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I'm considering getting the Pixel and running Linux on it, but am extremely annoyed by the lack of upgradable storage. The $250 Samsung ARM Chromebook has USB3

I'm considering getting the Pixel and running Linux on it, but am extremely annoyed by the lack of upgradable storage. The $250 Samsung ARM Chromebook has USB3 (~100MB/s) and a fast (~50MB/s) SD card controller. The $1300 Pixel only has USB2 and a slow (USB2) SD card controller and no real PCIe slots, which means that you can never get more than ~17MB/s when trying to increase the tiny internal storage.

loxs 14y ago
Yeah... if it wasn't for this, I wouldn't be typing here. Instead I would probably be doing something much more productive, using the Pixel, right at the moment :-(
jonnydover 14y ago
Honestly, the $250 ARM Chromebook is among the very best things you could do for development (in my opinion). I can use ChromeOS for when I'm not doing anything hardcore and then just open a chroot jail (via crouton https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton) with a full xubuntu/xmonad install when I really want to get cracking. Both open so quickly it's almost disorienting, either from start or from sleep. It's the same size and weight as a Macbook Air and the battery life is outstanding (I've come quite close to the 9 hr mark when I'm not listening to music on speakers). The only downside, at least for the purposes of this question, is that it isn't fully HD, or rather isn't 1080p which is what I assume the OP meant. Still, I'd say that this is by far the best computing investment I've ever made, and I'm happier with this than I am with the $1000 laptop I got 6 months ago.
- loxs 14y ago
  Hmm, probably for that money I should just risk and buy one. It has the potential to save me at least one megabuck...
- taude 14y ago
  Been really wanting to try this, but still waiting either for v2, or some form of hybrid tablet-ish thing.
- cjbprime 14y ago
  It's 1366x768, which is the worst resolution available on modern laptops. The resolution makes it unusable for development, in my opinion. (I have one too.)
  - peatmoss 14y ago
    If Samsung makes this model laptop with a high res display, I will happily buy it as my next machine. The wife has the current model and loves it, but the screen is not quite up to scratch. Otherwise, a brilliant little device.
naner 14y ago
extremely annoyed by the lack of upgradable storage. Do you happen to know if it is integrated into the motherboard or if they are simply using a mini pci express card internally?
- cjbprime 14y ago
  It's soldered down/integrated. There is a mini pci express slot that the WWAN connects to, but it's wired electrically to the USB2 bus, not the PCIe bus, so that doesn't help. (I wouldn't be annoyed if it were possible to swap it out for larger storage somehow.)

loxs 14y ago

Yeah... if it wasn't for this, I wouldn't be typing here. Instead I would probably be doing something much more productive, using the Pixel, right at the moment :-(

jonnydover 14y ago

Honestly, the $250 ARM Chromebook is among the very best things you could do for development (in my opinion). I can use ChromeOS for when I'm not doing anything hardcore and then just open a chroot jail (via crouton https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton) with a full xubuntu/xmonad install when I really want to get cracking. Both open so quickly it's almost disorienting, either from start or from sleep. It's the same size and weight as a Macbook Air and the battery life is outstanding (I've come quite close to the 9 hr mark when I'm not listening to music on speakers). The only downside, at least for the purposes of this question, is that it isn't fully HD, or rather isn't 1080p which is what I assume the OP meant. Still, I'd say that this is by far the best computing investment I've ever made, and I'm happier with this than I am with the $1000 laptop I got 6 months ago.

loxs 14y ago
Hmm, probably for that money I should just risk and buy one. It has the potential to save me at least one megabuck...
taude 14y ago
Been really wanting to try this, but still waiting either for v2, or some form of hybrid tablet-ish thing.
cjbprime 14y ago
It's 1366x768, which is the worst resolution available on modern laptops. The resolution makes it unusable for development, in my opinion. (I have one too.)
- peatmoss 14y ago
  If Samsung makes this model laptop with a high res display, I will happily buy it as my next machine. The wife has the current model and loves it, but the screen is not quite up to scratch. Otherwise, a brilliant little device.

naner 14y ago

extremely annoyed by the lack of upgradable storage. Do you happen to know if it is integrated into the motherboard or if they are simply using a mini pci express card internally?

cjbprime 14y ago
It's soldered down/integrated. There is a mini pci express slot that the WWAN connects to, but it's wired electrically to the USB2 bus, not the PCIe bus, so that doesn't help. (I wouldn't be annoyed if it were possible to swap it out for larger storage somehow.)