Google Releases $1299 Chromebook

[Graham]

Originally Posted by forsooth

I am surprised for noise

question on monitor?
is it Cathode Ray Tube?

No, it's a good quality Dell LED. The whine starts at a certain brightness and increases as it gets brighter. I don't normally notice it as the PC itself sounds like an airbus taking off. I noticed it when I plugged my Chromebook into it with everything else switched off, hoping for a peaceful, large-screen writing session.

Anyway, let's not derail the thread.

Graham

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by forsooth

noise at 2 meters is unacceptable for flagship model.

I thought so as well at first with Surface Pro.
Even worse there: A tablet with a fan?
And actually that's the reason why I bought Dell Latitude 10. Atom processor = no fan needed.
But I really got used to it.
I'm using Surface Pro more and more often.
My MacBook Air does have a fan as well. And it even gets louder, ofter without any apparent reason.
I guess, it will be the same with Google Chromebook Pixel.
It's even more flat than MacBook Air. So cooling obviously is even more difficult.
So I can understand they need a fan, else probably lifetime would decline and heat might be a real issue.
I'm not a fan of fans.
But I can live with them.
I prefer performance over noiselessness.
But I openly admit, if you listen to it you hear it.
But same on MacBook Air, which is kind of a flagship model as well.
I wanted to mention it, as it did surprise me.
I'm used to having louder fans, but usually of course under load.
The fan on Chromebook Pixel starts rather early, maybe after 15 minutes of "trivial" web surfing.
But after 10 minutes I don't actively hear it anymore, it's kind of white noise in the background.
But if you focus on it, it's frequently present.
I still consider it a total flaghsip product, though.
And I will take it with me most of the time.
The display, boot time, responsiveness, streamlined OS, ... simply is to good to miss out.

[mgmueller]

I forgot to mention:
There's no suspend or hibernate or similar mode.
Just a plain power symbol.
You simply turn it back on by opening the lid.
The led bar on top of the housing circles in the Google colors and it starts within 8 seconds.
Meaning: I carefully open the lid and watch the led bar. Before I even can open the lid entirely, the password screen is on already.
The lid is fixed magnetically, by the way. No accidentally opening in the briefcase.
BTW: I'm using a MacBook Air 13' sleeve. Fits fine.

[mgmueller]

Latest review I've read:
"...machine includes a Qualcomm MDM9600 chipset to receive on LTE band 13, intended for Verizon in the US only".
Another review did state the same.
I guess, I was right to go for the WiFi-only model, I probably wouldn't have been able to use LTE (on this US model) in Germany. I would have loved the incorporated GPS, though.

[mgmueller]

I'm online for ca. 2 hours now.
I've briefly heard the fan once or twice. Even then it only was a slight whisper and didn't bother me and stopped again after 10 or 15 seconds.
Simple explanation:
Today, for the first time (got it on Friday), I'm in "normal usage" mode.
Meaning: I actually stopped to read some reviews or emails, whereas before I was in testing mode and pushing the machine much harder.
From what I experience now, for the last 2 hours, I'd say:
If one uses Chromebook Pixel as intended, meaning surfing the web and actually reading a bit, the fan will be rarely on.
If one jumps from app to app, like I did since Friday, or watches (my test file) a 30GB rip of Avatar, the fan is on most of the time.
But so it is on my MacBook Air.

[mgmueller]

If you press alt+ctrl+/ you get an overlay of all shortcuts.
Quite impressive, there's a shortcut for everything!
Shortcuts: https://support.google.com/chromeos/...p=gsg_keyboard

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by forsooth

so "flagship" has SD slot
but not Nexus?

or is tablet form difference?

I guess, it's all about Google's business model.
On Nexus 7, their Android tablet, you can rent movies and the likes from Google Play. All cloud based, no need for memory expansion.
On Chromebook Pixel, there's no Google Play. You can access it via web browser of course. But you don't find any HD++ movies, that would show the capabilities.
I've tested a 30GB rip of Avatar for example.
So, to bring movies on a unit with such a great display, you either have to connect a USB drive or put it on an SD card.
So far, I don"t really have the need for my SD card yet. I've chosen the 64GB one, and I only put 2 movies there for testing.

[forsooth]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

I thought so as well at first with Surface Pro.
Even worse there: A tablet with a fan?
And actually that's the reason why I bought Dell Latitude 10. Atom processor = no fan needed.
But I really got used to it.
I'm using Surface Pro more and more often.
My MacBook Air does have a fan as well. And it even gets louder, ofter without any apparent reason.
I guess, it will be the same with Google Chromebook Pixel.
It's even more flat than MacBook Air. So cooling obviously is even more difficult.
So I can understand they need a fan, else probably lifetime would decline and heat might be a real issue.
I'm not a fan of fans.
But I can live with them.
I prefer performance over noiselessness.
But I openly admit, if you listen to it you hear it.
But same on MacBook Air, which is kind of a flagship model as well.
I wanted to mention it, as it did surprise me.
I'm used to having louder fans, but usually of course under load.
The fan on Chromebook Pixel starts rather early, maybe after 15 minutes of "trivial" web surfing.
But after 10 minutes I don't actively hear it anymore, it's kind of white noise in the background.
But if you focus on it, it's frequently present.
I still consider it a total flaghsip product, though.
And I will take it with me most of the time.
The display, boot time, responsiveness, streamlined OS, ... simply is to good to miss out.

like beautiful intelligent wife with mole or birth mark.
adjust to!
no Poe or Hawthorne here

[pdurrant]

Not ebook related. Moved to the lounge.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by frahse

There are so many possibilities. Like a candy store.
Any piece I want, but only 1.
I want to taste the flavor of a Chromebook, but with the backup possibility of Ubuntu.

