Forget the Apple Macbook or Microsoft Surface, say goodbye to the perfect laptop

The oldest and most durable piece of technology in my house is being scrapped. Well that’s not true, I don’t know what I’m going to do with it yet, but its life as a Chromebook is probably over.

The laptop I’m talking about is Google’s 2015 Chromebook Pixel, which received its latest OS and security update a few weeks ago. I had briefly forgotten this since my story in 2020 about the end of Chromebook software support, but a notification popped up reminding me that this is the “last update”, with tips for buying a new Chromebook .

I’ve already written about how well the Chromebook Pixel has served me over the years as my most reliable laptop. Much of this is down to the simplicity of Chromebooks. Their unique anti-malware capabilities make them ideal and stress-free laptops for casual users. There are always issues, if you’ve been caught off guard without an internet connection and haven’t set up your Chromebook to work without web access, it can easily be made useless.

But something strange has happened in recent years with my Chromebook Pixel 2015 and other ChromeOS devices, they have improved their functionality considerably. My Google laptop can do things that it couldn’t do six years ago. It’s an objectively better laptop after several years of its lifecycle.

I can now play Xbox Game Pass games on my Chromebook. The gaming experience started with Nvidia’s GeForce NOW, then Google Stadia, but Game Pass works through the Android app, which doesn’t seem to have any compatibility issues. The app itself is slow, which I guess has to do with being an app optimized for Android. But actual game streaming, most importantly, works flawlessly.

Opening the app and seeing the “first day outings” section is exciting. Exclusive titles like Forza, Redfall, and Starfield will be playable on inexpensive seven-year-old hardware. I would have settled for a decent SNES emulator, so AAA games are a very welcome and unexpected bonus. Elsewhere, Windows is available through the Parallels desktop, and you can create respectable and professional videos through apps like KineMaster. Adobe Lightroom also works well for fine-tuning images.

The point is, unlike most other technologies, Chromebooks are getting better. They don’t degrade under the weight of increasingly demanding updates that often damage other, more complete laptops. Chromebooks will continue to improve, new features will arrive and with them a stronger case for ChromeOS on Windows or macOS. This has always been Google’s promise.

The fundamentals are still as solid as ever. Yes, the camera is a bit outdated (although laptop cameras are mediocre across the board regardless of the price), there are better keyboards out there, and it’s not the lightest kit. But it still starts up instantly, runs fast, has a beautiful display, and most importantly, performs flawlessly.

So it is strange that there is a pre-planned date for the ultimate demise of the Chromebook Pixel. Six years is a long time for software support and it needs to be recognized, especially when most Android phones – including Google’s Pixel – offer three or less. But these phones fail, the batteries run out and slow down considerably at the end of those three years. My Chromebook didn’t and I suspect other mid-priced ChromeOS laptops won’t either. I understand from a business perspective, you have to buy new things to keep the money moving. These yachts will not pay for themselves. But if Google wants us to stick to its environmental credentials, then not forcing users to ditch the still active – even booming technology – would be a convincing move.

I’m not sure what I’ll do with the material after this. Using it without security updates isn’t a smart move, so the laptop will likely stay in my drawer if Google decides to cancel its automatic update policy. My job means I’ll be testing and reviewing other Chromebooks in the months and years to come, but it’s over for my quiet favorite. If there’s a Chromebook that has served you well for years and is also facing breakage, contact us.

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