[PCWorld]

Post your comments for What's with all the Chromebooks? here

[IanRayvzuo]

Amazon best selling electronics:
http://www.amazon.co...gbs/electronics

Notice Chromebook is #19. #19 best-selling electronics for a laptop should be #1 best-selling laptop, yes? Especially as the #1 laptop, MacBook Pro, is #52 in electronics.

But no, the answer is Amazon has it in a different category:
Best-selling Chromebooks
http://www.amazon.co...nics/2858603011

[ee2718]

That's really weird. The Samsung WiFi Chromebook has been number 1 in the Amazon best seller laptop list every day since before Christmas until a few days ago. This is despite a price hike from $249 to $304 and frequently being sold out because of the huge demand. Now it cannot be found in the top 100 list, although the 3G model is listed at number 39.

There are only two possible explanations - either it is sold or was temporarily out because of increasing demand, or Amazon has reclassified it as an electronic device rather than a laptop as you suggest. If it has been reclassified, then why has Amazon not reclassified the 3G model as an electronic device as well? Is it selling far too well to be classified as a laptop perhaps, and therefore elevated to the best selling category of all electronic devices instead?

[IanRayvzuo]

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Is it selling far too well to be classified as a laptop perhaps

Amazon looks like they are working on a Chromebook-specific category. I assume the rest of the models will be moved there in time.

Chromebook is still #3 best-selling in "computers and accessories" as well

http://www.amazon.co...ssories/zgbs/pc

[thewazak]

"Chromebooks should be dead—but they're not"
A matter of opinion! Were they ever "alive"? Lol.
Like Netbooks, manufacturers know they can move a few "cheap and cheerfuls" to keep production on the move, but I'm certain they are not banking on them.
They fill a void for now - but they will soon be doorstops once the next fad begins.

[JackNFranFarrell]

You're so so busy that as you leave your office WiFi for the Airport WiFi to get in the limousine, or on the train, that you can't click in the work-offline box of your gmail, or docs, or sheets, or slides. You are way to busy for that. You need a 27/7 connection to the Gossip Girl node of the Knowledge Graph via Facebook.

Cmon man!

[brainout]

I see quite the opposite trend. In dellauction, what sells the most, highest and fastest, are Dell laptops of 14" or smaller, and the 11.6" (or bigger) Inspiron netbooks sell the most quickly. You can't get the 8.9" Inspirons at dellauction. Hint hint.

So too, the Acer netbooks still fetch prices as high or higher than I paid for my first Acer netbook back in 2008 from Walmart; it was on XP, not Vista. One 10.1" Acer netbook is #19 in the top 100, at Amazon, for last 27 days. It has only 1 GB RAM, Atom processor, just like 2008's versions. So too, the tiny Dell Inspirons in dellauction, though again you can't get it that small, from what I've seen (and searched, repeatedly). By contrast, the 11.6" Acer Chromebook of the same price but somewhat better specs, is at #52. Ooopsie: that's the first Chromebook in the list.

Easier to use a netbook, more flexible and powerful, than any Chromebook. Smaller is better. Right in between a tablet and a laptop, capable of replacing a desktop for normal content creation (not good for CAD or Photoshop or HD videos requiring 720p, only because too slow).

Google is fickle about supporting its OS or the software it creates, and it's also annoyingly too quick on the trigger to change the interface. Youtubers are always faced with changes that are dysfunctional and UNintuitive, every week now. I'd NEVER buy anything in software, which Google makes. Cloud computing is an accident waiting to happen. Google's own programming of its Chrome disabled Chrome on my XP machine, simply because I had a gmail account stored in Outlook Express, on the day of its own blackout. Can't reinstall Chrome on that machine to this day. (My other XP and Win7 machines weren't affected, because I didn't use them that day.) I have no idea what's still on the machine to prevent reinstallation. But then, Chrome is the least useful among browsers. It's great for cookie-handling, which makes it stay in the game.

So why would I want my computing to depend on Google, on the cloud, paying the same money as I'd pay for a netbook, which does far MORE? Puleese.

