End of the year sales figures are in from January to November of 2013 and the research firm NPD has released its official findings for the tech industry this year and has noted a distinct pattern from the sales of personal computing devices like laptops and tablets. That pattern is simply that these kinds of items are significantly on the rise.
According to the results, the NPD saw a total of 14.4 million desktops, notebooks and tablets sold through U.S. commercial channels, representing a 35.4 percent jump from last year.
According to AppleInsider, Apple Inc.'s MacBook Pand iPad lines dipped in market share as its competition from Google's Android and Chrome platforms finally saw some growth in 2013. Together, devices that run Google's Chromebook and Android operating systems accounted for 1.76 million units moving through the selected channel.
ComputerWorld notes that the most dramatic change in the commercial channel had to do with sales that involved laptops that were built with Google's Chrome OS. These Chromebooks took up 9.6 percent of the market from January to November. This represents a massive 9.4 percent pickup from the same period in 2012.
The high numbers put Chromebooks in a second place position behind Windows laptops. Meanwhile MacBooks, which previously held the number two position, fell 0.8 percent to end November with 1.8 percent of the market.
The reason that Chromebooks were able to make up 21 percent of all notebooks sales and 8 percent of all computer and tablet sales this year likely has to do with its low price tag. The Chrome OS is basically free to use and OEMs can keep complete system pricing low. The platform does not require a lot of high-end internal components, allowing manufacturers to further cut costs with things like low-end screens and CPUs.
Did you purchase a Chromebook this year? Tell us your thoughts on the device. For that matter, let us know if 2013 was the year you parted ways with Apple in favor of Android or Chrome. Comment and share your experience with us below.
