If Google is the father of Chromebooks, then its Pixelbooks are the offspring of Chrome OS. While that may sound a bit dramatic, it means you’re getting a quality product straight from the same source as the Mac for Apple and the Surface for Microsoft.
To you, this means the Pixelbook is the champion of all Chromebooks, a prime example of the experience you should expect from a Chrome OS device. But like any other creator, Google didn’t just release a single piece of art. Now the Pixelbook Go is a cheaper alternative that provides the same premium experience in a slightly different way.
In this Pixelbook Go vs. Pixelbook comparison, we’ll explain how these two Chromebooks are alike and how they’re different so you can decide which model is right for you.
Shape
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The big difference between the original Pixelbook and the Pixelbook Go is the overall design.
pixelbook is a convertible 2-in-1, which means you can flip the screen out of the traditional layout of most laptops. Google followed up with the Pixel Slate, which is separable 2 in 1, another word for a tablet with an additional keyboard that is combined into a laptop. The Pixelbook Go is therefore simply traditional folding casing laptop. In that sense, Google covers all three styles of laptops under the Pixel umbrella.
However, the original Pixelbook and its Go sibling are targeting two different markets. The Pixelbook Go is a larger device with a width of 12.3 inches, a thickness of 0.5 inches, and a 13.3-inch screen. The Pixelbook, on the other hand, measures 11.43 inches wide, 0.41 inches thick, and has a 12.3-inch screen.
Sticking with the screen, both devices have some thick bezels, though the Pixelbook Go has at least trimmed some on the sides. The Pixelbook is locked to a 2400 x 1600 resolution, while the Go offers two options, depending on settings: 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) or 3840 x 2160 (4K) via its molecular display.
What you’ll probably notice the most is the aspect ratio of the screen: 16:9 on the Go and 3:2 on the Pixelbook. We prefer the boxier shape of the Pixelbook, which allows for a higher view of its contents.
Arif Bacchus / Digital Trends
Another obvious difference between the two laptops is in the materials. The original Pixelbook is made from a sleek combination of glass and aluminum. It is extremely solid in the hand and has a unique two-tone silver/white design on the cover and keyboard.
The Pixelbook Go has a much simpler design, but it also has some interesting details. The bottom of the laptop has a rough texture that Google says makes it easier to hold and carry. It’s made of magnesium, a lightweight but less luxurious material. It is only offered in two colors that we consider too formal (black) or too flashy (not pink).
One of the best new features of the Pixelbook Go is the new placement of the speakers. They’re located on the keyboard, which is better placed to deliver clearer sound directly to your ears. The Pixelbook’s speakers are located inside the hinges on the side of the keyboard, creating a “roaring” sound that seems to reverberate through the keyboard.
Finally, both devices have the same port options: two USB-C, one on each side, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Performance
One generation shares the processors used in Google’s two Pixel laptops.
The Pixelbook has older chips: Intel’s seventh-generation i5-7Y57 or i7-7Y75, depending on configuration. The Pixelbook Go is a newer device, so it has newer Intel processors with the addition of a third option: the 8th-gen m3-8100Ym, i5-8200Y, and i7-8500Y.
That “Y” stands for extremely low power usage on mobile devices. This means a fanless design because the chips don’t generate a lot of heat, but that doesn’t mean they’re slow or lower voltage. When it comes to Chromebooks, Pixelbooks represent the ultimate in performance due to the lightweight and efficient design of Chrome OS.
When comparing the two generations, you shouldn’t expect a huge difference in performance, but the Pixelbook Go might be a bit faster compared to the configurations. However, we like numbers because they can show basic performance, so here are the results of Geekbench’s single-core and multi-core tests:
| Single | Multi | ||
| i5-7Y57 | 672 | 1097 | pixel book |
| m3-8100Y | 687 | 1108 | Pixelbook Go |
| i5-8200Y | 746 | 1279 | Pixelbook Go |
| i7-7Y75 | 780 | 1185 | pixel book |
| i7-8500Y | 788 | 1293 | Pixelbook Go |
Keep in mind that these benchmarks are run through the Android app, which isn’t native, which means the numbers could be a bit higher if Geekbench offered a version of Chrome OS. However, you can see a slight increase in performance of the 8th generation chips compared to the previous generation. Even the m3 chip is better than the 7th generation Core i5 CPU.
However, Google did not originally design Chrome OS as a typical PC platform. It targeted web applications that did not require an actual download. This means that the operating system itself is lightweight, which leads to extremely small storage capacities. That has since changed over the years, as Google has added support for Android apps and Linux-based software, both of which run via built-in emulators.
In both cases, however, we tend to find the Intel Core processors feel faster, perhaps even overkill, for basic Chrome OS functions. It’s only when you dive into the Android and Linux aspects that you can feel the pushback of these “Y” chips. Chromebooks are not designed to run AutoCAD or destiny 2but you should see good performance when using non-graphics intensive Android and web apps.
Portability
The Pixelbook and Pixelbook Go are almost identical in terms of size and portability. As we said earlier, the Pixelbook is 0.412-inches thick, while the Pixelbook Go is 0.5-inches thick. Weight-wise, the Pixelbook has a constant 2.45 pounds, while the Go ranges from 2.3 to 2.4 pounds, depending on the screen. There’s really no difference between the two outside of the numbers: both are thin and light.
Arif Bacchus / Digital Trends
This is where you will see a big difference in battery life. The Pixelbook has a 41 WHr battery that promises up to 10 hours. The Pixelbook Go has a 47 WHr (FHD) or 56 WHr (4K) battery, both of which promise up to 12 hours. According to Google alone, Go has a two-hour lead.
In real numbers, the Go has some of the best battery life we’ve ever tested on a Chromebook. It lasted for over 13 hours in our web browsing and video loop tests. We also saw good battery performance from the Pixelbook, but the Go was our clear winner in this scenario.
Pixelbook Go is not Pixelbook 2
The most important feature of the Pixelbook Go is its price. One of the biggest downsides to the original Pixelbook has always been its $999 starting price. It’s always been a bit outside of what the average person expects to pay for a Chromebook.
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Google knows this, which is why the Pixelbook Go starts at just $649. This makes it a fantastic buy for students and those who simply need a cheap laptop for basic needs. That base configuration gets you an m3 chip, 8GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a Full HD display.
When you go into more Goan settings, the choice becomes more difficult. For example, the 4K model comes in just one configuration: Core i7, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $1,399. The Core i5 configuration with 16GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a Full HD display matches the Pixelbook’s starting price of $999.
The thing to keep in mind now is that Google no longer sells the Pixelbook directly. It’s an older laptop, so now you’ll only pre-configure it from third-party retailers like Amazon. In fact, Google doesn’t even sell the Pixel Slate anymore, leaving the Pixelbook Go as your only current option through Google. It doesn’t have the cool 2-in-1 look seen on the Pixelbook and Pixel Slate, but it makes up for that in overall performance and price.
If you want to match it dollar-for-dollar, the $999 Go configuration has a newer Core i5 CPU, larger screen, twice the RAM, but is limited to a clamshell design and Full HD resolution. The Pixelbook, meanwhile, has an older Core i5, half the RAM, a smaller screen, but a higher Quad HD resolution. Both have 128 GB of memory.
All in all, with its different design and budget build quality, the Pixelbook will remain the go-to for higher-end Chromebooks, at least for now until the Pixelbook 2 arrives, while the Pixelbook Go appears to be better value in its cheaper configurations.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn