I use a Pixelbook now as my primary dev machine and compile a decently heavy Rust codebase in the linux env all day long and the battery doesn't die. If I move compilation to a cloud-based IDE, it'll last even longer.
What sort of optimizations can they do for ChromeOS that they can't do for Chrome on Macs?
It's also sort of a "home base" in the Chrome development world.
We're comparing Linux to Chrome OS, not Mac. I wiped my CB and loaded Gallium OS and have yet to see any significant battery depletion.
At most I'm sacrificing some battery for a whole host of other tools, so it's a pretty decent trade.
That said, finding a good USB-C to HDMI adapter is tricky (can't use the apple ones cause they're actually thunderbolt). I have a USKY one, but it has an annoying tiny fan that makes a high-pitched sound when power is plugged in but the laptop is unplugged, and it heats up quite a bit.