Remember when Amazon stopped selling Google products earlier this year? Well, with the holidays around the corner, it seems that Amazon had a Grinch-style change of heart. The online retailer is currently offering several iterations of Google's Pixelbook with sizable $300 discounts. That means the base model is available for $699. I'm not sure what holiday miracle this is, but if Chromebooks, specifically Chromebooks made by Google are your thing.
If you're unfamiliar with Chromebooks, in a nutshell, they're laptops that run Google's Chrome OS operating system. That means no Microsoft Office Suite unless you can make due with the Android version. And while some apps can function without internet access, the majority of Chrome apps require an always-connected setup. And speaking of apps, the Pixelbook is one of the growing number of Chromebooks that plays nice with the Android store, which adds a lot more functionality to the system. It's also the first Chromebook to feature Google Assistant integration so you can control all the action with your voice.
- Intel Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, 128GB flash storage - $699 - Amazon
- Intel Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, 256GB flash storage - $899 - Amazon
- Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB flash storage - $1,349 - Amazon
Designed for light to mid-level productivity, Chromebooks typically don't have the best performance. But Google continually bucks the trend with the Pixelbook. The $699 base model offered in the Amazon deal cost features an Intel Core i5 processor with 8GB of RAM, a 128GB flash storage drive and integrated Intel HD615 Graphics. The $899 iteration doubles the storage to 256 while the $1,349 version has a Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of flash storage and integrated graphics.
We recently reviewed the mid-level version of the Pixelbook, which earned 3.5 stars. Henry Casey, our senior writer was taken with design, calling its aluminum unibody design "one of the most attractive machines I've ever tested." The 2400 x 1600, 12.3-inch touch display is bright and colorful, averaging 421 nits of brightness and reproducing 117 percent of the sRGB gamut. And while the Core i5 processor, couldn't keep pace with the likes of the iPad Pro or Lenovo Yoga 920, it's much more powerful than other Chromebooks.
In short, if you're looking for a lightweight laptop that can handle light productivity tasks, including video editing in a sleek, attractive chassis, the Pixelbook might be the hot holiday ticket. Just be sure to get it now, before the starting price goes back up to $999.
