Chromebooks account for 21% of all commercial US laptop sales.
38 replies, posted
[IMG]http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Pixel-640x353.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE]Surprisingly, out of Amazon’s top three best-selling laptops this holiday season, two of them are Chromebooks. Even weirder, according market research company NPD, Chromebooks account for 21% of all commercial US laptop sales so far this year, and 10% of all computers and tablets sold in the US. In 2012, Chromebooks accounted for just 0.2% of all computer and tablet sales. Is this really happening? Is Google doing it again, first with Android taking the world by storm, and now Chrome OS? Is the low-cost, netbook-in-sheep’s-clothing Chromebook the surprise breakout hit of 2013?
Now, there’s no arguing with the relative success of Chromebooks in 2013 compared to 2012. This was mostly due to the fact that, until October 2012 and the release of the Samsung Series 3 Chromebook, there wasn’t really a good-and-cheap Chromebook on the market. The Samsung Chromebook, priced at around $250, has sat at the top of Amazon’s best-selling laptop list since it launched. Acer’s line of C7 Chromebooks, also priced at around $250, has also done well since it launched in November 2012, and was third place on Amazon’s list of best-selling laptops this holiday season. There is no doubt that Chromebooks are selling better at the end of 2013 than at the end of 2012.
NPD Group’s estimates that 21% of all commercial US laptop sales in 2013, and 10% of all computer and tablet sales combined, are fairly unbelievable though. Just so you understand the scale of this estimate, we expect there to be around 45 million PCs sold in the US, and millions more tablets. If 10% of those sales were Chromebooks, we’d be talking about millions of Chromebooks being sold — and don’t you think Samsung or Acer would say something celebratory if that was the case?
Furthermore, if 2013 really has been the year of the Chromebook, we’d expect to see a large spike in terms of Chrome OS’s web surfing share. The two largest trackers, NetMarketShare and StatCounter, don’t even show Chrome OS, presumably lumping them into the “other” or “Linux” categories, which account for no more than 2%. The Wikimedia traffic analysis page likewise doesn’t break out Chrome OS into its own category. Here on ExtremeTech, Chrome OS accounts for 0.2% of visits — up from around 0.04% last year. We’ve heard similar numbers from other tech sites. Chrome OS is certainly growing, but NPD’s claim that Chromebook sales have grown 50x — from 0.2% of sales to 10% — in the last 12 months seems a little optimistic.
It’s clear, though, that Google’s Chrome OS is doing better than many people would’ve thought. As it turns out, there are lots of consumers who are more than happy with a computer that has a web browser, simple document and spreadsheet editing, and not much else. It’s also clear, from Microsoft’s aggressive campaign against Chromebooks, that Chrome OS’s market share has come at the expense of Windows 8. Microsoft would’ve liked to have picked up the cheap-and-cheerful market with Windows RT, but it failed to hit the right price point ($250) and ceded a lot of territory to Google — a story that’s repeated in smartphones, too.
Even if NPD’s figures are wildly inaccurate, the point remains that Chrome OS and Chromebooks will only become more desirable as the likes of Intel, Qualcomm, LG, and Samsung continue drive down the cost of high-performance mobile chips and displays, and as web browsers and HTML5 grow in functionality and performance.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.extremetech.com/computing/173691-chromebooks-pick-up-10-of-the-computer-market-in-2013-capitalizing-on-windows-8s-failure[/url]
it's happening guys
Our school has around 500 of them, so I think maybe it's mostly due to schools picking them up since people can't really fuck around with them as much as a Windows/Mac machine would.
Yeah, they're pretty big in schools nowadays, my little brother got his when he signed up for online school. (He did like the minimum amount of courses then moved back to real school, and now he just keeps the chromebook to watch youtube and browse on all day.)
But it's not even a real laptop!
Just like how this isn't a blatant ad for microsoft!
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjQhYBKInwo[/media]
Goddammit now all the videos about that have the word "Scroogled" in them. Pretend it's not there.
[QUOTE=SgtTupelo;43367778]But it's not even a real laptop!
Just like how this isn't a blatant ad for microsoft!
Goddammit now all the videos about that have the word "Scroogled" in them. Pretend it's not there.[/QUOTE]
Ugh, this leaves such a foul taste in my mouth.
I wouldn't buy a chromebook personally but this is just shitslinging cuntery.
so what is it about chromebook that its better than the other laptops exactly? last i heard, its exclusively for web-browsing, did it change or something?
[QUOTE=lolwutdude;43367870]so what is it about chromebook that its better than the other laptops exactly? last i heard, its exclusively for web-browsing, did it change or something?[/QUOTE]
The majority of people use their computers at home to browse the web, and Chromebooks offer one of the cheapest ways to do that.
