Chromebook Pixel 2 Review!

Marques Brownlee reviews the Chromebook Pixel 2, emphasizing that while the device is visually stunning and exceptionally engineered, its practical appeal is limited by its Chrome OS focus and performance envelope. He highlights the all metal chassis which feels weight balanced for easy handling and the refined keyboard design where the function keys sit lower to feel integrated with the rest of the keyboard. The user experience is further enhanced by a new trackpad with built in gestures, allowing four finger swipes to reveal open Chrome windows and providing a feel of true multitasking on a large high contrast touchscreen. The Pixel 2’s display is described as bright, vivid, and highly capable with a high resolution that adds vertical pixels for smoother web browsing, and the panel remains a standout feature even against other premium laptops. Port selection is expanded with two USB-C ports, a full size SD card reader, two traditional USB ports, and a headphone jack, which helps versatility for various workflows though the device remains a Chrome OS-centric machine. Battery life is praised as excellent, often surpassing ten hours per charge, and the web store ecosystem has matured with more robust web apps and Android app compatibility, broadening what can be done on the device. In closing, Brownlee suggests the Pixel 2 is best for users who rely heavily on web apps and lightweight Linux or Windows options as a secondary device, while noting the LTE option would be a perfect enhancement for true on-the-go productivity. He acknowledges the Pixel 2’s beauty and hardware prowess but cautions potential buyers about its narrow OS-oriented use case and premium price point.

Topics · technology · hardware · laptops · reviews · chromebooks