If the Pixel C hadn't been released with a keyboard, would it have been received better?

[Geodude074]

Nearly every tech review site is slamming the Pixel C, criticizing it by saying it's meant to be a productivity device, but doesn't have productivity software ("tablet" optimized apps, split-screen). I say this is all because the Pixel C was revealed alongside that damn keyboard. If the keyboard had never been spotlighted, the Pixel C would be known for what it is - a premium 10 inch Android tablet, that also has an optional premium keyboard accessory.

I've seen many people comment saying the Pixel C "isn't worth it". The Pixel is no more expensive than any other flagship 10 inch tablet - how does that make it not worth it? The iPad Air 2, the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7, the Surface 3, and even last year's 32 GB Nexus 9 were all $500 - the same price as the Pixel C. Just because the Pixel C has a premium keyboard accessory, suddenly it's lackluster and unworthy compared to other premium tablets in the same category?

It's a shame how the media successfully askews public perception so easily. Tech sites compare the Pixel C to the Surface and the iPad Pro and slam it by saying "there's a lack of tablet optimized apps.". What they never say is that the iPad doesn't even have a file management system, so you can't even manage/drag and drop/move your files around. They also never mention how HORRIBLE Windows 10 is on tablets, and how the Windows Store has the LEAST amount of tablet optimized apps by a landslide, so you'd never want to use it as a tablet in the first place.

In my opinion, the Pixel C was revealed all wrong - they should have simply named it the 2015 Nexus 10, and mentioned that an optional keyboard could be had with it. That's how I look at the Pixel C, and that's how I would honestly compare it to the market.

 

[Aquila]

Perhaps, but we have to keep in mind Google isn't trying to sell 9 billion of them. They're trying to express their idea of what tablets can be. As a tablet, IMO it is in the running for the best one available. But I'd never buy a tablet as a productivity tool - having the keyboard just means you have the option to move in and out of productivity tasks better. If you want a laptop, buy a laptop.

 

[Jason Rossi]

+1 to the OP. Well said.

 

[Evilnut]

I bought mine to replace my Nexus 10 and I couldn't be happier. I don't need a keyboard on a tablet, I use it mainly for entertainment, some web surfing and social media etc. I like 10 inch tablets and I wanted something that was close to a Nexus as I could get as I loved my Nexus 10. This fits the bill perfectly.

Posted via Android Central App from a Nexus 6P or the amazing Nexus 10

 

[polar135]

So far so good with my Pixel C. Big improvement my over 2014 galaxy note 10.1. I'm ready for cases to be released and I'll be set. Battery life has been crazy good

 

[Jason Rossi]

Same here. Reviewers did a hatchet job on the Pixel C. My gosh. Every reviewer trashes it, every end user likes it... hmmmmmm......

 

[atg284]

I was just thinking this earlier today. I also feel like if the split screen was baked into marshmallow the reviewers would just focus on how it was not as productive as the surface pro. All I wanted was a premium 10 inch tablet with a keyboard in this aspect ration. Sometimes I feel like I am trying to shout that from the mountain top only to fall on deaf ears.

I will say that I have been responding on the forums with the keyboard and it is nice and fluid. It is just frustrating to hear all the negativity regarding something that I feel is a home run for myself. :/

 

[jamesrick80]

If the Pixel C hadn't been released with a keyboard, would it have been recei...

My main qualm against this tablet is that it does not have a 128 gb version or Microsd support. You are better off getting a Galaxy tab s2. Also, you can't do split screen so the Tab s2 is still superior even if it has less graphics and cpu power. There are plenty of keyboards that work well for android tablets so the keyboard should have never been the main advertisement with this device. Also Wacom stylus support would have been an appealing addition to this device as well but was not even offered.

 

[Aquila]

Re: If the Pixel C hadn't been released with a keyboard, would it have been recei...

My main qualm against this tablet is that it does not have a 128 gb version or Microsd support. You are better off getting a Galaxy tab s2. Also, you can't do split screen so the Tab s2 is still superior even if it has less graphics and cpu power. There are plenty of keyboards that work well for android tablets so the keyboard should have never been the main advertisement with this device. Also Wacom stylus support would have been an appealing addition to this device as well but was not even offered.

You said this in another thread too and it didn't make sense there either. We already knew it didn't have any of that stuff and those are all things that Google is not currently trying to promote. They're trying to show one way how tablets ought to be, not to reproduce and outspec Samsung options. Those things already exist.

