*** The Google Pixel Slate Thread ***

I saw that deal. If it wasn’t for Win10 being a bit subpar and the fact it isn’t very lap friendly (with the keyboard attached, it’s fine without but then the OS is a bit clunky as a tablet) I’d have bought one at that price. Still, if your machine was fairly poor before I expect you will love it. And I still imagine it’ll be a much better buy than the Slate, as much as I want to like it. Time will tell. I’ll stick with my 10.5 for now.
 
The reviews disappoint me! I was all ready to order one but I am glad I waited for the reviews.

Still might get one in the New Year and see how I get on.
 
FishLicker said:
Review from the Verge.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/27...-tablet-chrome-os-android-chromebook-slapdash

Starting to shape up like another car crash already. I hope they improve the software but at the moment it looks a long way from being ready for mass consumption...
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I would like to have a secondary device to accompany my Surface Pro 6 (which is awesome by the way) - I'd really have preferred a tablet type device and something that has all of the Apps for Media, etc so the Pixel Slate looks a decent option.
I've been reading actual users (on Reddit) who have been receiving their devices and seem pretty happy, the Verge Review does seem a bit of a outlier (Hardware Wise anyway) the OS/Software does still seem to be in a state of flux and not quite fully ready though.

Will keep an eye on it though, might try a Surface Go, looks excellent and very capable but in all honesty as much as I like the SP6/Windows 10, the OS isn't great in touch mode and of course is lacking apps - Pixelbook seems a better Chrome OS option potentially than the Slate though (especially if they re-run the discounts they had over the weekend)
 
rickjames said:
As someone who has used Chrome OS as their home device for about 4 years, I'm reallllllllllly tempted. But at that price? Nahhhhhhhhhh
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The price is the killer.

When you can get an i5, 128gb, 8gb surface pro 6 or the surface laptop 2 (which I'm so tempted with) for £799.....£1,158 for the same spec pixel slate with keyboard is insane.

It would be a hard sell at the same price, £100 cheaper and I'd jump in just for the lols but at that price......it's a silly indulgence.

Google should have had ONE model. The i5 and priced it well. I've used a chromebook on a celeron and it was a horrible, HORRIBLE experience.

Even if they added in a few incentives, like free keyboard, 12 months youtube premium etc etc it would sweeten the deal....but it's too sour an offering to even beging to consider.

It won't sell well, but I really don't think they're that bothered.

p.s. I'm really tempted with the surface laptop
 
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TheOracle said:
p.s. I'm really tempted with the surface laptop
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We had the 3x Surface Devices at work (Book, Pro and Laptop) and we were all really impressed with the laptop, its crazy nice for the money.
If I hadn't wanted a tablet too I'd possibly have gone for the Laptop, probably should have considered a Laptop/Surface Go Combo in hindsight!
 
chrismscotland said:
We had the 3x Surface Devices at work (Book, Pro and Laptop) and we were all really impressed with the laptop, its crazy nice for the money.
If I hadn't wanted a tablet too I'd possibly have gone for the Laptop, probably should have considered a Laptop/Surface Go Combo in hindsight!
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I have a 2017 pro from work, but always been a fan of traditional laptops. Using the kickstand on my knee, or in bed for example is a bit of a pain. The laptop 2 is really nice, I've spent all week looking at it.
Might pull the trigger soon.

Platinum for me though, even though the cobalt blue look nice. Had a brief spell ogling the matte black, but gone off it now....especially when it picks up fingerprints.
 
TheOracle said:
I have a 2017 pro from work, but always been a fan of traditional laptops. Using the kickstand on my knee, or in bed for example is a bit of a pain. The laptop 2 is really nice, I've spent all week looking at it.
Might pull the trigger soon.

Platinum for me though, even though the cobalt blue look nice. Had a brief spell ogling the matte black, but gone off it now....especially when it picks up fingerprints.
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Yeah the Black put me off on the Surface Pro too, also a few folk reporting that the coating isn't as resilient as the Platinum.
Luckily I don't use it in bed but yeah that would be a pain!!!
I've got the Cobalt Blue Keyboard and its lovely, Ordered Burgundy for my Surface Go!
 
