Stephen Baker, an analyst at research firm NPD, said Google is "certainly out in front of a number of trends that will be impacting the market, " but the Chromebook Pixel's price tag was "a big jump" from the earlier generation of Chromebooks and the Chrome operating system doesn't appear ready to compete head-on with Apple laptops or those powered by Windows 8.

WSJ: Google Unveils Chromebook Pixel Touch-Screen Laptop

Mr. Pichai said the high price tag was justified and argued that the Pixel "stands up very well against a MacBook Air, " a non-touch-screen laptop made by Apple Inc.

WSJ: Google Unveils Chromebook Pixel Touch-Screen Laptop

Chromebooks have traditionally been priced for the low end of the market, but Google has decided to go for the well-heeled cloud warrior with the Chromebook Pixel, a touchscreen laptop with a super-high resolution screen and a price tag to match.

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