 

[jamesrick80]

Well it's not how tablets "ought" to be...that's for sure and what every critic and I agree with.

 

[Aquila]

Well it's not how tablets "ought" to be...that's for sure and what every critic and I agree with.

It is Google, the Pixel/Android team, showing one way that they believe tablets ought to be. I emphasized the "one way" because it was in the original and it is an immensely important part of that sentence. There is no absolute one way that tablets have to be, so nothing is for sure and not all critics think this is a colossal failure - and even if they did agree, that choice isn't up to them. Critics don't get to decide whether or not they were successful at that - the Pixel team does. The only way it can be a failure is if they intended to do something else and got this instead. Critics get to decide if they think that they should purchase them or not and you get to decide if you want to purchase one or not... but given that we've known for months that the things that you want from Samsung tablets wouldn't be in this one - I'm confused as to why you are disappointed that the facts didn't change. And I obviously cannot speak for Google, but having 128GB and MicroSD and an extra stylus and whatever is definitely not in line with their core design principles. That's overkill for the vast majority of use cases and they almost always aim for simplicity.

Approximately every review that I have seen on this thing has completely missed the point of what it is and tried to evaluate it against something that it is not. And they've done so in a very disingenuous manner, because they act like Marshmallow is the worst software ever made while at the same time they were praising Marshmallow and Lollipop before it on the Nexus 9. Google is displaying their interpretation, not trying to put out a competitive product for main streamers, not trying to emulate any particular OEM - they're saying that tablets aren't quite where they need to be and that they have another (different) point of view on what is possible.

 

[jamesrick80]

It is Google, the Pixel/Android team, showing one way that they believe tablets ought to be. I emphasized the "one way" because it was in the original and it is an immensely important part of that sentence. There is no absolute one way that tablets have to be, so nothing is for sure and not all critics think this is a colossal failure - and even if they did agree, that choice isn't up to them. Critics don't get to decide whether or not they were successful at that - the Pixel team does. The only way it can be a failure is if they intended to do something else and got this instead. Critics get to decide if they think that they should purchase them or not and you get to decide if you want to purchase one or not... but given that we've known for months that the things that you want from Samsung tablets wouldn't be in this one - I'm confused as to why you are disappointed that the facts didn't change. And I obviously cannot speak for Google, but having 128GB and MicroSD and an extra stylus and whatever is definitely not in line with their core design principles. That's overkill for the vast majority of use cases and they almost always aim for simplicity.

Approximately every review that I have seen on this thing has completely missed the point of what it is and tried to evaluate it against something that it is not. And they've done so in a very disingenuous manner, because they act like Marshmallow is the worst software ever made while at the same time they were praising Marshmallow and Lollipop before it on the Nexus 9. Google is displaying their interpretation, not trying to put out a competitive product for main streamers, not trying to emulate any particular OEM - they're saying that tablets aren't quite where they need to be and that they have another (different) point of view on what is possible.

Does not matter, the device is a flop...hopefully no more Google-made tablets reach the light of day...there is not one tablet optimized application for this device yet it's sprung on consumers like some second coming of android tablets .....

 

[Aquila]

Does not matter, the device is a flop...hopefully no more Google-made tablets reach the light of day...there is not one tablet optimized application for this device yet it's sprung on consumers like some second coming of android tablets .....

We'll just have to agree to disagree. I'm not sure how it is a flop. Some reviewers missed the point and complained about the software while raving the hardware and every single person I've seen who has one in person has loved it.

IMO the Nexus 7 2012 was the first tablet worth a damn and every year Nexus has improved upon tablets. And since 2012 there's never been a non nexus tablet that I've thought was worth it. I never had the Nexus 10, but both 7's and the 9 are fantastic. I don't have the Pixel yet, but it appears to be a Nexus 9 on steroids (bigger, better screen, better processor, better battery life) and the keyboard isn't a core focus of it to me - it's a nice thing to compliment it. I've never owned a Samsung tablet (won't do it because touchwiz blows and because physical buttons on a tablet make no sense at all to me, even less so than on a phone where they're archaic and out of place) - but we clearly just value different things. I'm a software person primarily although the hardware on this one is beyond top notch, so IMO it's the best of both worlds.

 

[gstaniscia]

I agree with the op. I have one on the way I like the 10 in size. It was this or the z4 but since its impossible to buy and expensive i went with the pixel. Replacing a transformer prime tf201. I would say I'm about due.