Another interesting article on how Chrome OS appears to be half baked and 'beta'. The slate really is a risky buy right now. Unless Google can sort it then it's going to end up being a two horse race between Win10 and iOS for the 'tablet experience'.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/can-two-operating-systems-coexist-the-pixel-slate-thinks-so/

I really wanted the slate to be the device for me, but it's looking increasingly likely I will end up with a Win10 machine despite its many foibles (which on fairness seen relatively minor compared with this).
 
iOS is looking more and more a better platform these days with googles beta junk. Even I'm sick of it on the mobile platforms after years of being with it. Just want something that works...with sodding file system access :o They've just got zero vision these days and it shows so well.
 
Kainz said:
iOS is looking more and more a better platform these days with googles beta junk. Even I'm sick of it on the mobile platforms after years of being with it. Just want something that works...with sodding file system access :o They've just got zero vision these days and it shows so well.
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Yep.....I'm ordering a surface laptop tonight even though I haven't been excited for a windows pc for years.
 
Kainz said:
iOS is looking more and more a better platform these days with googles beta junk. Even I'm sick of it on the mobile platforms after years of being with it. Just want something that works...with sodding file system access :o They've just got zero vision these days and it shows so well.
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I know where you're coming from. I've got an iPad Pro 10.5 and there's no way I would swap it for any ChromeOS device. Not a chance in hell. And I say that as someone who actually finds the restrictiveness of iOS a real bind. I'm actually borrowing a Win10 machine at the minute and honestly, with a bit of tweaking here and there, I'm actually preferring it to the iPad, despite the fact I use Win10 all day at work and I know how 'bad' it is; in reality most of the problems are problems that the companies build introduce.

In a home setting I don't find it too bad, its a bit rough around the edges, but hey ho. Some people might prefer MacOS but I used it for a month and found it overall (all things considered) it wasn't really any better than Win10. Sure its a lot more polished, but Windows still has much greater compatibility, much improved app selection, greater selection of hardware, and stuff like touchscreen support, and I wouldn't want to go without it now.

I don't think its that Google have no vision; in fact, I would suggest that the Pixelbook and Slate are actually 2 of the most innovative products in their respective times and sectors, but they do have serious problems, both with having decent software at launch, and with seeing something through to the end. There was no need to give up on Android tablets the way they have as they had a decent platform all in all and it just needed polishing. They discontinue services people like at will (inbox being a recent notable example), and generally seem to have little consistency from one year to the next; Apple products basically operate the same way they did 10 years ago, you can't say that about Google and so its users have built up a lot of muscle memory.

Google have gained quite a poor reputation recently for substandard software and I have to admit as a Pixel 2 XL owner, I LOVE the phone but the software is quite buggy at times. Today for example, the weather has disappeared from the home screen. I know it will get fixed, its not a big deal, I'm not even that bothered, but it shows you what I mean. And this Slate seems a bit of a car crash at this point in time. If I were a smart man, if you want one, wait for them to fix the software, then get a cheap one second hand from a dissatisfied customer. Only problem is, you would be waiting a long time :D

TheOracle said:
Yep.....I'm ordering a surface laptop tonight even though I haven't been excited for a windows pc for years.
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Based on my few days experience with the laptop I'm borrowing at the moment, I say give it a chance, you may actually be surprised! I am actually quite enjoying it despite me being convinced a month or so ago that I hated Windows. I think when your other choices are a restricted but polished experience (iOS) or a less restrictive (albeit still arguably more so than windows) and even less polished experience, then you kind of gain a new found respect for it. Despite using at work I use it in a totally different way and I actually dare I say kind of like it :o
 
I'm actually really torn now - managed to get some time with both a Pixelbook and the Surface Go today to see what fits my needs better.
The Go really does run nicely despite the low end Pentium Chip with little slowdown - even managed to get FM2018 running on it (albeit in 2D match mode) - works brilliantly as work device and for drawing on with the stand, etc like its bigger brother - its very much a mini Surface Pro.

That does however come with some downsides, mainly lack of apps and battery life - apps I can work around I guess seen as it does of course do the "full" internet but it would be nice to have Amazon Prime, Netflix and PremierSports....

