Well, if Amazon is any indication of anything, they had almost as many used Chromebooks for sale as they did new ones. Maybe they are counting every time they sell one AND when they resale it again. Sorry, but I wouldn't buy a POS like that. That would be a waste of my money. It's not even a real OS, but they are about the cheapest crap laptops money can buy.
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U.S. Tablet Sales Led by iPad in 2013 as Chromebooks Overtake MacBooks
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Well, if Amazon is any indication of anything, they had almost as many used Chromebooks for sale as they did new ones. Maybe they are counting every time they sell one AND when they resale it again. Sorry, but I wouldn't buy a POS like that. That would be a waste of my money. It's not even a real OS, but they are about the cheapest crap laptops money can buy.
Let me rephrase. There was a time when it was expected to pay over $1,000 for an Apple computer experience. I used the word computer in my original post as if people on this site would actually consider buying a clunky Windows machine.
Chromebooks are for people that don't want to spend much money because they actually don't really do anything with their laptop other that basic browsing and email, and basic Office apps. That's all it basically does. You really can't use it for much other than that. And it does those on a basic level since you aren't getting any serious processor.
I think what's happening is that Apple is going to capture most of the premium market for everything and the rest is divided up by Microsoft and Google crap and the only company that makes any decent money is Apple, Microsoft and Google, in that order with a BIG lead between Apple and Microsoft and then Google. Samsung will eventually lose their top end sales (or most of it) when Apple releases their larger screen iPhones. Then Apple will control most of the smartphones priced at $450+ and Samsung will control the $400 and less (which make no money).
Wrong! The macbook will be very expensive items to replace/repair when it is dropped or your drunk friend stepped or sat on it. hackbook is better deal for me, as it costs pretty much the same as Chromebook, LOL.
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I'd say they probably could. In all but the most disposable of computers, parts are designed to last for 5 years minimum. The battery would be the weakest link here, but unless you were to cycle it twice a day, they're practically guaranteed to last at least 3 years before they start wearing down and giving you shorter charges.
Unless you buy an $80 Chromebook from some random no-name Chinese manufacturer at the local CVS, I'd say 3-4 years would be doable for even a $250 device.
true... so does that mean tablets are cannibalizing Mac laptops more than windows laptops? That may make sense since the iPad is dominating the tablet market and people are more likely to stick with brands they know. In order to get a 10-15% marketshare in the first place, there had to be at least a couple quarters of above 10-15% sales marketshare though. That would be a huge drop in sales marketshare in just a couple of years. If iPad cannibalization affected windows laptops equally from apple laptops, you would see apple maintain its 10-15% sales marketshare.
There are plenty of PC laptops that actually offer that at that pricepoint, did you research offerings from Dell, HP, Lenovo, ASUS, and even Samsung before making such hasty generalization?
Tell me the name of the school / business school you attended I will strike its name from my son's choices of school when he graduates
Well, if you say so
Seriously though, all that has to happen is they enter some secret agreement with some other company, probably through one division of Google or one employee (so they can say that it wasn't their decision if they're caught), and leak some information. None of us would know about it.
You can choose to live in fear of that. Then you should also choose to live in equal fear of facebook, amazon, target, any bank, apple, etc of doing the same.
That's not the way the market works. The days when AT&T had a telephone monopoly are over and there's never been an industry monopoly on anything ever again. Even if Samsung products are banned there's HTC, and Nexus, and other high-end Android phones for people locked into the Android ecosystem.
I actually think the rise in chromebooks points to an eventual merger between Android and ChromeOS, with all people locked into the Google ecosystem preferring this ecosystem and its related products.
Jesus. It's like you people don't understand A to B logic.
If I've sold 70,000 plastic peaches since opening my plastic peach business, and you've only sold 30,000, and the plastic peach market as a whole has sold 300,000 plastic peaches this year, for a total of 800,000 total plastic peaches in the hands of the public, I have a larger overall percentage of the plastic peach marketshare than you do, with a total of 8.5% of the market to your 3.75%.
I mean what do you think grows marketshare? What do you think the market is? I'LL TELL YOU NOW! PEOPLE WANTING PRODUCTS AND BUYING THEM AND OWNING THEM! OLOL! I'M SO DUMB!
edit: here you go, the Investopedia's definition of marketshare...
"The percentage of an industry or market's total sales that is earned by a particular company over a specified time period. Market share is calculated by taking the company's sales over the period and dividing it by the total sales of the industry over the same period. This metric is used to give a general idea of the size of a company to its market and its competitors".
