Chromebooks sales in the US overtake Macs for the first time
For the first time ever, sales of Chromebooks in the US have overtaken sales of Apple’s Mac lineup. Following its Q1 global PC shipment analysis, IDC confirmed to The Verge that “Chrome OS overtook Mac OS in the US in terms of shipments for the first time in 1Q16.” Sales of Chromebooks were not broken out in IDC’s latest report, but estimates suggest that more than 2 million Chromebooks were sold in the US during Q1 of this year compared to 1.7 million Macs.
Chrome OS owes much of its success to school districts across the country, but general consumer demand for laptops running Chrome OS should skyrocket with the announcement this week that Play Store integration is coming later this year. PC shipments have been on a steady decline for some time, but IDC predicts a “modest rebound in the coming months” as buyers look at new hardware now that Windows 10 has proven to be reliable. With more powerful and capable Chromebooks coming to market, potential Windows 10 buyers may be swayed to pick up a new Chromebook.
If you’re planning to replace an aging PC or laptop this year, will you be considering a Chromebook as a viable option?