“Laptops running Google’s Chrome operating system reached a milestone last quarter: For the first time ever, computer makers shipped more Chromebooks than all Apple desktops and laptops combined, according to IDC,” Hope King reports for CNNMoney.
“The popularity of Chromebooks is driven strongly by demand from K-12 schools. Chromebooks start at about $85, and they’re designed to run web-based applications,” King reports. “‘Cost is but one reason they are winning there,’ analyst Linn Huang told CNNMoney. ‘Google has also done a fantastic job building out a compelling management console that makes these devices easy to deploy and manage in a school setting. I’d argue, that has been the biggest driver of their growth as opposed to the low price.'”
MacDailyNews Take: Argue all you want, but if you worked at the average U.S. public school, sticker price is basically the ONLY reason.
“Chromebooks made up more than half of portable device shipments to U.S. schools last year, a growth of 12 percentage points over 2014,” King reports. “That rise has pushed Windows’ share down from 25% to 22% and Apple’s share of Mac shipments down from 34% to 25%, according to a recent report from Futuresource Consulting.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The cream-of-the-crop schools, like the cream-of-the-crop consumers and corporations, deploy Apple Macs and iPads, not cheapo plastic Chromebooks.
Unfortunately, too many U.S. public schools, unionized in the worst possible way, are broken through and through.
As we wrote back in January: There is no easy answer for a company dedicated to quality to compete in a market that’s hellbent on shortsightedly wasting taxpayers’ money on cheap, shitty junk.
SEE ALSO:
Why iPads are losing to Chromebooks in education, and what Apple needs to do about it – January 13, 2016
Should Apple make a ‘CloudBook’ for the education market? – January 12, 2016
Can education give Apple’s iPad a much-needed sales boost? – January 12, 2016
Apple delivers multi-user support for iPad – in schools only – January 11, 2016
Apple loses more ground to Google’s Chromebook in U.S. education market – January 11, 2016
Why Apple devices are losing share to Chromebooks in U.S. public schools – December 23, 2015
Apple CEO Cook on Google Chromebooks in U.S. schools: We’re not interested in making ‘test machines’ – December 11, 2015
Apple pivoting iPad education strategy to regain its footing in face of Google Chromebook surge – December 5, 2014
