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Pixel slate discussion thread?

slitherjef

slitherjef

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Waiting list? Hangout thread? Whatever else?

There don't seem to be a whole lot of interest here for this thing, I was curious if anyone else is waiting to grab one of these? I have a mild interest in it myself since the years phone offerings have been on the underwhelming side and I've been hankering a bit for a tablet.
 
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sracer

sracer

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Looks like this IS the thread. :D

Having just bought a Pixelbook on a super outstanding deal, I'm not in the market for something like the Slate... but if I didn't have the Pixelbook, I'd be all on the Slate.

One of the criticisms of the Slate was the seemingly exorbitant pricing of the peripherals. I have to admit I was taken aback by that. A Pixel Slate (+keyboard) with comparable specs to the Pixelbook would end up costing $200 more MSRP for MSRP than the Pixelbook.

I think Apple's announcement of the new iPad Pros dampens that criticism of price. In addition, I think the new iPad Pro and peripheral pricing improves the the appeal of the Slate.

For all that the Slate can do, it becomes a more enticing option for people who are willing to "think different". A full desktop-strength browser, support for Android apps, Linux apps, and using CrossOver, support for Windows apps. Add to that near-full support for USB peripherals, universal file system, and mouse/trackpad. Very compelling.

What do you see yourself using the Slate for?
 
slitherjef

slitherjef

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Mostly looking at the thing for a larger screen as well as Linux tinkering. I don't think I would get the keyboard, just the pen to do a bit of peck typing. It's a bit of a curiosity and new toy factory going on.
 
tbayrgs

tbayrgs

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I'm sorry but the pricing for this product is going to kill it before it every get started. Yes, Apple helped soften the blow a little bit with their own absurd pricing for the new iPad Pros but that still doesn't necessarily help the argument for the Slate, only reinforces the argument that Apple has lost their minds a bit.

And even then, Apple has a built in advantage in that if you want an iPad Pro type device, you only have one choice in manufacturer. There are dozens, if not more options for Chrome OS and just about every single other one is cheaper than the Slate. Even Google puts out a cheaper alternative.

I don't think the Slate is a competitively performing device until you get to the $999 price point (i5 CPU, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage). You then have to shell out another $199 for the keyboard. Pricing out a comparatively spec'd new Surface Pro 6 will set you back $1029 vs. $1198 for the Slate and the Surface offers far more versatile productivity.

The customer base for whom this product appeals to is super limited, IMO. Not really sure what Google is thinking here.
 
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B

Breaking Good

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I find the Pixel Slate intriguing to say the least. I’m very interested in a tablet with keyboard.
 
sracer

sracer

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Breaking Good said:
I find the Pixel Slate intriguing to say the least. I’m very interested in a tablet with keyboard.
Click to expand...
The nice thing about the Pixel Slate (or any Chrome OS or Android tablet) is support for mice, pointing devices, and USB peripherals. I don't do it often, but it is nice to be able to attach a USB gamepad for game playing. It's also nice to be able to attach a USB drive and play music and videos directly off of it without having to transfer the media to the device.

Chrome OS 70 is going to make Chrome OS tablets and 2-in-1s really shine since it will detect the mode it is working in and adjust the UI accordingly. Similar to what Microsoft attempted with the Surface on Windows 10.
 
D

dgdosen

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I would like to see a slate side by side with a new ipp - I'll bet they'll look respectable on their own, but when directly compared to the latest ipp - they'll pale a bit.

That and my personal experience with what, IMO, is an underpowered Y series macbook - I'd have a hard time buying an i7 slate with a similar Y chip.
 
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sracer

sracer

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dgdosen said:
I would like to see a slate side by side with a new ipp - I'll bet they'll look respectable on their own, but when directly compared to the latest ipp - they'll pale a bit.

That and my personal experience with what, IMO, is an underpowered Y series macbook - I'd have a hard time buying an i7 slate with a similar Y chip.
Click to expand...
I'd like to see that too. If the Pixel Slate is anything in terms of build quality as the Pixelbook, it may be a pretty fair comparison... though the design aesthetics are different. Where the Slate will really shine is in near-full support for USB peripherals, support for mice/trackpads, and universally accessible file system. If those things are important to a person, it will make a difference.
 
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dgdosen

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All these 'ipad as a laptop replamcent' posts have me wondering - does a chrome os respond to mouse (and/or keyboard) when in 'tablet' mode?

