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After a few years of silence, tablet computers are trying to replace laptops in the backpacks of the world.
Microsoft has reorganized its Surface Pro hybrid for laptop and tablet, and a new iPad Pro is also available on the market, but Google is also focused on attracting new public attention with the new Pixel Slate.
Unveiled for the first time alongside the flagship smartphones of the technology giant Pixel 3, the Slate wants to be considered a hybrid device, offering features that allow desktop and mobile users to feel comfortable.
But did he succeed?
Design
As a tablet, the Slate Pixel was designed to be at its best when it is held in landscape mode – the position of the camera facing the front above the screen and the speakers located on either side of the screen when they are in landscape mode let you determine how Google thinks this device is better used.
What also strikes is the weight: it seems heavy to the hands. It is neither bulky nor unmanageable, but compared to the new iPad Pro for example, it seems heavier.
In terms of appearance, Pixel Slate is not a bad device. The speaker strips on either side of the screen slightly break the uniformity of the front panel appearance, but the metal sides and the back cover have a high quality finish. The 12.3-inch molecular screen is bright and colorful, though the Slate has wider goggles than some of its rivals.
The stylish power button that also serves as a fingerprint sensor is also well integrated into the frame, with a single USB-C port placed off-center on the left side of the device when you are in landscape mode.
Until now, it seems that part.
Experience
The Slate Pixel features two clearly defined operating modes of its Chrome OS software to allow users to switch between them: a touch-screen version that recalls Android with icons in the front and center of the screen, and a mode desktop that comes alive when the Slate Pixel The keyboard is attached.
It's a pleasure to work with when you want to switch from one type of use to another, especially if you are the type of person who has to make the transition quickly between typing an email and drawing something , but there is also an element of congestion in the set. experience.
In a sense, you have to learn two interfaces: you feel the same feeling as quickly going back and forth between a laptop and a tablet, as well as the inevitable confusion and the stray attempt to touch a screen that is neither a touch screen or a touch screen. a trackpad that is not there.
The keyboard case is also not the easiest to use: it is difficult to open folded open when the rear cover is folded to provide a magnetic support on the screen of the Slate.
It moves too much when you tap on your lap and, although the setup allows for infinite positioning of the screen angle, few are stable or comfortable.
The keyboard itself is solid and the trackpad responsive, but the general operating fault of Chrome OS prevents the Slate from operating in desktop mode.
Having the time to work on Slate is not a problem though: the battery has had an excellent test life, with little worry of losing a day of work out of the unit.
Verdict
Pixel Slate has good ideas and build quality to be a viable solution as a tablet, but its software and its occasional clutter to try to offer several use cases have been disappointing.
The bridge between desktop and tablet mode is far from fluid and some gestures get a little confused along the way.
Although the base model costs only £ 549 (a very competitive price in this space), Pixel Slate is not yet ready to face the likes of the iPad and Surface Pro.
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