Although global PC shipments took a major dive this year, Google"s Chromebooks seem to be on the rise, and according to an analyst at IDC, the devices outsold Apple"s MacBook line in the United States during the first quarter of 2016.
Sales of traditional PCs and laptops have been declining for quite some time, as customers are moving to other options such as tablets and convertibles. Even Mac sales have dropped significantly over the last two quarters as well. Chromebooks, however, are reported to be growing in the US, owing to their adoption in the field of education.
According to IDC analyst Linn Huang, "Chrome OS overtook Mac OS in the US in terms of shipments for the first time in 1Q16." Linn does mention that Chromebooks are still most widely used in educational institutions in the country.
"Chromebooks are still largely a US K-12 story." - Linn Huang, IDC
Even though these stats are encouraging, the key to the Chromebook"s success in the long run would be their adoption by businesses, which - according to a report last year - was non-existent. It remains to be seen whether the availability of Android apps and the Google Play Store could change the way consumers and enterprises perceive Chromebooks.
Source: The Verge