TechTheDay

The proverbial glass ceiling of the laptop hierarchy has been broken. Google, which rose to popularity from being solely an internet search engine, is now a major player in the tech business. They’re leading a development in the VR world recently, and now… Their legendary superstar is the Chromebook Pixel, the computer that defeated the Macbook.

According to USA Today, “Chromebook sales surpassed 51% in the K-12 market nationwide in the third quarter” based on a recent report by market researcher Futuresource Consulting. The report further adds, “Apple products, mostly iPads but also laptops and Mac desktops, declined to 24% from 32%. Windows-based machines remained steady at 23%.” The newspaper also reported that Chromebooks “topped the Mac for the No. 2 spot in PC shipments for the first quarter of 2016, becoming the second-most popular PC platform in the U.S. behind Microsoft’s Windows.”

The big news excited Google CEO Sundar Pichai so much that he tweeted: “Big news for Chromebooks: Android apps coming soon. And now #2 in the US!” Such a feat meant so much for Google who is now  the reigning champ amongst students and college kids. This used to be the territory of the once glorious Apple. Windows on the other hand, is starting to feel uneasy with the changes. Chrome might take it down next.

But with so much great things going on for Google, it’s starting to convert both Apple and Windows users alike. (Much more the Apple users actually.) With so much frustration over the latter’s lack of innovation in recent years, Job’s followers are now looking elsewhere for something new. And while Apple was busy tinkering with cars, Google was inviting more people over their side.

 

Here are some reasons why the Chromebook is making waves in the US:

It is fast and cheap.

The Google Chromebook has a 16 GB RAM under its hood and 64 GB of flash storage. RAM memory is twice better than a Macbook Air but the latter has more flash storage at 12 GB and up. However, the Chromebook is hailed for operating faster at a cost that’s cheaper. With only one program running (Google Chrome), the Google laptop gets to boot faster as it doesn’t have any other programs installed.

It’s cheap because it doesn’t carry any fancy hardware or software to run complicated programs. It also doesn’t store all your stuff on your flash storage by the way. Because it primarily runs Chrome, all your files are saved online and stored in a cloud server (aka your google Drive.)

It has a simple, familiar, and sleek design.

The Chromebook is pretty straightforward when it comes to design. It doesn’t have the bells and whistles of other laptops. It has a simple and stylish keyboard, and a plain, nice-looking aluminum case with a smooth finish. It seems to borrow the same simplicity of the Macbook and it is one of the reasons why Apple users are starting to migrate.

At 3.3 pounds, the Chromebook is also kind of light to carry around but in this realm the Macbook Air reigns supreme at only 3 pounds. But with a 0.3 difference, you won’t feel the weight difference really.

Even the OS and user interface of Chromebook is as sleek and simple as it could ever be. The graphics may be less appealing than a Windows Aero or an iOS but it does what it should do. The Chrome OS is pretty straightforward and gets the job done for you.

Oh, and another wonderful thing about the Chromebook? It’s a touchscreen.

It runs Chrome OS and soon Android apps.

Leveraging on the huge app library of Android, Google is preparing Chromebook for Android integration. Learning from the mistakes of its prototype a few years ago, Google’s CEO has promised the arrival of apps which will make the Chromebook more flexible and diverse for many users.

Well the downside of only having Chrome OS is the lack of capacity to install other powerful programs like Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. Neither will the Android app store offer something that will match the calibre of these programs. But for hardcore Google users, the Chromebook is definitely a winner.

It’s a practical choice for students.

And given the practical advantages of the Chromebook, plus the price tag that could run as low as $200, students and schools are choosing it as their gadget of choice for learning. And surely it is. For such a low price, students get to access limitless information, watch videos, play games online, and even collaborate on projects. It’s also a low maintenance machine as it does not require a lot of tech expertise to operate. Users can use the Chromebook the moment they pull it out from the box.
A few years back, people thought that the Chromebook wouldn’t be able to compete well in the laptop market. At that time, Apple was riding high on its position even after the death of Steve Jobs. Windows, on the other hand, has always maintained their lead. But now, the Chromebook is shaking up things. And if the competitors won’t be able to respond soon, the Google Chromebook will be unstoppable.