Today, Google released the newest generation of Chromebook Pixel, which comes with a higher-resolution touchscreen, 12 hours of battery life, and a charging mechanism that the company says can suck up two hours' worth of battery life in just 15 minutes.
What's really significant about the Pixel, however, is that it makes a strong case that nearly everything you do on a computer can be done from inside the browser. This is Google's argument that Chrome is all you need. Chromebooks, which are made by lots of different manufacturers, are already winning the education market. The flagship Pixel device is Google making the case that it will work just as well in your office.
The biggest change to this new Pixel from the last one is Google's shift to USB-C, an all-in-one port that is also on Apple's newest MacBook models. The new Pixel will come with two USB-C ports, which let people charge and transfer data from the same port. Google is promising that this is the first step in integrating USB-C into all its products. Look for it in other Chromebook models and across Android devices in the coming product cycles. Basically, this is going to be the new standard. Don't worry, your old USB devices will still (mostly) work. But you're going to need an adapter.
The new Pixel is available today from the Google Store — the just-launched marketplace for Google devices.
The basic model — with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 32GB solid-state drive — starts at $999. An even more powerful version — dubbed the LS, which stands for "Ludicrous Speed" — is available for $1,200.