OK, then. That takes us back to the original thread subject, possibly depending on your definition of dual boot. Once, the Google Chromebook Pixel has been put into developer mode, it can boot from USB. In addtion, the ubuntu install CD can serve as a live CD. That is, a reasonably complete ubuntu desktop sytem can be booted and run directly from the installation CD with the possibility to save user data and even OS settings and updates on a disk or USB stick.

Because unix, and by inheritance, linux, (usually) does things in a very regular manner, the exact install CD iso file (file system image) can be put on a USB stick and computers that can boot from USB can boot and run a linux live CD. (knoppix, debian, and likely many other distributions in addition to ubuntu have live CDs.)

Today, I used dd to put the latest 64bit ubuntu (13.04) install CD image on an old 1GB Crucial SD card. A Chromebook Pixel that had already has debian wheezy installed according to http://vger.kernel.org/~davem/chrome...ixel_linux.txt booted and ran in live mode directly from its SD card slot (which showed up as USB, so I guess that it is a USB card reader). It also booted and ran when the SD card was put in an external USB card reader. I have no doubt that a USB stick would also work, as would installing to an external USB hard disk.

Ubuntu 13.04 does not have the drivers for touchpad or touch screen, but a USB mouse (wired or not) works fine. The above drivers can be installed by remastering the CD. Even easier would be adding them to the external disk, but that would be less (physically) portable. The above URL has instructions for building the drivers.

Sound worked, as did wifi, once I supplied the WPA2 passphrase for the access point.

Dual booting multiple linuxes from the internal disk would be pretty easy, but linux + chrome_os might (or might not) be tricky.

Ubuntu can also be run inside chrome_os, but still requires developer mode.

Knoppix and debian live CDs (maybe ubuntu, don't know) can be booted into RAM. This has 2 advantages. Lightning speed (faster than SSD) and frees up a USB port.

I should note that I could not boot the chromebook pixel from an actual USB CD drive, but it could be that some other drive would work.

Originally Posted by frahse

((((((((((( I am just tired of MS. I want to break from the tedium and live free! )))))))))
.... but I don't want to become a sycophant to Apple either.
So Chrome and Linux have a definite attraction.
Both in the same package have a delightful appeal. 2 flavors in one wrapping.

[mgmueller]

Most probably already have heard about it:
http://www.omgchrome.com/packaged-ap...-os-dev-users/
http://betanews.com/2013/02/28/500px...pixels-future/

There are quite a few "real" apps for Chromebook available already.
Not relying on being online, working offline just fine.
And not working within the browser windows, but as a standalone window.
And you can differentiate in the chrome store. They are entitled "apps" whereas the former section is called "websites".
I don't have too much use for it, Chromebook Pixel always was intended to be my "always online" machine.
But it's a nice evolution, getting closer to a "real" OS.
BTW: I'm still using mine intensively. For me, this means something.

[Kumabjorn]

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.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

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".

[mgmueller]

I've sold my Chromebook Pixel.
I've got more or less my original buying price - good timing.

I rarely sell any gadgets.
Why this one?
It was a tough decision.
In general, I love the concept.
But:
I don't have any use for the keyboard.
After all: What apps would I use to be productive?
You certainly can work office documents. But I can do this in much more depth on a Mac or Windows PC.
So, without much use for the keyboard, it's mainly about surfing the web.
It's working great of course.
But: I rarely use the touchscreen. It's awkward to grab over the keyboard. Way more efficient to just use the (phantastic) touchpad instead.
For my personal usage pattern, I've got a problem then:
I have my MacBook Air next to me on the sofa. Where to put another laptop?
So I put it on the backrest of the sofa. Not very convenient.
I very much prefer, simply holding a tablet.
Why did I hesitate then, to sell the Chromebook Pixel?
For one, the design is phantastic. Even more elegant and stylish than MacBooks.
The display is great as well, although the support in the OS is a bit awkward. I won't go into details, you can Google it. Basically, you can't perfectly scale.

I've ordered a Surface 2 Pro 128GB for the money I've got.
In addition, I already had pre-ordered the Surface 2 Pro 256GB version.
Why both?
I want to have the additional RAM of the 256GB version. But it's only available in 2 months here in Germany.
Maybe I'll sell the 128GB version (which should be here in a week) in 2 months, maybe I'll keep it...

If Google gets rid of the keyboard and sells a Chromebook Pixel Tablet instead, I'll buy it in an instant.

[Kumabjorn]

We should probably both seek therapy.
I'm also very keen on a Surface 2 Pro with 8GB RAM and 256 GB SSD.
The only thing holding me back is that when I played around with a Surface in a store, it just feels a tad too thick and heavy. Just a smidge, nothing much, but just enough too make it conscious.