Chrome books haven't really been tablets until now and the Pixel Slate is the first that's a convertible tablet in the Chrome family, that google announced today at it's hardware event in New York.
The Pixel Slate starts at 599 and it's a 12.4 inch screen with a really nice 3,000 by 2,000 display.
Now, attached to it is a separately sold $200 keyboard.
That has all the features that you'd look for in a convertible keyboard.
In that the back angles are adjustable, which is a really nice touch, and magnetic.
It automatically attaches and is powered through the slate, so you don't have to worry about any separate charging.
And it's got a full backlit keyboard, and it's got a very large trackpad.
Connected to it, it kind of feels like a Microsoft Surface and i think that's the idea is to create a footprint that you can do work on, easily detach and feel comfortable enough on this.
It's a really generous keyboard, this is a pretty large footprint here on the table so similar to Surface you got to leave yourself Some room.
But the Slate only comes in one 12.4 inch size.
The price, however, varies over a spectrum.
599 to start, but it goes all the way up to 1,599 at the top end.
That's a lot, depending on what processor and what storage you get.
At the baseline, it's a Celeron processor.
32 gigs of storage.
The pen is also separately sold.
This is $99.
So you're gonna want the keyboard, you probably would want the pen if you like drawing.
It's pressure sensitive and it feels really comfortable.
It's kinda like what Microsoft is doing with Surface.
And what Apple is doing with its pencil.
The features on Slate are pushing forward what Chrome is gonna be doing on tablets.
More split screen, assistant features that are baked in to provide suggestions of what to launch next.
And the whole thing feels kinda like a Pixel phone or Android meets Chrome.
And again, that's the idea.
Now the price of this is going to push it into a territory where you're looking at laptop price with all the accessories or an iPad Pro.
For all that it does, it does feel promising.
But if you're paying all of that money for all of the things that it brings to the table, would you want something else?
There are a lot of affordable Chromebooks That are out there and Slate, much like last year's Pixelbook, is perching itself at the top end.
I can tell you that the keyboard with the circular keys feels great to type on, the trackpad feels great, and the machine feels really solid.
Now, as you can see here, the angles pull all the way back, or they go all the way forward, or this flips around and can become a case for it as well.
Where you can travel with it in folio mode.
Also, take note, that front Power button, or the Power button on the side is also a fingerprint sensor, pretty cool.
And the front facing speakers are on either side, providing enhanced audio.
Pixel Slate Seems like it's the beginning of a really good trend for where Chrome laptops are gonna go, from tablets Will this be the one for you?
Stay tuned for a full review from CNet.
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