I fell in love with the Pixelbook about two months ago. I saw a coworker at Google using one, and I was immediately impressed by its extreme thinness. The Pixelbook is as thin as two USB-C ports stacked. Why hadn’t I paid any attention to such a beautiful device until now?
The forgotten Chromebook
Chromebooks were first announced in 2011, and I admit I ignorantly dismissed them as cheap laptops that constantly relied on internet connectivity. This sentiment made me ignore most of the updates released by Google for years. Also, as a Windows Phone user, and later as an iPhone user, my laptop aspirations were better covered by the ecosystem integrations that a Surface or an iPad could offer.
The last time I owned a laptop was in summer 2018. Back then, I owned a Surface Book, but it was chunky and not very easy to travel with. My needs for a personal laptop were also very simple –they still are–, which made me wonder if I could survive with just a tablet.
When I switched to an iPad Pro as my main computer in late 2018, I wrote: “A vast majority of customers have simple needs when it comes to technology, and they expect equally simple solutions to their problems. Most users want a computer for editing or creating text documents, browsing the web, responding to emails, watching movies,” and I still think that’s true today.
For years, I used the iPad Pro with a Smart Keyboard Folio as my only personal device, even after switching from iPhone to Pixel! I’d use the iPad to write blog posts on Google Docs, stream movies during flights, read articles on the web, watch YouTube videos, etc.
Unlike a traditional laptop, the iPad felt limited at times, particularly when browsing the web. Many websites, especially those from financial institutions and airlines, default to the mobile version even when I specifically request the desktop site. Some other websites directly force me to open the mobile app, preventing me from using the browser at all. This constant struggle for a full desktop experience ultimately led me back to wanting a laptop.
Enter Pixelbook
Last April, when my coworker took his Pixelbook out of his bag, my first thought was: “wow, that’s a thin laptop”. I dimly recall Google announcing it in 2017, but I did not pay much attention to it.
Looking at it now, I couldn’t avoid thinking that I hadn’t seen such a portable laptop that also looked this good in a while. The combination of aluminum and glass accents, the symmetry in its squared body, and its consistent thickness throughout the whole fanless chassis, all make the Pixelbook the sexiest Chromebook ever made, even seven years after its release.
Trying to get over the attractive looks, I remember thinking that ChromeOS was not a really good fit for me when it came out. But what about now? I felt very ignorant, not knowing what changes ChromeOS had announced in the past few years, so I did some research.
It turns out, ChromeOS has changed a lot since its debut, and Chromebooks can be very capable laptops. Especially after last year’s Chromebook Plus program, which introduced a new generation of laptops with cutting-edge hardware, ready for the AI era.
But what about the Pixelbook? Can it still handle the latest ChromeOS version? After all, Google introduced the Pixelbook as a premium device with beefed-up 2017 specs: a 7th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, for a whooping retail price of $1,649.
I pleasantly discovered that the Pixelbook went through a program that Google introduced to extend software updates for certain Chromebooks. As a result, it expanded its “Auto Update Expiration” date until August 2027. That’s a full decade after its announcement, three more years to go!
Let’s just say I was eager to find a reason to get one. Then I discovered that Android phones integrate seamlessly with ChromeOS: the Pixelbook can stream apps from my Pixel onto a floating window, without having to install the app on the laptop, and it can access recent pictures that I took, or Chrome tabs that I have opened on my Pixel.
I was convinced. But since Google stopped selling the product in 2020, I had to figure out how to get one.
A seven year old jewel
Getting a discontinued laptop is easy if you don’t mind scuffs, marks, scratches or poorly-removed stickers. Fortunately, I found a seller on Amazon that sells renewed top-of-the-line Pixelbooks in “excellent” condition for $335.
When mine arrived a few days later, I could not believe my luck. I got a Pixelbook that had been barely used, with 95% battery health and only 38 charging cycles.
Setting it up was easy, even as a newbie in the ChromeOS world. After logging in with my Google Account, the Pixelbook has quickly become a familiar laptop, giving me immediate access to all my files, pictures, contacts, emails, calendar, bookmarks, and basically everything I need. It feels like the Google equivalent of logging in on a Surface with a Microsoft Account, or on a MacBook with an Apple ID: seamless access to all your services.
Streaming apps on the Pixelbook is as easy and intuitive as it sounds. I don’t have to think about which apps should be installed; I already have access to all the apps from my Pixel.