Guys don't forget the evidence against this claim in the article. I'd be shocked if this were actually entirely correct.
[QUOTE=Wiggles;43367905]The majority of people use their computers at home to browse the web, and Chromebooks offer one of the cheapest ways to do that.[/QUOTE]
That's why I got one. I never did anything but internet on my old laptop. Plus the battery on this thing lasts forever.
I bought my mom a chromebook because she had trouble with our home PC all the time. I think of it like a handicap PC: good for basic functions like internet browsing and word processing, but it won't run high intensity programs (afaik).
The only thing she was disappointed with was that I couldn't get iTunes on it because Apple doesn't have a chrome-friendly version of their program.
Oh right, the chomebook, wasn't it BIOS locked so you cant install any other OS on it, and chromeOS itself being kinda shit.
[QUOTE=SgtTupelo;43367778]But it's not even a real laptop!
Just like how this isn't a blatant ad for microsoft!
Goddammit now all the videos about that have the word "Scroogled" in them. Pretend it's not there.[/QUOTE]
These Scroogle ads really make me dislike Microsoft.
[QUOTE=SgtTupelo;43367778]But it's not even a real laptop!
Just like how this isn't a blatant ad for microsoft!
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjQhYBKInwo[/media]
Goddammit now all the videos about that have the word "Scroogled" in them. Pretend it's not there.[/QUOTE]
And here's something that somes up Pawn Stars:
[video=youtube;mORFheJMUEA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mORFheJMUEA[/video]
[editline]1st January 2014[/editline]
[QUOTE=mac338;43368047]These Scroogle ads really make me dislike Microsoft.[/QUOTE]Let's hope they don't come up with anything like "Scrap-ple" (Scrap metal + Apple) .
[QUOTE=Fatfatfatty;43368010]Oh right, the chomebook, wasn't it BIOS locked so you cant install any other OS on it, and chromeOS itself being kinda shit.[/QUOTE]
Not as far as I remember, instead, it's loaded with a Coreboot system that replaces the BIOS completely with a tiny incredibly fast system that does NOT control the hardware before loading another system on top, instead it initializes the hardware (iirc) and executes a payload of some kind. This payload can be anything from a full featured BIOS system, to a Linux kernel, a Windows operating system, or a GRUB boot menu, or something completely different, all without requiring the slowness of a BIOS or the bloatness of a UEFI.
[editline]31st December 2013[/editline]
And just to bust another myth, the Chromebook operating system, ChromeOS, is really just a pre-installed modified version of Gentoo Linux. It even comes with the portage system installed as well, so you can do any custom compilation on your Chromebook system, or even install a completely different DE (like XFCE or Openbox instead of the ChromiumOS desktop environment.
[editline]31st December 2013[/editline]
The above simply means that it's a Linux system like any other, and as such, could be made to run any Linux applications of your choice.
Chromebooks + NSA intercept and bugging = scroogled (stupid word, I know) :D
[QUOTE=mastersrp;43368425]Not as far as I remember, instead, it's loaded with a Coreboot system that replaces the BIOS completely with a tiny incredibly fast system that does NOT control the hardware before loading another system on top, instead it initializes the hardware (iirc) and executes a payload of some kind. This payload can be anything from a full featured BIOS system, to a Linux kernel, a Windows operating system, or a GRUB boot menu, or something completely different, all without requiring the slowness of a BIOS or the bloatness of a UEFI.
[editline]31st December 2013[/editline]
And just to bust another myth, the Chromebook operating system, ChromeOS, is really just a pre-installed modified version of Gentoo Linux. It even comes with the portage system installed as well, so you can do any custom compilation on your Chromebook system, or even install a completely different DE (like XFCE or Openbox instead of the ChromiumOS desktop environment.
[editline]31st December 2013[/editline]
The above simply means that it's a Linux system like any other, and as such, could be made to run any Linux applications of your choice.[/QUOTE]
That makes the laptop sound extremely attractive to me. I'd love to get my hands on a cheap linux laptop that I know is already fully hardware compatible so I don't run into issues.
People are attracted to price and the chromebooks are awful cheap, so this comes as no surprise to me.
I wanted to try loading Chromium OS on my ultrabook but gave up after like 5 minutes of not finding anything to install. :v: I'm not very good at linux.
I have one, it literally boots in to a desktop with a Chrome shortcut. Don't know why people like them so much.
[QUOTE=chipsnapper2;43369056]I have one, it literally boots in to a desktop with a Chrome shortcut. Don't know why people like them so much.[/QUOTE]cheap as hell yo
[QUOTE=chipsnapper2;43369056]I have one, it literally boots in to a desktop with a Chrome shortcut. Don't know why people like them so much.[/QUOTE]
It's probably the low price, ease of use, high battery lives, high speed, large array of choices, etc.