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i know this is an Apple forum, but it amazes me how much there is a 'one size' solution fits all, us vs. them mentalitiy.
To me it's about finding the product that fits. When i bought my 12 year son a Chromebook, it was really between that and a Mini. We also replaced my wife's laptop for Christmas. I thought about a Macbook - but ended up getting an Asus laptop instead.
My daughter graduages from HS in a couple of years and will probably get a Macbook when she graduates. (Then she'll go to college and assume that's what everybody uses
)
I see where there is a market for all these products and have enjoyed how the market has developed.
To me it's about finding the product that fits. When i bought my 12 year son a Chromebook, it was really between that and a Mini. We also replaced my wife's laptop for Christmas. I thought about a Macbook - but ended up getting an Asus laptop instead.
My daughter graduages from HS in a couple of years and will probably get a Macbook when she graduates. (Then she'll go to college and assume that's what everybody uses
)I see where there is a market for all these products and have enjoyed how the market has developed.
It's truly quite interesting how in college there are MacBooks everywhere. Engineering student here in California, and before I started college barely if ever saw other mac users. Now it seems like every parent is buying baseline 13cMBPs and rMBPs. I expect to see even more after I come back from winter break. I even see more 15" rMBPs after the haswell update, even though they are a liberal studies major.
Meanwhile I have architect and other engineers asking me to upgrade the RAM in their cMBPs because 8 gb isn't even enough for AutoCAD, sketch up, revit, etc.
Chrome books are selling well because they are on average $250. The liberal studies major with the rMBP has a $2000 surf the web machine and a word processor. My cousin, who is a political science major, soon discovered after she bought her own laptop that she would never use the i7 she configured when she bought her sony vaio.
The fact is, most people aren't doing anything but internet, email, and word processing. Thus the rubbish that is chrome os and it's online only limitation don't really matter. Did I mention it's only $250? That's half the price of an iPad.
Apple has already captured the $1,000+ laptop market. They have ever since 2006 or so. I think a couple of years ago I saw an article on here saying apple had like a 80-90% marketshare in the $1,000+ market. The issue is, however, is the $1,000+ market as a whole growing or shrinking? There will always be a niche for it, but I think its starting to shrink. You can only make a lot of money if you sell a lot of them and keeping up demand is key for Apple to still make a lot of money in this sector. I believe Apple will always dominate in this segment though as no other competitor has really come close to making it. Except for maybe Alienware, but they go after the gaming market which is a completely different $1,000+ market than what Apple plays in.
Also, high-end Android phones (whether they are made by Samsung or not) are here to stay. Apple will always be a huge player in this market, but android is not going anywhere, even if a bigger iPhone is released. I would like to think a bigger iPhone would increase Apple's marketshare worldwide, but I just dont see it wiping out android.
Chrome OS isn't that bad. I had a Samsung Chromebook for about five months and it suited me fine. I'm just a normal person who doesn't need a laptop for work, just personal use and school.
The downfalls of it were the lack of good photo editing apps - but I can use my iPhone for that - and the damn trackpad. Mostly the trackpad. It was terrible. A laptop with a bad trackpad is like a phone or tablet with a bad touchscreen - it just isn't gonna work out.
But the OS itself was perfectly fine for me and would be for most people.
The downfalls of it were the lack of good photo editing apps - but I can use my iPhone for that - and the damn trackpad. Mostly the trackpad. It was terrible. A laptop with a bad trackpad is like a phone or tablet with a bad touchscreen - it just isn't gonna work out.
But the OS itself was perfectly fine for me and would be for most people.
I've seen two markets using chromebooks:
1. Grandma who wouldn't otherwise have a computer (or Internet). She wants to get the email updates about junior and see him on Skype.
2. Savvy users who already have nice equipment. They want something cheap, portable and easy laying around to perform basic functions for themselves or their family. An iPad may suffice but they either don't want to spend they extra money or they're not interested in Apple.
So I see them as an extension of the iPad market, as well as a completely new one. Not a bad place to be.
I think they're not seen out of the home because of their dependence on Internet access. While they're a more limited device it's justified by the cheap price.
1. Grandma who wouldn't otherwise have a computer (or Internet). She wants to get the email updates about junior and see him on Skype.
2. Savvy users who already have nice equipment. They want something cheap, portable and easy laying around to perform basic functions for themselves or their family. An iPad may suffice but they either don't want to spend they extra money or they're not interested in Apple.
