T3 - UK (2020-03)

MARCH 2020 T3 89

Google Pixelbook Go

Those screen options all operate at
a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is distinctly
different from the 2017 Pixelbook
aspect ratio of 3:2. The widescreen
look is better for Netflix and YouTube,
but anyone upgrading from the
original Pixelbook is going to miss the
extra depth for browsing the web and
working on documents.
Unlike that Pixelbook predecessor,
the Google Pixelbook Go doesn’t have
a display with a full 360-degree
hinge. You can’t fold it into a tent
configuration for video watching, or
fold it flat so that it doubles as a tablet

• it’s just the standard laptop hinge.
  We’re big fans of the backlit keyboard,
  which is elegantly designed and a
  pleasure to type on.
  Specs-wise, you can opt for 8GB or
  16GB of RAM, 64GB, 128GB or 256GB
  of internal storage, and your choice
  of 8th-gen Intel Core m3, i5 or i7
  processors. Any of those should be
  able to run Chrome OS comfortably,
  but the more you spend, the better
  able the Pixelbook Go will be to cope
  with multiple browser tabs and more
  complex web apps.
  Chromebooks are able to run
  Android apps now too, which is

another area where some extra

oomph can help – in mobile games

and photo editing apps, for example.

Still, even the base Pixelbook Go

spec should be able to cope with

everything you can throw at it.

Fast mover

Our review laptop was an Intel Core i5

model, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of

storage, and it proved snappy and

responsive to use. Web apps and

Android apps alike whizzed along,

and one of the pleasures of using a

Chromebook is that it doesn’t really

slow down over time as hard drive

space shrinks and bloat increases.

Sound from the stereo speakers is

decent: it lacks a little bass but is fine

for movies and videos, and at a push a

few tunes as well (though really any

proper speaker sounds better).

Battery life was solid too, with our

Pixelbook Go lasting around nine

hours between charges after some

pretty intensive use.

The only question left is whether

Chrome OS is for you. Essentially it’s

just a web browser, but with web apps

getting more advanced, offline

support improving, and Android apps

now available on Chromebooks, that’s

not as limiting as it once was.

You don’t get access to programs

such as Microsoft Office, Adobe

Photoshop or advanced music or

video editing tools on a Chromebook;

but you don’t need to worry about

software updates, antivirus programs,

or backing up your work because

everything lives in the cloud anyway.

Cheaper Chromebooks are

available, but we think the extra

polish and power of the Pixelbook Go

make it worth the additional cost –

certainly at the basic £629 level. A

Pixelbook Go purchase gets harder to

justify at the higher price points,

however, with the top-spec 4K version

costing an eye-watering £1,329.

WE’RE IMPRESSED

&KRLFHRIFRQĆJXUDWLRQV

VW\OLVKFRPSDFWGHVLJQ

VXSSRUWIRU$QGURLGDSSV

WE’D IMPROVE GLVSOD\

IHHOVVTXDVKHGQRLQWHJUDWHG

VW\OXVWKHWRSVSHFPRGHOFRVWV

TXLWHDORWRIPRQH\

THE LAST WORD 7KH3L[HOERRN

*RLVQèWSHUIHFWDQGLVSUREDEO\

DOLWWOHRYHUSULFHGEXWLWèVRQHRI

WKHEHVW&KURPHERRNVLQWHUPVRI

KRZIXQLWLVWRXVH

VERDICT

7KH3L[HOERRN*RLV

SROLVKHGSRZHUIXO

DQGIXQWRXVHZLWK

DWH[WXUHGEDVH

WKDWPDNHVLWHDV\

WRFDUU\DURXQG

SAMSUNG GALAXY
CHROMEBOOK
,I\RXZDQWWRJR
KLJKHQGZLWK\RXU
Chromebook choice,
WKHRQVDOHVRRQ*DOD[\
&KURPHERRNIURP
6DPVXQJLVDQH[FHOOHQW
FKRLFHåMXVWORRNDWLWLWèVDOVRDYDLODEOHLQJUH\
£TBC, samsung.com

ACER R13

0D\EH\RXGRQèW

want to spend loads

on a Chromebook –

WKH\èUHRQO\UXQQLQJ

&KURPHDQGDIHZ

$QGURLGDSSVDIWHUDOO

åDQGLIWKDWèVWKHFDVHWKH$FHU5ZLWKD)XOO

+'GLVSOD\WKDWćLSVRYHULVDQHDWFKRLFH

£399, acer.com

THE ALTERNATIVES

See more top Chromebooks

here: bit.ly/t3chrome