And the fact that most of what people do is via the web.
I would get one with the amazing display for photo editing but not having windows means I can't do basically anything relating to photos on it (gimp does not count for serious editing)
[QUOTE=chipsnapper2;43369056]I have one, it literally boots in to a desktop with a Chrome shortcut. Don't know why people like them so much.[/QUOTE]
Because they are cheaper and easy to use. They're probably a a bit more secure too.
I've had mine for a year now and it is just way better in so many situations over a traditional, bigger laptop.
[QUOTE=Trogdon;43369931]I would get one with the amazing display for photo editing but not having windows means I can't do basically anything relating to photos on it (gimp does not count for serious editing)[/QUOTE]
a Chromebook Pixel is £1049, if you save a mere £50 over that you could buy a 13" retina macbook pro, with an even better screen (better calibration, 16:10) and processor (+ Iris level GPU).
[editline]31st December 2013[/editline]
chromebooks are great in the cheaper market, but i don't really see where the pixel fits in.
[editline]31st December 2013[/editline]
oh, you're also not stuck with a 64GB SSD with any other comparable laptop in that pricerange.
[QUOTE]Furthermore, if 2013 really has been the year of the Chromebook[/QUOTE]
Does every year have to be the year of the something?
[QUOTE=.Lain;43370301]a Chromebook Pixel is £1049, if you save a mere £50 over that you could buy a 13" retina macbook pro, with an even better screen (better calibration, 16:10) and processor (+ Iris level GPU).
[editline]31st December 2013[/editline]
chromebooks are great in the cheaper market, but i don't really see where the pixel fits in.
[editline]31st December 2013[/editline]
oh, you're also not stuck with a 64GB SSD with any other comparable laptop in that pricerange.[/QUOTE]
They probably just went crazy for a couple of days and though it was a good idea. I think they are on to something with the screen resolution though, too many laptops have awful displays; it would be nice to see more high resolution displays on smaller laptops.
[QUOTE=danharibo;43370394]They probably just went crazy for a couple of days and though it was a good idea. I think they are on to something with the screen resolution though, too many laptops have awful displays; it would be nice to see more high resolution displays on smaller laptops.[/QUOTE]
i honestly have no idea how people can stick with using a 1366x768 display. i hope 2560x1600+ resolutions become the standard in not just the high end market but the mid end too. we see displays like that in phones and tablets all the time, but laptops are stuck in 2004.
[QUOTE=.Lain;43370443]i honestly have no idea how pixel can stick with using a 1366x768 display. i hope 2560x1600+ resolutions become the standard in not just the high end market but the mid end too. we see displays like that in phones and tablets all the time, but laptops are stuck in 2004.[/QUOTE]
The pixel is 2560 x 1700, not 1366x768 like most laptops under 15".
[QUOTE=danharibo;43370522]The pixel is 2560 x 1700, not 1366x768 like most laptops under 15".[/QUOTE]
i know, which is great. but everything else about the laptop is pretty useless for that price
[editline]31st December 2013[/editline]
i have no idea why i just wrote pixel instead of people, reread that post :x
I really don't understand chromebooks as an actual laptop replacement. The only thing I find would be useful in them is if you get the $200-$300 ones, since its going to be hard to find a laptop that is that cheap and worth it at that price point (they are basically Netbooks at that price point, but enitrely optimized to be one).
But there are a lot of "high end" chromebook models out there that officially compete against ultrabooks and full-featured laptops and its just so pointless. Why would I buy a chromebook at $500+ when I can get an ultrabook that is just as thin/light/good on battery, runs smooth with windows 8 + SSD, and does EVERYTHING a laptop could ever do. It's just totally poinltess.
I'm going to guess 90% of these chromebook sales are the low-end $200 market.
Cheapo devices that work well are a market that has been neglected and the companies that are entering them are going to reap very good adoption rates. Its the reason why the Lumia 520 and 521 for windows phone is so huge - because its a full featured smartphone that runs the same stuff and runs just as good as a $500 windows phone, but its only $40-$80 off contract depending on where you buy it and if its on sale. And since they've released the 520/21 earlier this year, its comprised over 30% of all the windows phone units sold.
I think this is why Chromebook can work quite well - because chances are, a $200 chrome book will simply not be beat in performance and practical use compared to a $200 laptop even if the laptop can technically do anything while the chromebook might as well be iOS but in laptop form and without all the apps. Its just sad that Google seems to be heavily pushing high end chromebooks when they are pointless. At least high end windows phones remain pretty competitive in hardware and user experience to competing devices on different platforms.
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