View Single Post
Old 06-25-2013, 07:33 AM   #163
mgmueller
Member Retired
mgmueller ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mgmueller ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mgmueller ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mgmueller ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mgmueller ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mgmueller ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mgmueller ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mgmueller ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mgmueller ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mgmueller ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.mgmueller ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
mgmueller's Avatar
 
Posts: 3,308
Karma: 13024950
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Augsburg (near Munich), Germany
Device: 26 Readers, 44 Tablets
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kumabjorn View Post
Now that you have more substantial usage and experience to lean on, have you encounter any anomalies yet?
Personally, I'm very curious about the new Samsung Ativ Q.
Just googled the Samsung Ativ Q. Hadn't heard about it before.
The sliding mechanism seems similar to Sony Duo.
On one hand, I find this (from an engineering perspective) mechanically fascinating.
On the other hand, in tablet mode it get's tricky.
On Sony Duo I didn't like the "steps" from the keyboard to the display.
On the pictures, Samsung Ativ Q seems "smoother" in that regard.
Just a matter of personal taste: I like the blocky iPhone 4 or BlackBerry PlayBook. I'm not a fan of the iPads after the initial version with their curved edges.
I really liked the design of Toshiba Satellite U920. But the display and keyboard couldn't keep up, so I decided against it.

I don't care much about the resolution of Samsung Ativ Q (even higher than Chromebook Pixel), as I simply don't need that kind of resolution for my demands.
But the dual-boot Android/Windows 8 could be highly interesting.

For now, I think I'll stick to my established scheme:
Different units for different tasks.
Surface Pro and Latitude 10 as my Windows 8 tablets are close enough to perfection.
Chromebook Pixel with its touchscreen shows the possibilities I could have with a "normal" Windows 8 notebook/ultrabook.

It all depends on ones usage patterns, of course.
I don't need my tablets for work, 90% of the time they're mere gadgets.
The only tools I really use for business are my MacBook Air and iMac. Could be a combo of Windows units as well, doesn't have to be Apple.
Would I be a graphic or web designer, my focus probably would be entirely different.

Re. Chromebook Pixel:
I still use it all the time, maybe 3 hours per day for my private web related stuff in the evening.
Watching a movie or TV show on my MacBook Air, streamed via iTunes.
In parallel, surfing the web and such on Chromebook Pixel.

I haven't found any surprises after the initial test phase.
The fan is on maybe 50% of the time. Hard to tell, I only observe it when focusing on it. It's easily audible, the usual whisper (I'd say, less audible than MacBook Air or Surface Pro at times). But it's no disturbance. And, when on, it's very constant, whereas MacBook Air for example switches the fan speed quite often. The latter may be more efficient, but it's more obvious of course than a constant slight whisper.

What I haven't tested yet:
The position of my Chromebook Pixel definitely is totally wrong, if I want to reduce fan noise respectively optimise air circulation.
I put my Chromebook Pixel on the backrest of my couch. Macbook Air is next to it on some cushions and a notebook stand.
Meaning: Chromebook Pixel sinks a bit into the backrest, thus air circulation obviously will be reduced.
I should put Chromebook Pixel on a flat surface, ideally my desk, for a test drive.
But quite frankly, it's too comfy the way I have it now and the fan noise isn't really bothersome.

Else:
Of course, number of "apps" is a bit of an issue.
Personally, I can live with that fine. It always was intended to be my "web station".
But as a sole unit, it's certainly critical.
Office stuff works fine enough.
But if I look at the tons of stuff, I sometimes do on my other hardware:
Ripping DVDs, converting movies and TV shows, converting eBooks, downloading stuff from newsgroups, ...
It's obvious: Probably 60% of the stuff I'm used to do on PCs, isn't possible on Chromebook Pixel (yet?).
Would it be my sole unit, I certainly would use Linux on it in parallel.

Re. eBooks on Chromebook Pixel:
The Kindle Cloud Reader is working fine.
It's just a link to the website. Surprisingly, I don't find that link in the Chrome store myself. But following the link from a review, it's available.
The Kobo cloud reader, for whatever reason, doesn't work for me.
I can log in and see my books, but I can't access them.
Google Play Books of course work perfectly fine.
Scrolling via touchscreen works perfectly in all those apps.
But quite frankly, I rarely do it.
It's simply more convenient to go for the touchpad, which is about 15cm closer than the display.
And that's the main reason, why I'm not that interested in Windows 8 hybrids. Tablet mode is more important for me than ultrabook mode on those gadgets. If I really need a Windows 8 notebook, I simply will buy one additionally. And then I don't necessarily need a touchscreen on it.

What I really miss on Chromebook Pixel:
A native media player for mkv files.
I convert my BlueRay rips from mkv to MP4 (for iTunes, AppleTV and the likes). And MP4 of course looks great on that display. But it would be more convenient, to play the mkv rips natively.
I wouldn't use it much, I'm perfectly fine with the quality of my MP4s on MacBook Air and streaming via iTunes is more convenient anyway.
But as always, at least I'd like to test it (mkv on Chromebook Pixel) once...

Anyway...
I love the design of Chromebook Pixel.
I find the resolution a bit overkill for my needs, but of course I won't complain against it.
Battery life with its circa 4 hours could be better, but is no showstopper for me. I'm rarely longer on the train than 4 hours and most of the time there's a power connection available anyway.
I expect more "real" apps with offline usability and independence from the browser n the near future. Chrome OS will come closer to a "real" OS, but for quite a while I still would consider it a 2nd or 3rd unit, but not the sole one.
For web related stuff, it's the best unit I've ever used. But quite frankly, the advantages compared to MacBook Air for example, are mere details, no quantum leap.
For me, as an early adopter, it's a great addition to my collection of gadgets. But for now, I clearly would call it a "niche product".

Last edited by mgmueller; 06-25-2013 at 04:08 PM.
mgmueller is offline   Reply With Quote