Google has quietly stopped selling the Pixel C Android tablet

Google has quietly stopped selling the Pixel C Android tablet
It’s all Chromebooks from now on
By Dieter Bohn @backlon Dec 28, 2017, 3:07pm EST
https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/28/16827028/google-pixel-c-android-tablet-end-sales

"You’re forgiven if you’ve forgotten about the Pixel C, an Android tablet Google started selling two years ago. At its launch, it was a confounding device with clever (or, as I said in our review, “too clever”) hardware saddled with software that didn’t work well on a tablet. Now its dubious run has ended, as you can no longer buy it from Google’s online store, as noted by Android Police.

Here’s Google’s statement on the “retirement” of the Pixel C:

As is common when a device has been out for a few years, we're now retiring Pixel C and it is no longer available for sale. However, we are committed to updating and supporting it, including the recent update to Android 8.0, so customers can continue to get the best out of their device. Our newly launched Google Pixelbook combines the best parts of a laptop and a tablet for those looking for a versatile device.

The Pixel C comes from an earlier age of Google hardware, when the company took a more experimental approach. It was a device meant to show that Android could run well on that processor and that the Android tablet ecosystem could be resuscitated. And while it was fine at the former, it utterly failed at the latter. Android tablets still exist, sure, but they’re nowhere near as popular or as useful as the iPad.

The Pixel C did eventually pick up one of the very basic features you’d expect from a modern tablet — split-screen multitasking. But it was far too little, far too late — and Android apps still are not very good on tablet-sized screens.

The tablet spent the last few months of its life as the target of cheap shots about how odd it was that Google was selling a two-year-old tablet for full price in a world that has given up on professional Android tablets.

Fittingly, the passing of the Pixel C from Google’s retail store happened quietly. Even more fittingly, as Android Police notes, the URL that used to point to the Pixel C now points to the Pixelbook. ChromeOS has definitively taken over the place that Google once hoped Android tablets could occupy.

Chromebooks can run Android apps in windowed mode, they have a better web browser, and a lot of them are cheaper than what the Pixel C was selling for.

(And there are still rumors of a ChromeOS tablet with a detachable keyboard floating around, if you want to keep the Android-on-a-tablet dream alive.)

The Pixel C did make an inexplicable cameo in Wonder Woman this year, by the way. Not a bad last hurrah for a gadget, all things considered."

The Pixel C has been dropped from the Google Store
http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/12/28/pixel-c-dropped-google-store/

usamaisawake Duder12 • 7 hours ago
"I bought one earlier this year (off of ebay, excellent condition) and it was fun to use but I still think my iPad Air 2 was better if I was using my tablet for consumption of news and video, and light gaming. I would miss the multi-user aspect but otherwise everything on the iPad Air 2 was good enough or better, and had a significantly better screen IMO.

I even had the official keyboard, and while it was cool, I couldn't get serious work done on it (and so that's why I have a laptop) without feeling like I was compromising with the keyboard or performance (when working on a Drive presentation or document).

I agree battery life was good (though again the iPad Air 2 was better), and any of the launch issues I heard about were not an issue when i was using it.

But in the end I sold it and have stuck w/ my iPad Air 2."

 

Meh, it was really just a premium android tablet with a type cover, I doubt there will be any outrage.

the only thing cool about it was the magnetic back where you could stick it to things.

 

Wow....did not know that about the C. thats cool! But yes, it's just an android tablet. I would like one if I could find one for a decent price!

 

It's an Android tablet, not a ChromeOS device, and this is the ChromeOS forum?

 

Read the post again...

"Fittingly, the passing of the Pixel C from Google’s retail store happened quietly. Even more fittingly, as Android Policenotes, the URL that used to point to the Pixel C now points to the Pixelbook. ChromeOS has definitively taken over the place that Google once hoped Android tablets could occupy."

 

It's a difficult thing trying to out apple, apple at tablet devices. Google tried and it did not work, MS tried and did not work. There is just something about how ipad works for doing "tablety" stuff!

 

Nah, not at all, at least not for my use.

The aspect ratio for video's is what kills it for me, that and the weight, and the cost, and the lack of customization, and the huge border, and the lack of differentiation of function and feature improvement from release to release.

In fact I try to like it every new release / generation by buying one and trying to get over all those points - especially the huge black bars with video - and no I'm not going to lose a huge amount of image by fitting to screen. Besides the apparent lose of quality - grainy - it's missing necessary content for many scenes.

