Google Pixel: The Perfect Linux Laptop?
When I ordered the Chromebook Pixel, I was confident I would not like it. $1299 for a laptop that is only a browser? For http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=mindwarpnet-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B007472CIK, Windows 8, better battery life, more storage, more ram etc. The following post is the story of how my perspective changed, and how I use this machine as a power user / developer.
The Competition
The first though most people have with the Pixel is, why not a Macbook Retina 13 refurb, or the http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009LL9VDG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009LL9VDG&linkCode=as2&tag=mindwarpnet-20.
| Feature | Pixel | Macbook Retina 13 | Samsung Chromebook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 2560×1700 12.85” | 2560×1600 13.3” | 1366×768 11.6” |
| Quality | IPS | IPS | TN |
| Touch | Yes | No | No |
| Local Storage | 32GB | 128GB | 16GB |
| Cloud Storage | 1TB | 5GB | 100GB |
| Processor | i5 1.8GHz | i5 2.5GHz | Exynos 5 1.7GHz |
| Ram | 4GB | 8GB | 2GB |
| Battery Life | 5 hours | 7 hours | 6.3 hours |
| Price | $1299 | $1499 | $250 |
What Sets the Pixel Apart?
What the table above doesn’t account for are the qualitative features which make all of the difference. The build quality is fantastic, and the Pixel feels very tough. The Aluminum used in the Pixel feels stronger and more durable than the Macbook, and feels like it is less prone to denting. The screen is extremely bright, and even when plugged in I only use it at 70% brightness, and when on the go I turn it down to nearly minimum. Even with the brightness set so low, it is easier on the eyes and more readable than the TN panels common in most laptops.
Chrome OS itself really gets out of your way. Out of the box I only installed the secure shell app, and I was able to do 50% of the Linux development I wanted to. No tweaking, driver downloading etc, out of the box I had a very fast browser, multi-monitor support, retina level text, music and cloud file storage.
The next question to answer was how do I do heavier development? Chrome actually has a great remote desktop feature built in, so I was able to connect to my much more powerful Ubuntu workstation, and run Eclipse there. It worked well over my local network, although there are even better solutions if you don’t enjoy the slight latency for screen refreshes and window dragging.
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Enter Crouton
Crouton provides a way to install Ubuntu and run it without rebooting from Chrome OS. This means if I run Crouton and simply press CTRL-ALT-Refresh I am instantly in my XFCE full Ubuntu 12.04.2 environment, and I can run any X86 programs I desire. I was able to use SSH XForwarding to also connect to my desktop, and it was also fast and fluid. I was able to load vim, git, gcc etc, however I actually like just using regular Chrome OS and a SSH session where possible, so I can switch between locations with ease. https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton.
Battery Life
Most reviews highlight that battery life is less than four hours, but skip over how low you can set the brightness on this laptop. 60% brightness on the Pixel is brighter than a lot of laptops at 100%, and the screen is extremely clear and readible. I was able to get 6 hours of battery life without issue, …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Planet Ubuntu