For most users, though, I still recommend premium convertibles like the Lenovo Yoga 920, the HP Spectre x360 13 , or the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1, just because of the wealth of Windows programs availble.

Premium construction and styling; Android apps for offline use; Instant Tethering with Pixel 2 phone; Contextual search with Pen and Google Assistant

Very expensive for a chromebook; Only two USB-C ports; Pen is separate purchase

Starting at £999, it's hard to recommend the Pixelbook. There's no doubt that it's a visually stunning piece of hardware. But its software, while improved and now with Google Assistant baked in, is a confusing mix of Android apps and janky web apps.

Gorgeous design and comfortable in use thanks to silicone pad; Baked in Google Assistant is a fun feature; Decent battery life and fast charging; High-res screen and 360-degree hinge for versatility

Android/Chrome apps can be confusing; Lacks pro-spec apps as per Windows/MacOS; Big bezels for a modern device; Spec largely excessive for a Chromebook (at present; It's hugely expensive

Chromebooks have a reputation for being cheap -- both in cost and construction. However, a handful of premium models have always challenged that preconception, from Samsung's Chromebook Pro ($329 at Amazon) and HP's Chromebook 13, to Google's own Chromebook Pixel models. Recasting its flagship Chrome OS device as a two-in-one hybrid, Google is positioning the new Pixelbook ($1,649 at Walmart) as the top of the Chromebook food chain.

The Pixelbook has high-end hardware and a great hybrid design, but it’s still hard to justify spending so much on a Chrome OS laptop.

The Google Pixelbook has a sleek convertible design; Its sharp touchscreen is bright and colorful; Performance is fast, lag-free and smooth; The dedicated Google Assistant button is useful.

It’s expensive; The stylus is sold separately; It has the same built-in limitations as other Chrome OS systems.

Google's new Pixelbook is a triumph of design – truly a Chromebook you could happily use in place of a regular laptop

What is the Pixelbook In short, it's Google's idea of what a laptop should be in 2017. It follows the Chromebook Pixel both in its stunning design and eye-watering price.

Looking purely at the hardware, the Pixelbook is a fantastic hybrid laptop. It's thin and light, yet plenty powerful and with a fantastic keyboard. The screen is gorgeous, too. If it was running Windows, it would easily trade blows with the Lenovo Yogas and Dell XPS 13s of the world. But it doesn’t, It's running ChromeOS. And most people are going to need a damn good reason to part ways with £1000 (or more!) just to own one. Having spent a few weeks using one now, though, I'm not convinced. An iPad Pro costs less and has better support for Apple’s Pencil stylus, while the MacBook and Surface Pro cost roughly the same, while being much more flexible thanks to their fully grown operating systems. This latest iteration of ChromeOS is admittedly much slicker than before, with Google Assistant doing clever things with your voice and the Pixelbook Pen as well as your keyboard. The ability to run Android apps is sure to keep a lot of people happier than when ChromeOS was a purely web-based productivity tool. If you can live with those limitations, the Pixelbook is a fantastic machine - but if you want more, you’ll need to look towards a different OS.

Gorgeous screen; Excellent build & flexibility; Keyboard is great to type on;

ChromeOS still fairly limited; As expensive as a full-blown laptop; Few pro-level art apps defeats the point of the Pen;

Firstly - this is Chrome OS, not Windows or Mac, so it basically allows you to do whatever you can do in a Chrome browser. You can add to that the ability now to run a wide range of Android apps as well.

Google's Chromebook might be a good device at around £200 - especially in the jam-smeared hands of schoolchildren - but is a high-end version of the Chromebook worth it, especially at £1,249. Yes, £1,249. ...

I bought the original version of this, thinking at the price I was getting top of the range. And now - 2 and a half years later - it drives me mad with problems with the cursor/touchpad.. You hit something and whatever is 'underneath' is what happens. All the time.

With the Google Pixelbook, you could say the Chromebook market has come full circle. Almost five years ago, Google's Chromebook Pixel forced us to consider whether $1,299 was ridiculous or reasonable for a pared-back notebook that ran web apps.

Beautiful design; Keyboard is excellent; Performance is top of its class; Chrome OS is a legitimate alternative to Windows and macOS; Fast-charging is transformative

Chromebook apps still can't quite match rival platforms; It's an expensive notebook; Just two USB-C ports; Pixelbook Pen is sold separately and has no clip or silo