Chromebooks Gobbled 21% Of Notebook Sales In 2013 Tips NPD

Several years ago, the netbook boomed and grabbed a significant portion of the computer market thanks to its lower price. One of the most costly parts of a notebook is the Windows operating system. That fact has led to some alternative OS' trying to make a dent in the market over the years, including the Chrome OS from Google.

Those alternative operating systems have had varying degrees of success. Research firm NPD Group has published some numbers recently that show Chromebooks are making an impressive impact on the notebook market. Chromebook machines made up 21% of notebook sales in 2013 according to the NPD report.

I'd wager a large percentage of those Chromebook sales were to schools. Back in October, we learned that 22% of K-12 schools in the US are using Chromebooks. The statistics also show another trend Microsoft won't like, Windows notebooks showed no growth between 2012 and 2013.

NPD's report also showed that combined sales of Apple notebooks and desktops declined by 7%. NPD reports that there were 1.76 million Chromebooks shipped between January and November 2013. In 2012 only about 400,000 Chromebooks shipped. Chromebooks also did well over the holiday shopping season with Amazon listing two Chromebooks in the top three spots for holiday best sellers.

SOURCE: PCMag