When Google killed the Chromebook Pixel line in 2016, the premium ChromeOS experiment looked finished. Then, on October 4, 2017, at the same event that launched the Pixel 2 phone and the Home Mini, Google unveiled the Pixelbook, and this time, the expensive Chromebook had a reason to exist. Chapter nine of our Chromebook history series.
What made the Pixelbook different from the Pixel
The 2013 Chromebook Pixel was a $1,299 machine that could only browse. The Pixelbook was a $999 machine arriving one year after the Play Store came to ChromeOS. That single difference reframed everything: a powerful, pen-enabled, 360-degree convertible now had a million touch-first apps to run. The hardware finally had software to justify it.
The design was peak Google industrial design: 10.3mm thin, about 1.1kg, aluminum with a white glass accent panel and silicone palm rests, and a 2400×1600 3:2 display, the aspect ratio the Pixel had pioneered, now industry-standard on premium machines. Configurations ran from a Core i5 with 8GB RAM ($999) to a Core i7/16GB/512GB NVMe model ($1,649).
Firsts and flourishes
- Google Assistant built in: a dedicated keyboard key and “OK Google” support, the first laptop with the Assistant baked into the OS. The ancestor of every AI key on today’s keyboards.
- Pixelbook Pen, a $99 pressure-sensitive stylus with a clever trick: circle anything on screen and Assistant would identify or search it. (A feature that returned to phones years later as Circle to Search.)
- Instant Tethering: the Pixelbook could hop onto a Pixel phone’s connection automatically, an early example of the ecosystem glue Google now spreads across all Chromebooks.
- Fast charging over USB-C: two hours of use from fifteen minutes plugged in, sharing chargers with Pixel phones.
The reception: finally, a premium Chromebook that made sense
Reviews were the warmest any Google laptop had received. Critics praised the build, keyboard, and speed; the recurring hesitation was the price versus a MacBook Air or Windows ultrabook, the eternal premium-Chromebook question. But unlike 2013, “what can it even do?” no longer appeared in reviews. Android apps, a maturing windowing system, and (from mid-2018) the Crostini Linux environment covered by our next chapter meant the answer was: most things.
Commercially it stayed a niche product, as every four-figure Chromebook has. Strategically it worked: OEMs followed with their own premium lines, HP’s x360 14, ASUS’s Flip C302 and successors, Samsung’s Galaxy Chromebook, creating a durable high-end tier that culminated in the official Chromebook Plus standard of 2023.
Why it still matters today
The Pixelbook era answered the question the Pixel had only asked: yes, people will pay real money for ChromeOS if the hardware is excellent and the software can fill it. It normalized conveniences that trickled down to $300 machines: fast USB-C charging, backlit keyboards, tall bright displays, phone-ecosystem integration. And its Assistant key began the fusion of Google’s AI ambitions with Chromebook hardware that runs straight through to today’s Gemini-powered Chromebook Plus devices.
Like every pre-2020 Chromebook, the original Pixelbook has now aged out of updates: its AUE date passed in 2024. If you’re eyeing one secondhand for nostalgia, read our AUE dates guide first: even the best-built Chromebook in history can’t outrun its expiration date.
FAQ
When was the Pixelbook released and what did it cost?
Announced October 4, 2017, shipping later that month. Pricing ran $999 (i5/8GB/128GB) to $1,649 (i7/16GB/512GB), with the Pixelbook Pen an extra $99.
Was the Pixelbook the first laptop with Google Assistant?
Yes, it introduced the dedicated Assistant key and always-listening support on a laptop, predating the assistant/AI keys now common across the industry.
What happened to the Pixelbook line?
It continued with the tablet-shaped Pixel Slate (2018) and the more affordable Pixelbook Go (2019). Google then wound down its ChromeOS hardware efforts, and a planned next Pixelbook was cancelled, and the premium torch passed to OEM partners.
Can a Pixelbook still get updates in 2026?
No. The 2017 Pixelbook reached its Auto Update Expiration in 2024. It still boots, but no longer receives security or feature updates from Google.
Next in the series: ChromeOS learns a third trick — full Linux apps in a secure container — while Google’s tablet detour ends in tears.
