Chromebooks fighting for mind share at PC makers with higher-margin Windows 11 machines in the lead, says IDC

PC makers are starting to prioritise production lines in favour of more profitable Windows PCs at the expense of Chromebooks, or so warns IDC. The analyst recently finished totting up preliminary shipments for calendar Q2, showing sales growth of hardware running on Google's Chrome OS starting to slow but still coming in at an …

[RegGuy1]

Chromebooks? Noooo!

Chromebooks are useless unless you log in. So at a stroke my privacy has been blown away.

Then I have to use Chrome, Google's primary spyware product. I'm afraid I wouldn't touch a Chromebook with a 10-foot barge-pole. At least for me the ideal environment is a Linux machine (so I can configure it how I wish), running Firefox with AdblockPlus and NoScript. Now that is anathema to Google.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Chromebooks? Noooo!

Well, if you can put Linux on it, then it's not a bad deal... I guess.

Considering the Chromebook is essentially a machine that loads a web browser (and primarily a web browser), the purpose is there... I guess (could load Linux and do the same thing though).

Regardless of the software on Chromebooks, none of their hardware ever looks tempting enough for me. I'm still waiting, and waiting, and waiting on the day when hardware manufacturers will sell only the hardware (again, waiting, waiting).

[elsergiovolador]

Re: Chromebooks? Noooo!

Chrome is not a web browser. It's a tool that you can use to download a browser or use Google Apps with it.

[Ken Hagan]

Re: Chromebooks? Noooo!

A chromebook /could/ run Linux, just like a phone /could/, but only if someone does the hard slog of customising the kernel for whatever proprietary crap has been thrown together to build it.

Microsoft did the world (well, Linux, at least) a great favour by crushing all the competition and dictating PC build standards.

[ColonelDare]

Re: Chromebooks? Noooo!

> Chromebooks are useless unless you log in.

No, not true. Linux apps run just fine off line (LibreOffice, Gimp, FileManager, Terminal, Clementine, Thonny=>Pico MicroPython etc etc)

Writing this on Firefox, logged on = True # else I couldn't post this reply.

[Pascal Monett]

You're logged on to El Reg, else you couldn't post this.

That is a far cry from being logged on to Slurpus Maximus.

[ColonelDare]

Exactly.

[trevorde]

Apple in the enterprise

The only way that's going to happen is if Microsoft port Windows to the M1 chip

[elsergiovolador]

I am not a fan

Maybe PC laptop manufacturers could embrace the fans and make the laptops hover over the desk like drones?

Or make laptop follow you?

[Snake]

HP over Lenovo sales increase

To me this makes sense. Lenovo ThinkPads are business oriented, that is an unassuming black box that is rugged, field serviceable and well spec'ed, but not necessarily cheap.

HP's are, for the most part... exactly opposite those things.

So most new users, stuck at home for the first time thanks to Covid WFH orders, will go with the flashy yet less expensive option.

IMHO they'll regret that decision starting around 4 years from now.

[DavyPaul]

we like both kinds - country and western!

we were very happy with our aged Sony Xperia Z4 tablets with keyboards for on-the-go typing, but they were starting to show their age - and also I was starting to need a bigger screen (or a better specs prescription!)

Anyway, my partner selected an Acer Chromebook and I went with a Dell 7275 hybrid.

I wanted Win11 so just upgraded to an Asus Flip and it upgraded to Win 11 recently.

So, he uses the google services on his chromebook and I use the microsoft services on my laptop.

horses for courses.

both seem to integrate well with our Samsung S20's and are easy to connect to the LG TV for a better seminar and viewing experience.

it's great we have a choice.