factors, most notably the 2-in-1 Pixelbook and the new clamshell Pixelbook Go. Then there's the Pixel Slate, Google's only tablet-first Chrome OS experience that can also be paired up with a keyboard. Right now, you can pick up a brand new Pixel Slate for 0 off Core m3 ($449), Core i5 ($649), and Core i7 ($1,249) models and receive a free Pixel Slate keyboard and Pixelbook pen ($298 value).
The Pixel Slate probably wasn't the wild success that Google hoped for, so much so that the company has given up on future Chrome OS tablets. Still, the Pixel Slate has its fans, and it just got its software support extended to June 2026. Now you can grab every model of the Slate for $350 off, and Google is throwing in a free pen and keyboard.
With Black Friday less than two weeks away, retailers have already started discounting some items and teasing their full-blown deal extravaganza. Google is joining them today with its own early look: The entire Google Store front page has been themed with black and a list of upcoming sales is displayed below it.
If you're a Pixel Slate owner who still hasn't picked up a keyboard for it, or you're tired of using the terrible fabric keyboard from Google, you might want to heed this deal. The Brydge G-Type keyboard, which normally sells for $160, is 50% off on Amazon and selling for a mere $80.The Brydge G-Type keyboard for the Pixel Slate is made of lightweight aluminum (1.6 lbs.), works wirelessly over Bluetooth 4.2, comes with an over-sized glass trackpad, and promises up to 6 months of battery life. With its 0-180° rotation support, it allows the Slate to be oriented like a regular laptop, a tablet, or as a tent when viewing media. With 1.5mm of key travel and three levels of keyboard brightness, the typing experience should be pleasant.
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.
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.
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.
It was only a couple of weeks ago that we told you about the best deal we've seen so far on the Pixel Slate, a $250 discount on all models. Today we're back with an even better deal, and a killer one really. The Slate is down $250 again, but it also comes with a free $160-200 keyboard now.
When we reviewed the Celeron-powered Pixel Slate late last year, we found it to be a giant identity crisis that made it not so good as either a laptop or a tablet. Well, if you do appreciate whatever form factor Google was trying to go for there and are happy to play with better specs to avoid much of the sluggishness that was reported on the poor 'ol entry-level model, you can get a Slate for $250 off for a limited time.If you're looking for a tablet to watch stuff with and browse the web, Chrome OS gets you most of the way there with a speedy web browsing experience, which we strongly recommend over using Android apps except where absolutely necessary. It's got a 12.3" LCD panel and front-facing speakers that provide one of the best media consumption experiences in the ecosystem (though that's not saying too much). There are also two USB-C ports, a fingerprint sensor, and a nice 10-hour battery. In the end, though, you'll likely be paying for the lightweight, low-maintenance nature of a Chromebook in a pleasantly-designed body.
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- There are still a few stragglers, but now a new build of Chrome OS 75 (75.0.3770.129) is rolling out to almost all devices, including those that saw the previous update.
The seemingly delayed Chrome OS 75 update finally landed two weeks ago, but last week that rollout was suspended, potentially in the wake of issues like crashes/freezes and Android apps losing internet connectivity. Today Chrome Unboxed reports that the update is rolling out again, but only for the Pixel Slate. Google's Chrome OS update dashboard confirms the Pixel Slate is currently the only device set to receive Chrome OS 75 on Stable channel.
Today, Google announced it was giving up on tablets... again. I have never been a cheerleader for Google's tablets. I have never been very happy with its primary tablet platform. And I found its first tablet in three years to be a fairly massive disappointment. So, you'd think the news today that Google is, once again, killing its tablet hardware division would be of little consequence to or face much disagreement from me. After all, the Pixel Slate was a flop, likely sold poorly, and Google even cancelled the entry-level models because they were just that bad. Nothing here says success.
According to a recently-published report by Computerworld, Google is "officially done" making tablets. This follows in the wake of last year's poorly-received Chrome OS-powered Pixel Slate, and subsequent rumors of downsizing the hardware division responsible. This will not affect the division responsible for the Pixel phones, and Google still apparently has plans for future laptop-style devices.