The Pixelbook is a stunning bit of kit - seems well build and tinier than I expected!
Chrome OS/Android seems a mixed bag - most of the apps I tried that I'd want were fine and work nicely - stream to Chromecast nicely too.
Its a little tricky getting the head round whats Chrome OS and whats Android.

What I will say is the the Linux Apps seem lovely - VLC on Linux works faster and better than the Surface Go does albeit there's no sound currently!!!!

Much to think about - first experience of ChromeOS suggests to me that its capable if a little buggy but more than capable of doing what I'd want from a "me" rather than work device - especially with the ability to use Android Apps seemingly (for my use) without any real downside.

That said bluetooth is awful on the PB, fine if its just streaming music but doesn't like me doing anything else (on the i5) - wheras the Go just works...

Both solid bits of kit though and really both a credit to Microsoft / Google - the Pixel Slate is effectively in the "middle"!

Regardless the Surface Pro 6 is now my "work" device - so its really free choice between the Pixel Book / Go and the Slate - by the time all the add-ons are in the costs aren't much different (I'm looking at the 4G/LTE Surface Go.)
 
chrismscotland said:
Much to think about - first experience of ChromeOS suggests to me that its capable if a little buggy but more than capable of doing what I'd want from a "me" rather than work device - especially with the ability to use Android Apps seemingly (for my use) without any real downside.

That said bluetooth is awful on the PB, fine if its just streaming music but doesn't like me doing anything else (on the i5) - wheras the Go just works...
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Agree that it does have potential but sadly it has potential to become another of Googles "experiments" just like Android on tablets. The saving grace is really the fact that it's Linux capable. However, read the article I linked above, there ARE downsides to use Android apps on it. It simply isn't the same as running it on an Android ARM tablet, it's emulated, there are bugs aplenty.

Bluetooth is one area that is a deal breaker. I have some very nice and quite expensive BT headphones, and I don't want neither the risk of it not playing nice (I've read lots of horror stories), nor do I want to revert to SBS BT (the quality is very noticeably worse than the HP's are capable of). Not only that but I'm simply a driver away from full AptX support on Win10 (as well as being stable). You would think that the slate should have extremely good BT given its lack of headphone jack but the problem is actually a ChromeOS issue rather than the Slate itself. It will probably get fixed. But when?
 
FishLicker said:
Agree that it does have potential but sadly it has potential to become another of Googles "experiments" just like Android on tablets. The saving grace is really the fact that it's Linux capable. However, read the article I linked above, there ARE downsides to use Android apps on it. It simply isn't the same as running it on an Android ARM tablet, it's emulated, there are bugs aplenty.

Bluetooth is one area that is a deal breaker. I have some very nice and quite expensive BT headphones, and I don't want neither the risk of it not playing nice (I've read lots of horror stories), nor do I want to revert to SBS BT (the quality is very noticeably worse than the HP's are capable of). Not only that but I'm simply a driver away from full AptX support on Win10 (as well as being stable). You would think that the slate should have extremely good BT given its lack of headphone jack but the problem is actually a ChromeOS issue rather than the Slate itself. It will probably get fixed. But when?
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I think thats the biggest issue - as a former owner of the Pixel C I'm well aware that much of Google's hardware exists at their whim and can be abandoned whenever they see fit.

Yeah the BT is awful, my nice Sennheiser cans work but its really not worth it!
 
I used the i3 Slate over the weekend as I stumbled across it whilst roaming Currys for a handheld vac.

It certainly looked well built but was hard secured to the desk so I couldn't lift it to gauge weight. This thing was either in power saving mode or it's clock was running low because it was slow AF. Switching between Chrome and Messages took a shade under two seconds and scrolling was quite janky, so I fired up YouTube to play a video but the volume was quite loud - I was mortified! With folks looking at me playing some teenybopper video, I scrambled for the volume button and that did bugger all so I had to rapidly hit pause. No graphical volume indicator popped up when I pressed the volume button so I'm not sure what was up with that. The video played fine anyway but transitions to other apps was very laggy.

This is just a very expensive android tablet with 'Google Support' ie It'll go the way of the Pixel C for sure. If I wanted an android tablet I'd look at the Chinese market or Samsung as you'll at least have longterm rom support.
 
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