I’ll start my review off by saying I am a Chromebook user and have been using a Chromebook as my only computing device since 2015. I'm used to the OS and it fits my lifestyle with no glaring issues. Although there are shortcomings with Chrome OS my focus for this blog post is the Pixelbook Go and my experience with it.
Now with that out of the way, I will save you the trouble of reading all the way to the end just to know if I like it or not. The answer is NO. I absolutely LOVE it! It's my favorite Chromebook to date and I will go into detail on that in just a bit. But first a little history. My first Chromebook was the Toshiba Chromebook 2, followed by the Pixelbook, then the Pixel Slate, and last but not least the Pixelbook Go.
My experience with Chromebooks is pretty vast although my personal portfolio of devices is not that extensive and that's mostly due to me trying and ultimately returning a number of Chromebooks for a variety of reasons. The ones I owned are the Chromebooks that were good enough to stick around.
What is it about the Pixelbook Go?
To sum it up, the Pixelbook gets the things right that matter the most in computing devices or a laptop in this case. For me those things are OS, design, build, on-board chipset, display and keyboard, and trackpad. Google either met my expectations or exceeded them. Let's break down each of these categories one by one.
OS - your mileage may vary but Chrome OS is my preferred OS of choice.
Design - the Pixelbook is super thin and light and has a simple yet modern design. The edges are round and similar to Google’s Pixel phones. I don't know but I like what Google did here design-wise.
Build - no creaking in this device. A solid design that does not flex or bend. It's perfectly weighted and it's one of those rare laptops that can be opened with just one finger. Google also added this texture or grooves to the bottom of the laptop that makes it more grip-able. A really nice touch. Just a couple of small things. An LED light on both sides where the USB C ports are for charging and a headphone jack.
On-board chipset - the Pixelbook Go runs an 8th gen Intel processor. There are options ranging from m3 to i7. I have the m3 model and it has served me well. Although I wish I had gone with the i5 for the additional storage. I will say this is an area Google could have done better. The 8th gen chip was going on 2yrs old and Google still opted to put it in the laptop. Hopefully on the next Pixelbook Google will use something current or even their own chip.
Display - it's a decent 1080p display. Colors are nice and vibrant. The entry level models are your standard run-of-the-mill LCD display. The i7 model steps things up to 4K Ultra HD Molecular Display. One critique is that the off-angle views are pretty bad.
Keyboard and trackpad - some pretty solid offerings in this category. Starting with the trackpad. Nice size and made of glass so it's extremely smooth. The trackpad is also very clickable just about anywhere on the glass. The keyboard has really good travel but not as full as some larger mechanical keyboards. The backlighting under the keys is bright and something about them is visually pleasing. Not sure what it is but it's really nice to look at.
Odds and ends - speakers are the best I have ever heard on any laptop. Not because they get loud but for how rich and full they sound. It's really impressive especially in a package that's amazingly thin and light. Duo cam (web cam) is fine. 1080p quality at 2mp gets the job done for video calls but not for taking pictures. Lastly, the mics are good and I would say they are above average. Again, good for video calls.
What's missing? - for me just a fingerprint scanner. Yep, that's about it.
Final thoughts
The Pixelbook Go is not perfect but it's perfect for me. It gets so much right at a price that's quite compelling. My main takeaway after using this device is how well thought out it is and how deliberate Google was at making a laptop this great at a price you would expect to be much higher, based on build alone. Then Google puts all these well-developed pieces in an awesome package. It's hard not to enjoy what they built here. It's simple, has a modern design and it just gets out of the way so you can use the OS and navigate through the UI. I appreciate that and plan on using this machine until Google comes out with its successor.
Specs
Operating System
Chrome OS
Display
13.3" LCD touchscreen display
Audio
Dual front-firing speakers for better surround sound
Processors
8th Gen Intel® Core™ Processor¹
Memory & Storage²
8 GB or 16 GB RAM • 64 GB, 128 GB, or 256 GB Solid State Drive
Dimensions & Weight
12.2 in x 8.1 in x 0.5 in
Materials & Color
Finely painted magnesium
Battery
Use time of up to 12 hours³
Wireless
Wi-Fi • Bluetooth
Keyboard & Trackpad
Backlit keyboard • Extra large trackpad
Camera
1080p @ 60fps
Security
Titan™ C security chip
Sensors
Ambient Light Sensor
Ports
USB-C™⁵ • 3.5 mm headphone jack
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