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Five Reasons Not To Buy A Pixelbook

This article is more than 5 years old.

Credit: Kevin Murnane

I recently bought a Pixelbook and it has exceeded all of my expectations. However, like any piece of gear, whether it’s right for you depends on how you use computers. Here are five reasons why a Pixelbook might not work for you. Five reasons to buy a Pixelbook can be found here.

1.     Chrome isn’t Windows and Google Isn’t Apple

The Chrome operating system has come a long way since it was little more than a platform for the Chrome browser, but it’s not nearly as complex and powerful as Windows or MacOS. This has its advantages, but it has important drawbacks as well.

Some widely used apps have Android or Chrome OS versions but others do not. For example, the Android version of Microsoft’s Office comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook but not Publisher and Access. The Android Office apps are not as full featured as their desktop cousins but thus far that’s not been an issue for me when I've used Word, Excel and OneNote on a Pixelbook. Some popular programs like Photoshop do not have Chrome or Android versions. There are alternatives but using them means learning new software.

If you’re deeply committed to the Apple ecosystem or brand, a Pixelbook has little to offer unless you’re willing to leave Apple’s walled garden. Unlike Microsoft, Apple hasn’t created Android or Chrome versions of its apps.

Credit: Google

2.     Android apps are a mixed bag

One of the Pixelbook’s great strengths is that it supports Android apps. However, not all Android apps are optimized for the Pixelbook’s large screen. If the developer hasn’t optimized an app, it appears as if it were being displayed on a phone which doesn’t work well. Also, some legacy Android apps don’t work at all.

There are a lot of Android apps that have been optimized for Chromebooks and they work beautifully on a Pixelbook. Microsoft’s Android Office apps are an excellent example. Many of this year’s new Chromebooks support Android and we can expect the number of Chromebook-optimized Android apps to grow as this trend continues. Nevertheless, if you’re planning on using a favored Android app on a Pixelbook, find out if it’s been optimized first.

3.     Gaming is limited

Most Chromebooks aren’t powerful enough to run PC games. That’s not true for Pixelbooks which are configured with either a 7th generation Kaby Lake Core i5 or i7 Intel processor and 128, 256 or 512GB SSDs. The problem isn’t power, it’s the operating system. Current generation triple-A games are built to run in Windows, not Android or the Chrome OS.

Of course, a Pixelbook is ideal for browser-based games that run in the Chrome browser. Android games are a mixed bag depending on whether the developer has optimized their game to run on the Pixelbook’s large screen.

Credit: Kevin Murnane

4.     There’s a learning curve

There’s a common theme that runs through many of the reasons why a Pixelbook, or any Chromebook, might not be right for you. There’s a learning curve. In some cases, the Android or Chrome versions of a Windows app may do things differently than the Windows version. In others, there may not be a Chrome or Android version of a favored app. Acceptable alternatives can usually be found in the Chrome or Play Stores but you’ll have to learn how to use them.

If you’re set in your ways, a Pixelbook may not be for you. If, on the other hand, you’ll happily learn in order to open up new ways to do things, a Pixelbook may be right up your alley.

5.     Cost

In a companion article I listed cost as a reason to buy a Pixelbook because Google is offering a $250 discount at the time this was written. So, why is cost also listed as a reason not to buy? Because the sale price of $750 for the entry-level Pixelbook is still a lot of money for a Chromebook. The Pixelbooks are the best Chromebooks money can buy but $750 is $750 and the Pixelbook experience may not be worth that much to you.

I’ve been using a Pixelbook for several weeks and the more I do with it, the more I discover ways it gives me freedom to do things that either aren’t possible or aren’t easy within the Windows or Android environments. However, the Pixelbook works for me because it does many of the things I want to do and I have a powerful Windows desktop to handle the things the Pixelbook can’t. There are good reasons to either buy or not buy a Pixelbook and how you use computers will tell you which choice is right for you.

If you're interested in the Pixelbook, here's another article you might enjoy.

Five Reasons To Buy A Pixelbook Today

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