We Tried Out Google’s First Tablet—& Here’s What We Thought

There's a quiet war being waged between notebooks and tablets. From each battle comes a new device promising to herald the future of how you digitally play and work. The latest: Google's Pixel C, an intriguing keyboard-tablet hybrid that aims to blend the benefits of a tablet like the Nexus 9 with the productivity (and gorgeous screen) of the Chromebook Pixel.

It's not a new idea. Microsoft has been trying to merge the touchscreen and notebook experiences with its Microsoft Surface for years. Even Apple, which has steadfastly asserted that its desktop OS and mobile iOS operating systems will stay separate, started to blur the lines with its iPad Pro, a touchscreen tablet that pairs with a keyboard for notebook-like productivity.

The $500 Pixel C, which went on sale today, excels in several areas: Its 308 pixel-per-inch display is gorgeous, it's insanely fast, and the price point for the 10.2-inch tablet is reasonable. However, even when it's magnetically snapped into its $150 keyboard accessory, it's not going to replace a laptop just quite yet.

Google's first tablet is a beautiful product. If you absolutely live in Google's ecosystem, it could have a logical place in your home or at your office. But for most of us, this Android is more a splurge than a necessity.

Read on for a closer look at what it's like to use the new Pixel C.