I nonetheless love being able to use the Google Play Store. I installed video apps like Netflix, Prime Video, or Plex so that I can download content for offline viewing.
To sweeten the deal, I also bought a Pixelbook Pen, which originally sold for $99. I was curious to see how the 10 ms drawing latency felt using 2017 technology, and I found a new Pen for $25, in a sealed box! I don’t expect to use it too frequently, but it’s nice to know that I can use it to sketch or hand-write when I flip the Pixelbook into tablet mode.
ChromeOS also includes a built-in Linux environment, allowing users to run desktop applications, command line tools and code editors. I enabled it to install GIMP, a free and open-source graphics editor used for image manipulation and editing.
But not everything is great. The Pixelbook’s screen bezels are so big that they look out of place even among other 2017 laptops. Even with all its then-top-tier specs, the Pixelbook won’t be getting some of the exclusive AI features reserved for Chromebook Plus devices, automatically making it fall behind the competition. If we take into account that the Pixelbook will stop updating in a little over three years, one could argue that the laptop cannot even compete anymore.
Hope for the future
The improvements of the past seven years have focused on updating internal hardware specs to support new software features without any hiccups. But product design hasn’t been a priority for most Chromebook manufacturers.
I tried looking for any other Chromebook that could rival the Pixelbook’s design, and I found nothing as elegant, timeless and well-built. Even today’s most expensive Chromebook Plus laptops seem to fall behind my Pixelbook’s unique looks.
The versatility, up-to-date smarts, and premium feeling of the Pixelbook, coupled with its current low price point, makes it an amazing low-cost Chromebook in 2024. I’m truly enjoying using the Pixelbook. It has brought back the joy of writing on a laptop, without missing the tablet experience. But I’m sad that there isn’t a clear successor.
Is there space for premium Chromebooks in such a competitive market? Will we ever see a Pixelbook 2? I hope we get an answer within the three years of life left in this beauty.
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Geek on record 
Thank you for writing this article. I have had the pixel book since it came out and love telling everyone about it. It has never skipped a beat. It has ran so fast and never had an issue. Thank you again for shedding light on the amazing pixel book!
-Alexy
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I bought my Pixelbook in 2017. It was my 3rd Chromebook and it far outclassed to Samsung and ASUS I had owned previously. I have enjoyed being part of the full Pixel environment. Pixel phone, Pixelbook and Pixel watch.
It’s still my daily workhorse, but sadly, the battery is starting to die, so I am looking elsewhere. I would happily pay a premium price for a Pixelbook 2! That’s unlikely to happen though.
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i bought my Pixelbook in 2017. I still use it as my main day to day device. I’ve thought of getting one of the newer more powerful Chromebooks, but so far there is no need.
If Google decided to make a Pixelbook 2, I’d be all over it.
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I proudly own and am a fan boy of the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook (1st gen) which IMO is the spiritual successor of the Pixelbook. Review that one next!
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I purchased two of these. They were a gorgeous red – the best looking devices I have ever owned. But both gave me no end of trouble : they would overheat, freeze, the touchpad would stop working, etc. Samsung appears to have fixed some of the problems in the subsequent version, but they also downgraded the display specs. Very sad
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I reluctantly passed my pixelbook on to the kiddos recently. Now I miss it dearly. Google ought to bring back the pixelbook. Add fingerprint and an option for 5G and I’ll be first in line to buy one.
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My pixelbook, bought in 2018?, just died this year. I was so sad! I loved that laptop so much.
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i still think my pixel book is the best built piece of tech I’ve owned.
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i would buy a Pixelbook 2 in a heartbeat.
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bought it in 2017. It’s screen started freezing up and then completely went bonkers. Never dropped it. Never put any weight on it. Always left it on my desk. Lasted two years. Tried getting google to see if they could HELP, not even repair it for me and they didn’t bother evening helping me. Took it to a iFix it repair shop that said they fixed chromebooks and when I got their, they said they couldn’t fix it because whatever pieces was damaged was not on the market and only google could fix it. Waste of money.
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I bought a Pixelbook off of eBay a few months back, it’s now September 2024. It’s my favorite device I have ever used, I’m writing this on it. Everything works perfectly and it feels and responds like new even though it’s 7 years old. To me that’s an incredible acknowledgement of the amazing hardware, and efficiency of Chrome OS. The same cannot be said of a Windows PC or Mac. Every time someone sees it they are amazed at the build quality and aesthetic appeal, it’s truly genius engineering that has stood the test of time.
