As school districts across the country increasingly invest in technology for their students, the volume of personal computers in the classroom is surging.
And it is Chromebook – notebook computers that run on Google’s Chrome operating system – an upstart in a sector dominated by Apple and Microsoft, that is largely responsible for the growth trend in schools, according to a new report from IDC, a market research firm.
Last year, the market for desktop, laptop, tablets and two-in-one computers shipped to kindergarten-through-12th-grade schools and institutions of higher education in the United States amounted to $7 billion, according to estimates from IDC.
In all, the company said, about 13.2 million systems were shipped in 2014 – about 33 percent more than the year before.
With its line-up of iPads, MacBooks and other higher-priced products, Apple reaped the greatest revenue in the sector last year, accounting for nearly half of the total dollars spent on personal computers in education, the report said.
In terms of the sheer numbers of devices sold, however, Microsoft remained in the lead. In 2014, about 4.9 million Windows devices, including notebooks and desktops, shipped to schools, giving Microsoft a roughly 38 percent market share in unit sales, IDC said.
Apple, meanwhile, shipped about 4.2 million devices for schools, including desktops, notebook computers and tablets, accounting for about 32 percent of the education market, according to the report.
But the Chromebook category is fast gaining traction in the United States.
Last year, about 3.9 million Chromebooks were shipped in the education sector, an increase in unit sales of more than 310 percent compared with the previous year, IDC said. By contrast, iPad unit sales for education fell last year to 2.7 million devices, compared to 2.9 million in 2013, according to IDC data.
“Even if Microsoft is No. 1 in volume and Apple is No. 1 in revenue, from the growth perspective, nobody can beat Chromebook,” said Rajani Singh, a senior research analyst at IDC who tracks the personal computer market and is the author of the report.
In the first half of this year, she said, roughly 2.4 million Chromebooks shipped to schools compared with about 2.2 million Windows-based desktops and notebook computers.
“There’s very close competition between Windows and Chromebook,” Ms. Singh said. “It’s becoming more competitive.”
Use of Chromebooks is “growing fast,” said Rajen Sheth, a Google Chromebook executive. “It’s great to see the overall market for these kinds of devices growing as a result.”
Anthony Salcito, vice president for worldwide education at Microsoft, said that his company’s products, like Office, could be used in schools not only with Windows systems but with Android and iOS as well.
“We are focused on empowering educators and inspiring students to achieve more, on whatever device they choose,” he said.
Ryan James, a spokesman for Apple, said there were more than 15 million iPads in use in classrooms around the world.
“Teachers and students continue to dream up new ways to make them part of their everyday lesson plans,” he said.
source : http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/19/chromebooks-gaining-on-ipads-in-school-sector/?ref=technology&_r=0
