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Google has come up with a touchscreen Chromebook and may give Apple (which makes MacBooks) and Samsung a reason to worry and this move may signal the beginning of the end of laptops with keypads.

According to Google, the new touchscreen Chromebook has been targeting premium users, is loaded with Intel’s latest chip and offers ‘rich’ graphics. Initially, the Google notebook will be released in the UK and the US at a price beginning $1,300.

There will be two models of the Chromebook. The Wi-Fi model for $1,300 will be available in a fortnight while one with an LTE cellular network, priced at $1,450, will be available from May.

The 2560×1700 Retina-class panel makes the Chromebook or the Pixel different not just from every old Chromebook, but from every laptop which is available in the market. 

A 239 ppi pixel density embedded on a 12.85-inch panel makes it a lethal gadget with splendid visuals, especially when paired with the Chrome operating system.

Chromebook Pixel is propelled by a dual-core 1.8 GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 4 GB memory along with integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics. The Pixel gets listed on the same page as Windows PCs and Mac. The revamp is a major shift from older Chromebooks, which ran on ARM and Celeron processors.

The Pixel comes with two USB 2.0 ports, a Mini DisplayPort, SD Card slot along with a combo 3.5 mm headphone-microphone jack. There is Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0 and a 720p webcam coupled with dual microphones.

Chrome is an operating system made to work with web applications. In the Chromebook Pixel, the storage is 32 GB and 64 GB SSD. But buyers can get one terabyte of free cloud storage space with Google’s Drive service for a period of three years, which is surely the Chromebook’s USP.

Now, Google is a new entrant in the laptop market and although it has brought in a high-end laptop for a steep price, the question is whether buyers will give the touchscreen Chromebook thumbs up since there are a litany of cheaper options available (it has been noticed that laptops above $500 haven’t been doing well).

Google’s laptop comes with great looks. The new version can connect online with wireless hot-spot technology or cables.

Google earlier had a Chromebook for $250, which was marketed as an inexpensive device but hasn’t seen roaring sales.

But Google has the ability to spring surprises. Its Android software, which has found use on many laptops, has lapped up many more users for its Web-based services with Chromebooks, which depend on Internet applications rather than built-in software.

Google’s Chromebook has taken laptop technology to a new level and we wonder whether it will be the end for laptops with keyboards.