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I also hope that there will be a pixel book 2 because like you I couldn’t find any successor to pixelbook.
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like you I pushed away Chromebooks initially. A couple months ago I did pick up the Lenovo yoga Chromebook plus and have been enjoying it. My only gripe is I wish it had a finger print unlock or face unlock as the unlocking my phone to unlock the chrome book isn’t consistent for me.
As for a pixelbook 2 IDK if it will ever happen but it’s more likely a OEM will make something similar. I’d love to see a fan less 2 in 1 with a power sipping CPU like snapdragon x elite or an Intel lunar lake chip.
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i bought mine as soon as it was announced way back in 2017, still use it daily. I REALLY want a pixel book 2
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pixelbook go owner since 2019 still going strong. Please Google need a Pixelbook Go 2
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I love my Pixelbook, other than battery at less than 85%, it’s great. I hope that Google has the good sense to make a new one next year. It would sell like hot cakes ! 😀
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Can we get a movement on this? I want Google to literally keep almost exactly the same device language and upgrade the internals and then take my money(just dont get too crazy with the price google lol)
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the screenshot you shared is a 16:9 aspect ratio. The pixelbook is 4:3. It slightly causes some speculation on the veracity of this review.
And to say you searched high and low for similar praiseworthy builds means you must have seen the both the pixelbook go and the original Samsung Galaxy Chromebook. For those 2 not you get any call outs leads me to speculate even more
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I went full Chromebook a few years ago, I just got so fed up with both Microsoft and Apple and their legacy crap I didn’t care. Boy have I been surprised! Chrome OS is LIGHT YEARS ahead of where it was 8-10 years ago. I dare say the integration is even better than an Apple product. The weekly updates are something I look forward to because it always contains something useful and makes it that much better.
I have a Lenovo Yoga Chromebook. It does well, but I would give up my lefty for a new Pixel book. My new Pixel 9 is shoulders above everything before it, and I’d love to sync a comparable Chromebook too it.
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I have 3 Chromebooks. One I call my “car Chromebook” which basically stays in a briefcase in my car–this one also functions as my “travel” laptop for trips to check in on work. One sits on my desk at work as a back up to my office PC. the 3rd is my backup for the other 2. I COULD live without them–I am just not sure why I would want to do so.
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While informative your article left out one of the Pixel’s best features: the incredible screen. Yes, the bezels are huge. But even today the resolution is still more than competitive, and at 400 nits the brightness is fantastic.
I had a Samsung Chromebook Plus V1 with similar brightness specs that broke my heart by getting twitchy after AUE. It was a fine machine and as I searched for a replacement even the newest models seemed like a downgrade, especially in terms of screen brightness. How glad I was to find the Pixel! Due to the evolution of ChromeOS, my machine is essentially better in 2025 than it was when its first owner unboxed it in 2017. Show me any non-Chromebook that can pull that off …
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seriously like BDove said is there anything out there that could be 8 years old and still work the same or better then the day you bought it. Also forgot to mention the keyboard, I don’t know about everyone else but the keyboard on the Pixel book is by far the best keyboard around, still tell this day. I’m so happy to hear that my Pixel is going to get updates until 2027, I mean what other company is giving any device 10year updates? That’s insane!! Google just makes me so so mad that they are not even considering making a part 2, like why not? They made the best Chromebook to ever come out but that was 8 years ago. I bought mine in 2017 and I’m typing on it right now. I also have a 2024 Mac Book Pro Plus witch I do love but there is just something about a Chromebook that makes me always come back to it. I think its the fact that Chromebooks never slow down I even had a old like $200 dollar Samsung Chromebook that I had for 4 years and then got the google Chromebook so I gave the Samsung to my mom and she still has that thing and it still works perfectly. I think it because you don’t really ever save anything on Chromebooks so they always stay super fast, and you never have to worry about viruses as well, and if anything were to go wrong you just do a factory reset and then bang you got a brand no Chromebook. Google please listen to your customers and come out with part 2. what the heck are you doing? don’t let Apple just take over the computer lineup, cuz we all know nobody wants windows its either apple or google and in the AI competition Gemini is killing apple, Gemini is so amazing, better then chat GPT in my opinion and if you have a pixel its FREE.
Thanks for writing a sick article
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I took have a pixel book, in fact, I’m using it to read and type this message. It is my favorite laptop, I take it everywhere. I took have been eagerly waiting for a successor and sadly have not found one. If they make another pixel book, I would easily buy it again.
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