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Real World Stats Show Chromebooks Are Struggling

Posted by timothy on from the show-me-your-pony's-next-trick dept.

recoiledsnake writes "The first real world stats for Chromebooks show that they're struggling to have any traction in the marketplace. In its first week of monitoring worldwide usage of Google's Chrome OS, NetMarketShare reported that the percentage of web traffic from Chromebooks was roughly 2/100 of 1 percent, a figure too small to earn a place on its reports. The first Chromebooks went on sale in June 2011, nearly two years ago, with Acer reportedly selling fewer than 5000 units in the first six months and Samsung selling even fewer. In the past three years, Chromebook sales have been worse than even three months worth of WindowsRT sales. Perhaps users are heeding Stallman's warning on Chromebooks. We previously discussed reports of Chromebook topping Amazon sales, selling to 2000 schools and wondered whether QuickOffice on ChromeOS can topple Microsoft Office." I find ChromeOS good in some contexts (any place that a browser and a thin layer of Linux is all you need), but the limitations are frustrating — especially on hardware that can run a conventional Linux as well as Google's specialized one. We'll watch for developments in the Google hardware world at next week's I/O conference.

7 of 250 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I quite like mine. by gclef · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Thirded...installing chrUbuntu takes it from a google-leashed mostly-useless toy into a really reasonable, cheap minilaptop. I'm quite happy with mine...as long as it's running linux, not chromeOS.

  2. Re:Give up by erroneus · · Score: 4, Interesting

    We're in a market of change right now. And unless the whole use [purpose] is new, using a new OS will be hevily resisted.

    This is why Android is increasingly popular. Users don't have a full set of expectations defined and so there is nothing to compare or contrast or to give up or lose or miss out on. Well, that's not entirely true -- Apple iOS devices are kind of a comparison, but the things which are exclusive to iOS are becoming fewer to be sure. And as far as I, personally, am concerned Android devices do more for me than iOS. (I can run software which interfaces with my car over bluetooth! That's pretty cool stuff I can't do with iOS unless the device is jailbroken.)

    Anyway, I think Chromebook is a dumb idea. It should have been an Android book. People will be more accepting of it and all that. The fact that there is this "computer thing" that doesn't quite do what people expect is confusing, frustrating and disappointing. But people have expectations formed about Android and might be excited to have an "android device with a keyboard." :) It's all about the angle of approach isn't it?

  3. Imagine the day you're booted off Google by retrosteve · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Google is a wonderful company, and their products are useful and seductive and beautifully interlinked. But they're free to use and you're not the customer. And every day a certain number of people have their Google account blocked, for one reason or another, and find that there's no recourse to Google to fix that. In fact, there's no customer service department at all.

    Examples on the internet of this are easy to find:
    http://www.searchenginejournal.com/open-letter-to-google-why-have-you-taken-away-my-google-gmail-accounts/7873/
    http://classicsynth.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Get-Disabled-Google-Account-Back

    Now imagine that this happens to you, and your laptop has just become a paperweight. And this time, you've paid for it. Hmmm.

  4. Chromebooks are like tablets ... by perpenso · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Chromebooks are like tablets. They are generally complementary products for desktops and laptops, not replacement products. They are a device you can leave on your coffee table and do a little web browsing and email from your couch. Similarly your guests can pick it up and use it from the couch. It can be a box to help keep others off of your main pc or laptop, less malware risk.

    1. Re:Chromebooks are like tablets ... by perpenso · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Chromebooks are like tablets. They are generally complementary products for desktops and laptops, not replacement products. They are a device you can leave on your coffee table and do a little web browsing and email from your couch. Similarly your guests can pick it up and use it from the couch. It can be a box to help keep others off of your main pc or laptop, less malware risk.

      Problem is, Chromebooks are crappy laptops - they have a laptop formfactor (not a tablet one) which makes them inconvenient to use in say a living room when you want to surf on the couch (the keyboard gets in the way).

      I actually find the keyboard helpful. It can act as a base to keep the screen upright. When using a tablet I sometimes have to precariously balance it or hold it with one hand. Overall I'm unsure as to whether one or the other is better for browsing, they both seem fine to me. Its email where the chromebook seems to have the edge, typing can be awkward while balancing the tablet. If I am somewhere where I can let the tablet stand on its own and I have a flat surface for a bluetooth keyboard the tablet is a win. But tablet + bluetooth keyboard can be a bit pricey compared to a chromebook. Yes, I am focusing on the sub $300 chromebooks, I don't understand the $500 to $1,000 chromebooks, just get a laptop at that point.

      As a laptop, they're awful locked down things that pretend to act like a regular laptop ...

      They pretend no such thing. Being locked down is one of the desirable features of this *complementary* product (again, not a replacement for a laptop). One can hand the chromebook to a guest and not have to worry about it picking up malware, unlike your regular laptop. One can set one up for that relative that only want to browse and email and not have to worry about malware.

      In short, the chromebook is just an appliance, and for some situations that is probably the better option. People who think chromebooks are replacements for laptops are severely misinformed, well, except possibly for the segment that literally wants nothing more than web browsing and email.

  5. Re:Give up by spire3661 · · Score: 1, Interesting

    About a billion things. Apple gear is so hamstrung its silly. I know because i have a full Apple set (2011 mac mini, ipad 2, iphone 4s) . This was my first step into Apple gear and the limitations are ASTOUNDING. Even OSX is a bit of a joke, cant even CUT and paste files. Cant direct delete without going to the command line. The biggest problem Apple faces right now is the platform is just too locked down. They are going to have to loosen up or Android weirdo use-cases will consume their market.

    --
    Good-bye
  6. Re:Give up by serviscope_minor · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Of those three, you can run Linux on a chrome book.

    Actually, that's the only thing even vaguely tempting me to get one, seeing as the netbook makers went nuts proceeded by a market collapse.

    My eee 900 is getting very old now, and there's nothing currently which fits into the same segment as it did 4.5 years ago.

    --
    SJW n. One who posts facts.