Linux founder Linus Torvalds recently picked up a Google
Chromebook Pixel, and the hardware left such a positive impression that he posed
the question “Why do PC manufacturers even bother any more?” on his Google Plus page.
Google‘s design
philosophy for the Pixel is decidedly unusual when stacked against the average
portable PC. Chief among the differences is its 3:2 aspect ratio. Torvalds
mentions that he “despises” widescreen displays and continues: “I don’t
understand why people complain about ‘black bars’, when I can’t see why it
would be any different to have ‘no pixels at all’, which is what the silly
widescreen displays do.”
During my
own evaluation, the 3:2 aspect ratio initially seemed at odds with the Pixel’s
retina-quality display (2560 x 1700), but I’ve grown to appreciate it with
continued use. When the DVD format and HD content started to grow increasingly
prevalent, laptop manufacturers quickly adopted widescreen formats to show off
the multimedia capabilities of their machines. But do we still use our laptops
for media? Hasn’t their primary function shifted to productivity with tablets
becoming our “consumption” machines? (A question up for debate, but worth
discussing.)
Google describes
their Pixel screen as a “3:2 photographic format designed for the web.” The
Pixel simply plays to its strengths as a browser-centric device; until websites
are wider than they are taller, this makes perfect sense to me.
“One thing that the Chromebook Pixel really brings home is
how crap normal laptops have become.” [Emphasis added
by Torvalds] “No wonder the PC business isn’t doing well, when they stick to
just churning out more crappy stuff and think that ‘full HD’ (aka 1080p) is
somehow the epitome of greatness.”
Google
Chromebook Pixel | Photo: Jason Evangelho
Obviously Torvalds isn’t remotely dependent on Microsoft Windows,
but regardless he’s adopting the Pixel as his primary laptop, and adds that he
expects “to install a real distro on this soon enough.” Google’s laptop indeed
oozes ultra-premium quality, but plunking down $1299 for Chrome OS is a tough
proposition. But if you’re in love with the hardware, you’ll be relieved to
know that it’s surprisingly simple to install Ubuntu on the Pixel — in
fact it runs alongside Chrome OS, and automatically uses the Pixel’s drivers to
power the Linux side of things.
What do
you think? Is the Pixel an overpriced niche device, or a nod to the future of
portable computing? Would an easy Linux install change your decision to buy
one?
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