This post has been edited by brainout: 04 February 2013 - 04:36 PM

[rixware]

I object to the premise stated in the lead for this post that Chromebooks should be dead. If there's no market, products die. If products live, it's because there's a market. Saying something "should be dead" is equivalent to saying that it "shouldn't have a market," which is hogwash.

A smarter approach might be to ask just what market niche these products fill since there clearly is one. Low cost, web-centric, reasonable battery life, wifi, with a keyboard and reasonable screen size? What's the problem?

Spec geeks will say these systems are underpowered, but that's crap. They clearly meet the "good enough" standard for some people.

The real unspoken problem is that they put downward pressure on prices and, more specifically, profits. This is certainly a problem for the industry, but hardly for consumers. Since we live in a market-driven world, the only reason to get rid of this product segment is to (perhaps illegally) stifle competition.

Let's at least call a spade a spade.

[Gnostradamus]

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A matter of opinion! Were they ever "alive"? Lol. Like Netbooks,

Netbooks once accounted from 20-25% of laptop sales, lol.

[IanRayvzuo]

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I object to the premise stated in the lead for this post that Chromebooks should be dead. If there's no market, products die. If products live, it's because there's a market.

The market is multi-faceted.

There are price-sensitive customers. I think this is an overwhelming majority of new Chromebook users. One user in the Chromebook forum noted that their electronic devices consisted of a tracfone, an iPod touch, a Nexus 7, and a Chromebook. It is difficult to argue that a user could be better served by a different device combination for the same price.

There are the people who have taken to cloud computing whole hog. These people range in technical ability from novice to expert. The common thread is they like aspects of cloud computing that fit their computing needs whether it is scalability, data portability, month-to-month subscriptions, and/or timely system updates. These customers likely represent the bulk of early Chromebook adopters.

There are people who have brand loyalty for Google search and/or Google Docs. This is an unpredictable category as there are for instance other customers who are loyal to Microsoft for software that have no loyalty to Bing. There are also loyal Chrome users not attracted to ChromeOS although most ChromeOS users are likely to be loyal users of Chrome on other OS.

There are linux users. I would argue this is a fraction of Chromebook users as not all linux users appreciate cloud computing. Many linux users love to hug their servers(/laptops) and don't quite "get it" when it comes to computing power that is not delivered in a cardboard box. That said, many linux users have long awaited the "stateless" distro and "asset-light" computing as can be seen from the many previous (unpopular) attempts at this prior to Chromebook.

There are casual Windows users simply tired of malware and bloatware. This is probably a growing segment which intersects with Google-loyal and cloud computing users.

There are Mac users who are not fanatics to the point of not buying anything else (e.g. the majority of Mac owners) who consider Chromebooks because of the weight and price.

The conversation in most blogs appears to be "Windows 8 sucks, therefore Chromebooks," but I think this entirely misses the mark. Most stories I've read on the Internet about people considering Chromebooks make no mention of Windows 8 (the choice is usually weighed against some 2008-ish refurbished laptop). I also think the "secondary device" conversation is off as for many people who end up buying Chromebooks, whatever other computer they have then becomes their secondary device.

This is all my subjective opinion of course.

[brettf05]

Seems like a very uninformed opening paragraph. You call the Chromebook "virtually crippled without an internet connection," but what laptop isn't crippled without an internet connection?

With no internet connection on the Chromebook, you can still use the word processor, compose emails, access your calendar, play games, and use all sorts of other "offline apps," and everything will sync when your internet connection is restored. This isn't the Chromebook of 2 years ago; Chrome OS has come a long way.

[JAG2012]

Blame the "dummification" of computers on Google and Apple. Instead of advancing as processors become more powerful and cheaper, they're going the other direction. I'm not going to follow this fad.

[BradChacos]

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I object to the premise stated in the lead for this post that Chromebooks should be dead. If there's no market, products die. If products live, it's because there's a market. Saying something "should be dead" is equivalent to saying that it "shouldn't have a market," which is hogwash. A smarter approach might be to ask just what market niche these products fill since there clearly is one. Low cost, web-centric, reasonable battery life, wifi, with a keyboard and reasonable screen size? What's the problem? Spec geeks will say these systems are underpowered, but that's crap. They clearly meet the "good enough" standard for some people.

