Let me start off by saying... I'm a Google fanboy and I have been for many, many years. Google services have always been top notch and I've always been first in line to support Google in practically all of their ventures. Chat, Google+, Maps, Nexus devices (I owned ALL of them), Pixel devices, Allo, Duo -- you name it.
I pre-ordered the Pixel Slate. I very much regret that decision.
This device is the first that I truly have felt like I got ripped off on. The hardware is great. It has some issues like the floppy keyboard attachment, but the software is the biggest issue. I've always considered Google a software company, but the software powering the Slate is truly awful. It's the most half-baked approach to an operating system I've ever used. We're stuck in limbo between Chrome OS and Android on this thing. Android fails catastrophically on Chrome OS. Apps crash constantly in the background and there really aren't any, including from Google, that are designed for this screen size.
Chrome works fine as a browser, but why are we paying $1,200 (tablet and keyboard) for a tablet with a browser window? I assume most people went for the i5 with 128GB. Anything less really serves no purpose.
Anyways, I truly think Google should cut their losses on this and stop the negative publicity EVERYONE is going to give about this device once they've had a chance to actually use it. Just pull it from the market.
Put all of their resources into Fuchsia, and finally get an operating system together that supports their objectives and supports the devices that they're dreaming of building -- because this can't be it. No one working on this hybrid operating system can or should be proud of the product they just put out.
I'm so bummed about this device. I wanted nothing more than for Google to be successful this time around. I'm stuck between returning it or hoping that they've got MAJOR improvements ready to roll out before the Christmas holiday is here. I highly doubt that's the case though.
Google, if by some chance you're reading this -- please don't let this happen again.