So I see them as an extension of the iPad market, as well as a completely new one. Not a bad place to be.
I think they're not seen out of the home because of their dependence on Internet access. While they're a more limited device it's justified by the cheap price.
It's truly quite interesting how in college there are MacBooks everywhere. Engineering student here in California, and before I started college barely if ever saw other mac users. Now it seems like every parent is buying baseline 13cMBPs and rMBPs. I expect to see even more after I come back from winter break. I even see more 15" rMBPs after the haswell update, even though they are a liberal studies major.
Meanwhile I have architect and other engineers asking me to upgrade the RAM in their cMBPs because 8 gb isn't even enough for AutoCAD, sketch up, revit, etc.
Chrome books are selling well because they are on average $250. The liberal studies major with the rMBP has a $2000 surf the web machine and a word processor. My cousin, who is a political science major, soon discovered after she bought her own laptop that she would never use the i7 she configured when she bought her sony vaio.
The fact is, most people aren't doing anything but internet, email, and word processing. Thus the rubbish that is chrome os and it's online only limitation don't really matter. Did I mention it's only $250? That's half the price of an iPad.
Do you think Apple wants people like your cousin figuring out (or other well meaning parents with graduating seniors) the Macbook is likely overkill for what they need?
To the point of the post below yours - is the premium market growing or shrinking. Between tablets and other options, a lot of people are realizing they don't need nearly the computer horsepower they thought they did.
Apple used to hang their hat on being a premium luxury brand. But from a laptop perspective that arena may be drying up more than they like. In many ways the tablet market cannibalized the Macbook market.
The 3rd one you're forgetting, the one that's likely the Chromebook's current primary market, would be schools. They're slightly cheaper than most tablets, and don't need extra hardware, like a bluetooth keyboard, to use comfortably for certain tasks.
In many ways, Chromebooks are the successors to "netbooks," the cheap, lightweight and underpowered Windows laptops that stormed into the market in 2007, peaked in 2009 as they captured about 20% of the portable PC market, then fell by the wayside in 2010 and 2011 as tablets assumed their roles and full-fledged notebooks closed in on netbook prices.
It's truly quite interesting how in college there are MacBooks everywhere. Engineering student here in California, and before I started college barely if ever saw other mac users. Now it seems like every parent is buying baseline 13cMBPs and rMBPs. I expect to see even more after I come back from winter break. I even see more 15" rMBPs after the haswell update, even though they are a liberal studies major.
Meanwhile I have architect and other engineers asking me to upgrade the RAM in their cMBPs because 8 gb isn't even enough for AutoCAD, sketch up, revit, etc.
Chrome books are selling well because they are on average $250. The liberal studies major with the rMBP has a $2000 surf the web machine and a word processor. My cousin, who is a political science major, soon discovered after she bought her own laptop that she would never use the i7 she configured when she bought her sony vaio.
The fact is, most people aren't doing anything but internet, email, and word processing. Thus the rubbish that is chrome os and it's online only limitation don't really matter. Did I mention it's only $250? That's half the price of an iPad.
You may scratch your head as to why college students seem to all own MacBooks. But, never underestimate the upper class and the things they buy. Because lets face it, the majority of college students are part of the middle/upper class. A person will buy a $400 watch, and then look at his phone every time he needs to know the time just out of habit. Do you think ladies really need that $400 name brand purse? Do you think it has more functionality than a $30 one from target? People spend money on things not just for the functionality, but for the status symbol and/or trendy look it gives. Apple laptops fall into this category. People buy them for the status it brings. Apple is in, so everyone has to have one.
So much butt hurt. So Apple releases the iPad and it over takes PCs, fan boys argue it's a PL and can do real work. Flash foward to Chrome books and now people spit on the sales numbers because it's not "functional"? Sorry, but I can do documents, run autocad, and surf the web. Haters can't be proud of some good comeptiton. Goggle is actually taking cues from apple and making it avaliable at a lower price. Competition is good. There is still reason to get a mac yall.
Tons of apps that make tablets super useful to professionals in many fields, so if you think it's useless, it's only due to you failing to utilize it's full potential, and more of saying that you are useless, not the tablets.
Let's not forget that Chromebooks also have access to a fully functional version of the iWorks suite, now that Apple has graciously included a surprisingly robust set of webapps that can be used from any computer with a supported web browser.