No, I agree. Chromebooks have their place. In fact, I recently recommended my mom pick one up—everything she does is on the 'Net, and none of it is particularly strenuous. (She even does her basic photo editing on Walgreens' website, sigh.) A Chromebook would be perfect for her. A Windows PC wouldn't work for her if it was disconnected from the Net, either.

Still, unless you get a Chromebook for its MSRP (which you can't do on Amazon these days), there is little reason to get one over a cheap Windows PC. A Windows PC is just as simple as a Chromebook if all you use it for is surfing the Web, and it's capable of so much more. You can buy several 15.6-inch Windows laptops with 4GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive for under $300 these days, and they have similar or better processors than Chromebooks. (And Windows 7, bypassing all the Win8/Chromebook talk others mentioned ;-)

[Internet2k4]

Maybe I missed it, but the writer seems to think netbooks compete with laptops. Never did. They've always been a secondary device, had the market to themselves for a year and half, but then came tablets. Most users will never be without a powerful enough desktop or laptop, while owning either but not both a tablet or a netbook. I'm using a sub-$200 Acer netbook with W7 Starter (tweaked to perform and overcome crippling) running tolerably well and a Linux dual boot running very well.

The thing is, Linux was on about 40% (against XP) of first generation netbooks but failed - it was more profitable for the OEMs but wasn't ready for prime time, and became a serious support headache and customer turn off. Microsoft terminated XP, W7 is too demanding for netbook specs, and with the advent of better performing ARM tablets, netbooks died.

Chromebooks now bury Linux OS under the browser, so the netbook price point and margin can be kept without purchasing Windows and everybody knows how to use a browser, so the tech support nightmares aren't there. Anybody running Linux can have a "Chromebook" by simply installing Chrome browser and ignoring everything else the machine can do (and do wrong).

[mattman77777]

Whatever issue Amazon had that wasn't listing the Samsung Chromebook in the number one spot for laptops yesterday has been remedy. Amazon actually has them showing as in stock today too, which they didn't yesterday either. http://www.amazon.co..._nav_e_2_541966

This post was written on my Samsung Chromebook, which has become my primary computer because it is fast, easy, light, and enjoyable to use.

[gwjvan]

"Now that the time for low-cost computing gifts has passed, you can't find a single Chromebook in Amazon's top 20 best-selling laptops list."

This is very misleading. The reality is that the demand for Chromebooks is so high that they've created an entire new category for them. It would still be in the #1 spot under "laptops" if Chrombooks were still listed there.

[IanRayvzuo]

I guess the time for low-cost gifts is back on. Or something.

[Selden]

@Brad : It would help if you actually checked links in your post.

1. 110 days in the top 100
Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch)
by Samsung
4.1 out of 5 stars (936)
Price: $249.00

Until supply caught up with demand, Chromebooks were selling above MSRP.

[Selden]

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Anybody running Linux can have a "Chromebook" by simply installing Chrome browser and ignoring everything else the machine can do (and do wrong).

This is a common misconception, and it's completely wrong. Chromebooks have built-in security far beyond the default in Linux.
http://dev.chromium....romium-security

Chrome OS updates are also simpler to manage (although I find the Ubuntu update process far easier to manage than Windows — any version.

[jwchenard]

Yeah, PT Barnum was right.

Even the lower-cost versions released recently cost more than a Netbook. (For that matter, they're more than a low-end full-featured laptop!) A Netbook can do everything a Chromebook can do - just install the Chrome browser and away you go!

Netbooks have fantastic battery life. They have 250GB of SSD storage, lots of ports and card slots, and the ability to connect to an infinite number of devices using Bluetooth or USB.

And you can install all the software you use everywhere else, including Office, light-duty graphics, games, etc. They play audio and video just fine. They can be set up for VPN if you want to use them for corporate stuff.

Etc, etc, etc!

And to state it again: Netbooks cost LESS than Chromebooks! Every Chromebook sold is a monument to the cluelessness of the purchaser.