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For the first time, Google Chromebooks outsold Apple’s Macs in the recent quarter, and Microsoft is feeling much more that a little heat.
Manufacturers like HP, Dell, and Lenovo have sold around two million Chromebooks combined, versus the seemingly lone wolf, Apple (approx. 1.7 million).
It’s not all that bad for Apple. Quarter after quarter, the company has shrunk the PC industry with its sales growth. Plus, Apple has always been satisfied with having just a piece of the larger pie. However, for Microsoft, the pressure is on.
It looks like Google is attacking Microsoft with its slow-but-steady strategic move. With the new Chromebooks, Android and Chrome are smashed together. Chromebooks have full access to Google Play store, which means the possibility to use 1.5 million Android applications.
Chromebook’s main concept is simplicity. Portability is its second key concept. The Chromebook devices have an ultra-lightweight Chrome operating system that offers a bit more than a web browser.
The gig seems to work just fine, especially in the educational space, since everything is cloud-based (nothing can be lost), and the performance is reasonable for laptops under $200. With the availability of the Android apps, the offer becomes irresistible, and the numbers are showing it.
Microsoft is taking a different approach with the new Windows 10 OS. The company is trying to convince developers to bring their services to the Windows store taking advantage of the lead Microsoft has in desktop operating systems.
It’s an interesting tactic, but will it work?
The Redmond-based company has attracted some powerful players like Facebook, Uber, and Hulu, but it does not have the growing ecosystem Android has; and is all probably because of Microsoft’s lack of presence in the smartphone environment.
For now, that’s not so bad, especially considering Windows 10 is still running all the software consumers and businesses are used to, but in the future, everything will be written for the smartphone and the web.
If Google will outsell Microsoft, it’s not yet clear – it might be just another challenge for Microsoft to take and beat – but what is clear is that Chromebooks are growing strongly amid the current market conditions and the tech giant is a fearful opponent.
Image source: Exeo
