Google lifts the lid on its first touchscreen laptop

Chromebook Pixel Credit: Google

Google has revealed its first touchscreen laptop as it looks at taking a chunk out of a market dominated by Apple and Microsoft.

The new Chromebook Pixel includes a 13-inch display screen that responds to the touch or swipe of the finger.

That's a key feature in Microsoft's Windows 8, a dramatic makeover of the world's leading operating system for PCs.

  • The Pixel's high-resolution screen displays 239 pixels per inch

  • That's slightly more than Apple's MacBooks with high-resolution Retina displays

  • The device is going on sale in the UK on Google's web store

Apple and Microsoft already have been hurt by the increased competition from Google. Most smartphones and tablets running on Google's free Android software cost less than Apple's iPhone and iPad.

Sales of PCs running on Windows also have been sagging during the past year, partly because consumers are relying more on Android devices.

Google says it expects to make a small profit on each Pixel sold. Like other Chromebooks, the Pixel is set up to automatically use all of Google's services, including its search engine, Gmail and YouTube video site.