 

[LinuxWeather]

I don't understand the need, based solely on the price point of the 64G version + keyboard, to compare it to a Surface which runs a full OS and has a totally different audience. I think reviewers already had the Pixel C pigeonholed as Google's Surface answer, which may be Google's fault at the launch event touring productivity, however Google did clearly note at that event the keyboard was the focus and clearly its the best marriage on Android of such.

It's a great 10" tablet just as the Pixel is a great chromebook ... Is it overkill for casual users -- yes, but so is your mother buying an Alienware to do email.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[jamesrick80]

I expect the Pixel C to be heavily discounted next christmas....keyboard or no keyboard...does not matter with world's buggiest android tablet.

 

[William Seppeler]

I expect the Pixel C to be heavily discounted next christmas....keyboard or no keyboard...does not matter with world's buggiest android tablet.

I seriously doubt this speculation.

When Google release the original Nexus 7 (2012), I think it was at $179 or maybe it was $199 I forget. A year later it was the same price. The newer Nexus 7 2nd gen came out and it was sold at $230.

Fast forward several years later and the Nexus 7 price finally started to drop. By then it was dated hardware that was still labeled as a good buy.

My advice for anyone on the fence about a Pixel C. If you're holding off because you think the price will drop, I say your wait will be in vain. If you really want it, then buy it. You're not going to find this thing in a bargain bin at a later date.

 

[William Seppeler]

Nearly every tech review site is slamming the Pixel C, criticizing it by saying it's meant to be a productivity device...

Perhaps I've not watched enough reviews. Every review I've seen praises the Pixel C.

I have seen a couple reviews that talk about it as a productivity tablet and I have mixed feelings on that. I agree that they all put too much focus on the Pixel C keyboard, but then again I can see why they did. Without the keyboard, the Pixel C is basically an iPad running Android. It would make for a very boring review because all they can really say it that the iPad is no longer in a league of it's own. In fact I wonder why no review comes to that conclusion. Let's be honest and say prior to the Pixel C, there really wasn't a tablet that matched the quality and construction of an iPad. At least none that really gave the exact look and feel of an iPad. But to squash the nay sayers, no, Google didn't copy some Apple formula. The tablet clearly has a Google feel to it. It's not an iPad clone. It's just similar in hardware and quality.

As to the comment about Google not trying to sell 9 billion of them, I say they should. Every Android user that wishes they had an iPad should buy one of these things. In my eyes, that's the market. Every iPad user that's tiered of the Apple ecosystem, then replace your iPad with one of these. No reason why these things should not sell like hot cakes. Every dork out there is buying an iPad. No reason this shouldn't sell the same.

My final thoughts on the Pixel C + keyboard combo. It's no more productivity worthy than any other Android tablet with a quality keyboard. The real question is Android a worthy platform for productivity? It's not a question of can you replace your laptop with an Android tablet and a keyboard. To be more specific, can you replace your Chromebook with a Pixel C + keyboard? If you've already been able to make the shift to using a Chromebook and you consider that to be a worthy productivity tool for your needs, then yes, I would definitely say the Pixel will scratch that itch too.

Those were the thoughts in my head as my finger hovered over the buy button. I don't own a Chromebook, but always wanted one. Now I feel I have the experience that would rival owning a Chromebook. But the screen is much smaller. Only 10" as opposed to buying a 15" Chromebook, but then I can use it as a tablet.

 

[atg284]

I seriously doubt this speculation.

When Google release the original Nexus 7 (2012), I think it was at $179 or maybe it was $199 I forget. A year later it was the same price. The newer Nexus 7 2nd gen came out and it was sold at $230.

Fast forward several years later and the Nexus 7 price finally started to drop. By then it was dated hardware that was still labeled as a good buy.

My advice for anyone on the fence about a Pixel C. If you're holding off because you think the price will drop, I say your wait will be in vain. If you really want it, then buy it. You're not going to find this thing in a bargain bin at a later date.

If people are going to wait they should not be waiting for a price drop ( not likely soon) they should be waiting for the two massive bug fixes. WiFi and touchscreen are currently not ironed out. Two kind of big things to not be working 100% properly at this stage.

 

[Wildo6882]

If people are going to wait they should not be waiting for a price drop ( not likely soon) they should be waiting for the two massive bug fixes. WiFi and touchscreen are currently not ironed out. Two kind of big things to not be working 100% properly at this stage.

Fingers crossed that they fix this. I want this thing so bad. I've been waiting for a super premium stock Android tablet for years.