Chromebooks have in just the past eight months snagged 20 percent to 25 percent of the U.S. market for laptops that cost less than $300 … The surge marks Chromebooks as one of the few types of computers able to attract consumers while Dell Inc. and other traditional PC makers undergo a shakeout. The industry has already seen notebook-PC sales eroded by the popularity of smartphones and tablets such as Apple Inc. iPad.
As a fan of tiny computers, I’ve owned so many terrible netbooks that it isn’t even funny. If you’re spending in the $300 price range, skip Windows models and instead get a Chromebook or a tablet with a keyboard case. Unless you enjoy tinkering, little else at the low end of personal computing is worth bothering with. [via Daring Fireball, where proprietor John Gruber reports that 0.07% of visits appear to run Chrome OS—at BB, the figure’s roaring along at 0.18%]