In the videos for the slate - it looks like an either/or for the keyboard - but I don't know for sure... and I'm not sure if that's just on a slate compared to any other crhomeos device...
 
sracer

sracer

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dgdosen said:
All these 'ipad as a laptop replamcent' posts have me wondering - does a chrome os respond to mouse (and/or keyboard) when in 'tablet' mode?

In the videos for the slate - it looks like an either/or for the keyboard - but I don't know for sure... and I'm not sure if that's just on a slate compared to any other crhomeos device...
Click to expand...
Yes. Chrome OS does support a mouse independent of a physical keyboard.
 
mi7chy

mi7chy

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There are so many things to like about the Pixel Slate such as the very optimized OS, ability to run ChromeOS + Android + Linux + rumored Windows apps, fastest full Chrome desktop browser experience, YouTube VP9 decoding for 1440p+ videos, so far the best implementation of merging desktop + mobile UI experience over something like iPad Pro but what's not to like that is also an issue with iPP is value when you can get a Surface Pro 6 8GB/128GB bundle with Surface type cover and Surface Pen for $799. Still want to get hands on it since it might still be worth the premium.

a9dzplsnejv11.jpg
 
sracer

sracer

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mi7chy said:
There are so many things to like about the Pixel Slate such as the very optimized OS, ability to run ChromeOS + Android + Linux + rumored Windows apps, fastest full Chrome desktop browser experience, YouTube VP9 decoding for 1440p+ videos, so far the best implementation of merging desktop + mobile UI experience over something like iPad Pro but what's not to like that is also an issue with iPP is value when you can get a Surface Pro 6 8GB/128GB bundle with Surface type cover and Surface Pen for $799. Still want to get hands on it since it might still be worth the premium.

a9dzplsnejv11.jpg
Click to expand...
For those of us for who Windows 10 is a deal breaker, no sale, no matter how deeply discounted will be enough.
 
D

dgdosen

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After reading the review (and blowback!) from the Verge iPP review - I'm convinced, more than ever, that the future in personal computing is containerization and a shell OS that can adapt depending on the user's needs.

Most importantly - a Linux app platform - in a containerized world - will have, IMO, the biggest impact on the future - as it would limit the effectiveness of walled gardens that vendors (Apple/MS) put up to lock app developers into a particular ecosystem. Can you imagine if the personal computing space had a Renaissance that allowed for advancement as fast as there's been in the cloud space?
 
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slitherjef

slitherjef

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It's all going to be cloud based VMs eventually... Essentially going back in time where they had timesharing terminals (teletype I believe) but wirelessly with gui instead of command line
 
sracer

sracer

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dgdosen said:
After reading the review (and blowback!) from the Verge iPP review - I'm convinced, more than ever that the future in personal computing is containerization and a shell OS that can adapt depending on the user's needs.

Most importantly - a Linux app platform - in a containerized world - will have, IMO, the biggest impact on the future - as it would limit the effectiveness of walled gardens that vendors (Apple/MS) put up to lock app developers into a particular ecosystem. Can you imagine if the personal computing space had a Renaissance that allowed for advancement as fast as their's been in the cloud space?
Click to expand...
Absolutely!

On a side note, I have to say, the newly released Chrome OS 70 is transforming the experience of 2-in-1 chrome devices like Samsung's Chromebook Plus and Pro and Google's Pixelbook. This is going to make the Pixel Slate really shine.

I love the way the UI transforms itself depending upon whether or not the physical keyboard is "active". In clamshell mode, there's the standard chrome OS "desktop". Put the device in presentation, tent, or tablet mode, and the UI morphs into an iOS-type of tablet UI. And the flexibility of having split window side-by-side, or stacked one above the other.
 
D

dgdosen

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sracer said:
Not surprised. That's the tablet version of the Pixelbook that many were waiting for.
Click to expand...

If I want to develop on these things, I'd only be interested in the i7 with 16GB of ram and nvme - and even that seems too underpowered for linux given that the chip is only a dual core Y... I need to see them in action before buying - and I'd rather see them on some kind of holiday sale as well :)
 
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mi7chy

mi7chy

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dgdosen said:
If I want to develop on these things, I'd only be interested in the i7 with 16GB of ram and nvme - and even that seems too underpowered for linux given that the chip is only a dual core Y... I need to see them in action before buying - and I'd rather see them on some kind of holiday sale as well :)
Click to expand...

You're looking at the wrong product tier if you want MacBook Pro CPU performance in a fanless 1.6# device that's even lighter than the MacBook 12". Maybe something like the Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630 if you want quad i5-8250U.

https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/yoga/yoga-c-series/Yoga-Chromebook-C630/p/88YGCC61096
 
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