Not once have I ever stated that the Pixel Slate was a bad device. As a matter of fact, it is an amazing and inspiring piece of hardware that is capable of running Chrome OS as well as just about any Chromebook. Our biggest gripe about Google’s tablet-first Chromebook has always been the price. Yes, it’s premium. Yes, it’s capable. However, the entry-level $799 Core m3 has always been difficult to recommend when it doesn’t come with a keyboard or stylus and you can get devices such as the ASUS Chromebook Flip C434 for significantly less.
Thankfully, the Pixel Slate has frequently enjoyed some serious discounts and even some bundles that made it well worth the money when you could save $200-$300 on the tablet. However, as many readers like to point out, the retail price of the Pixel Slate should have been lower out of the gate. Well, it appears that Google has seen the writing on the wall and slashed the MSRP of the Slate by as much as $700. Oh yeah, they’re also throwing in the Midnight Blue Pen and your choice of keyboards which adds another chunk of savings up to $298. If you wanted to get the top of the line Slate, you can do so with the Pen and Slate keyboard and you’d come in under $1200. Personally, I’d get the Brydge keyboard but you do what you want. It’s your money.
The fact that Google has reduced the list price tells me that Google is ready to move its remaining inventory before less expensive tablets like the Lenovo Duet hit the market. You can find this same deal at Best Buy and Amazon which is a good indicator that this price is here to stay. I, for one, think this makes the Slate worth the money and a whole lot easier to recommend. You can check out all of the buying options by heading to the Chrome Shop at the link below.
