Chromebooks accounted for almost 1% of global PC sales in 2013, market research firm IDC has said.
The industry analysts report that out of more than 314 million PCs shipped last year Chrome OS notebooks accounted for 2.5 million units sold to consumers.
In the US, Chromebook shipments were up 112% on 2012 figures, according to NPD Group1.
In just two short years the Chromebook has transitioned itself from a curiosity beloved by geeks to a mainstream bestseller.
‘In just two years Chromebooks have gone from being a curiosity beloved by geeks to a mainstream bestseller…’
Once derided by industry critics as a ‘fad’, devices quickly found favour with users thanks to their focused software experience, built-in security, long battery life and nimble form factor.
And things, analysts predict, are only set to get better for the cloud-centric computers in the near future.
By 2017 IDC experts predict that yearly Chromebook shipments will make up 2% of all PC sales. Like-minded research group Gartner is more optimistic in its forecast of a 4.5% share of PC shipments for Chrome OS by the end of the same year.
How accurate will these claims be? With devices shipping from almost every major PC manufacturer, including Dell, ASUS, Acer and Lenovo – who recently announced plans to ship “multiple Chromebook models” in 2013 – such lofty forecasts don’t seem all that hard to believe in.