Daily Times

NEW YORK: For the first time ever, computer makers shipped more Chromebooks than all Apple desktops and laptops combined, according to International Data Corporation (IDC). All laptops which are installed with Google Chrome’s operation system reached a milestone last quarter.

While Apple should be concerned about this stat, Microsoft should worry too.

The popularity of Chromebooks is driven strongly by demand from K-12 schools. Chrome start at about $85 and they’re designed to run web-based applications.

“Cost is but one reason they are winning there,” analyst Linn Huang told CNN Money.

“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.”

While Microsoft continues to dominate computer sales in schools outside the US, particularly with portable devices, it too has been losing ground to Google inside the US – which makes up a third of the global education tech market.

Chromebooks made up more than half of portable device shipments to US schools last year, a growth of 12 per cent points over 2014.

That rise has pushed Windows’ share down from 25 percent to 22 per cent and Apple’s share of Mac shipments down from 34 per cent to 25 per cent, according to a recent report from Futuresource Consulting.

Apple and Microsoft have made updates to their products and prices partially in response.

Apple has made it easier for students to share iPads and schools to manage Apple IDs, for example and Microsoft has worked with HP, Lenovo and Acer to build cheaper devices under $300, according to Futuresource Consulting associate director Mike Fisher.

However, just this week, Google may have also added another reason for people to like Chromebooks when it announced that the devices will be able to run Android apps.