I always end up taking the ipad back before the return period is over. And, I feel so much better about returning it every time

 

That's really odd.
iPad is for people who demand outright portability and if Apple decides to get into 2 in 1 market then iPad will fail because its too big and it reminds me of using a slate and chalk if you're using iPad in a crammy, so a decent low end laptop will complete the same tasks at 1/10th of a price. If they introduce 2 in 1 like iPad pro with Os sierra then most of them will not buy Macs anymore and prefer to buy ipad pro which hurts their sales.
Typing on a iPad is very difficult, had to use GBoard to get swipe or flick based writing for decent usage.

 

That's what I've thought for a while now, they've trained a whole generation on the fruity ipad interface, and to really compete in the market as a laptop replacement, a real OS will be needed - but that will confuse the tiled mosaic users base.

And, I tried all the options for improving the interface, and external keyboard pad's, BT keyboards / mice, none of it is as uninterruptively functional as a real laptop.

Even an Android tablet works better than an iPad, but a lot of people invested early on in the music / movie inventory from Apple and feel stuck.

I just dropped it all, although that's probably mostly why I try each new form generation of iPad, hoping to get a use out of that inventory.

With the Library free checkout's, music services free and paid, Netflix, Hulu, and the small boutique sites, the Apple cache I have is less and less of interest.

Apple has painted themselves in a UI corner with the iOS products, and it's going to be interesting to see how they escape it

 

Even their OS is bloated than W10 when I last used Mac OS Yosemite in College, it was really slower than Pentium laptop even with Core i5 Desktop/BGA chip on Mac Mini and iMac.
Maybe you should try Samsung DeX. Mac can't argue about best battery life due to HW-SW being created in-house, since we can fine tune W10 to get near Macs with smaller battery packs than Macs. Unless your office use Macs there is no need at all.

 

Agreed, it WILL be interesting to see how they get out. On both fronts really. OSX is terrible, IOS is boring (but stable and predictable). They have no where to go with their current OS offerings. That being said, I tried android tablets, I tried a surface 3, but keep going to the ipad because the screen size and ratio is the best for magazine and book reading, and most every app that I would want is available, unlike on windows. My android tablet is "ok" but needs frequent re installs to keep moving fast.

 

Fortunately I jumped on Kindle early on, and I hadn't bought a lot of books "only readable" on iOS, so I can migrate between "reading" devices, Kindle on Android / Windows covers most / all devices, and Library checkout's are available through Kindle for a seemless interface to my reading needs with epub / pdf / txt covering the rest.

That is about the only "fit" for the ipad screen ratio, reading books, comics, magazines, but the darned ipad was so heavy for so long - getting bopped on the head more than a few times as I drifted off to sleep or nap, I just got over it after moving to other devices when they came available.

The Kindle very small reader's are very handy, but I'm still on my 3rd generation (keyboard) Kindle, it's just the right form factor, size, and weight - and easier to read for long periods than on the phone. Plus the darned thing still lasts days on battery, and it's still running strong after all these years - approaching 9 years!!

IDK, hopefully those "tax credits" will allow Apple to take some UI risks - at least in development - initiating a few new attempts in parallel, and some Apple magic will return.

 

I personally would love an iPad shaped tablet, yet running Windows 10 and of proper quality. There are many devices from lesser known Chinese brands - but they all lack in both hardware and quality.

 

Root or use custom ROM like LineageOS which doesn't need frequent re-installs.

 

Nope. Not messing with that anymore. if they can't do it out of the box they are trash!

 

My sister's phone which she literally threw into trash, I picked it up and gave a new life and purpose to serve me. Lineage OS 14.1 with Nougat 7.1.2 on 4 yr phone with 1GB RAM has better battery life and functionalities than stock samsung kitkat.

 

Again, If I have to Root/custom rom etc...it's not worth buying in the first place.

 

Its a lot easier these days. You spend 10 mins and enjoy.
If you don't like to root get Apple devices.

 

Thats exactly what I did...Works correctly out of the box!

 

for limited time only. You're Apple guy. Most people in North America would go for Apple since it works, works and always works and get best support unlike here. Naturally your goto device will be Apple.

 

I have my 2 year old iphone 6s that still works like new, I still have my ipad air 2 that still works like new...How "limited" are we talking about here? 5 years? perfect...I will take it. I had samsungs that were crap after 6 months.

 

If I can't flash LineageOS right away, I won't likely buy that smartphone. Using stock Android (or iOS) is obnoxious experience for me; my first smartphone was Nokia N900 running Maemo (Debian-derived Linux distribution), and after years of Android smartphones I still miss full control over the device it provided.

 

Mine was Nokia 110 then got an Asha budget phone and now a Lumia and old Samsung phone.