We rarely go more than a few days without experiencing a new ‘first’ from Google and this time the innovation machine has gone mainstream – they’re releasing their own laptop.
It hardly sounds like a groundbreaking feat but this now fully places Google at the core of the hardware market, and no doubt they feel optimistic; last year the Chromebook was an American bestseller which was striking given its lack of functionality when unconnected from the internet.
The Pixel is something entirely different, or at least you’d hope so given the £1049 price tag. For a start it will be touchscreen, supposedly making it faster and easier to multitask. Then there’s the speed, described as “near instant” by Linus Upson, Vice President of Google Engineering, thanks to an Intel® Core™ i5 Processor and solid state Flash memory architecture. And finally, contrary to what I assumed – that the screen would just be one giant pixel – it turns out that these clever folk have crammed in more pixels than any other laptop – 4.3 million, giving it the sharpest image on the market (even more than the Retina Macbook Pro!).
What’s really interesting though is the emphasis they have placed on design; “the vents are hidden, the screws are invisible and the stereo speakers are seamlessly tucked away beneath the backlit keyboard” described Upson.
Beautiful and innovative laptops, mobiles, tablets and gadgets all presented in a fun, educational and interactive way in impressive high street stores; it’s all starting to feel rather familiar. Should Apple be getting worried?
Dan
