Chromebooks outsold Macs for the first time in the US

[gotluck]

Oh they still like using a physical keyboard when lots of typing is required but they'd usually still use one with their iPads. They also use Macs and the aforementioned Chromebooks but I'll catch them trying to touch the screen before they realize what they're doing.

Considering how much I now use my iPP daily, I'm even catching myself touching my Mac screen on occasion. ☺️

ah roger that, as long as they have a hardware keyboard

I've never taken that plunge because I have too many other devices with hardware keyboards

 

[jamezr]

Oh I completely understand what you're saying... Need a 'tongue firmly planted in cheek emoji'.

For elementary and even middle school use I think a Chromebook is a better overall choice, even better if it has a touchscreen. My kids' school uses iPads and they're fine but they need to order keyboard cases to get there most out of them.

We have a couple Chromebooks at higher and my boys use them regularly but of you asked them to pick between those and their iPad, one guess what they'd rather have.
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Yeah, I'm not a fan of the flip style devices, would much rather have a Surface Pro/iPad Pro style Chromebook personally.

I would choose my iPad air over a Chromebook for just pure entertainment too
But if I had to get write a term paper or any kind of extensive writing I would choose a laptop or desktop. Personally can't stand keyboards attached to tablets. That's why I haven't bought a Surface yet.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

really? even for typing up word docs or google docs or whatever software they choose to write papers?

that blows me away. I have nothing but endless frustration trying to get formatting right, going back for edits for proofreading, im just less efficient.

I would agree that for everything that doesnt require heavy typing, Id rather be on a touchscreen (and Im 30!) And I consider ipad my main personal computer

Got my just over 2 year old son one of those $40 fire tablets to play with which he does love, but he goes bonkers going and messing with my old school desktop pc w/ mouse and keyboard- I tell him those are for dinosaurs! Curious how he is going to feel as he grows up

It depends on the age of the child. In the UK primary education uses iPads as they encourage the child to interact through apps, i.e dragging shapes, and using gestures to learn. There are some very good apps available for pre school and nursery age groups too. My daughter is 2 years old and already navigates an iPad with ease while enjoying learning without realising. Apple run a very good scheme supplying iPads to schools too, combined with grants that enable schools to get them very cheap.

In secondary education it's very different. Pupils need word processing software and laptops are King due to having physical keyboards, and a mouse. This also prepares children for the adult job world and iPads don't exactly provide that. I can't see Macs replacing PC's in this department either because of the price point.

Macs generally rule in the graphic design industry still and in recent years I have seen more and more business's adopting them. My wife has recently updated the IT equipment lease in her work and converted over 120 work stations over to Mac from PC. When the quotes came in for renewal, Apple were cheaper than Dell, IBM and Acer. She is a marketing manger in charge of the graphics department where she works but everybody including the admin and clerks are now using MacBook Airs. In the consumer market however I think Apple are still priced higher therefore less attractive for the parent or medium use user.

 

[gotluck]

It depends on the age of the child. In the UK primary education uses iPads as they encourage the child to interact through apps, i.e dragging shapes, and using gestures to learn. There are some very good apps available for pre school and nursery age groups too. My daughter is 2 years old and already navigates an iPad with ease while enjoying learning without realising. Apple run a very good scheme supplying iPads to schools too, combined with grants that enable schools to get them very cheap.

In secondary education it's very different. Pupils need word processing software and laptops are King due to having physical keyboards, and a mouse. This also prepares children for the adult job world and iPads don't exactly provide that. I can't see Macs replacing PC's in this department either because of the price point.

Macs generally rule in the graphic design industry still and in recent years I have seen more and more business's adopting them. My wife has recently updated the IT equipment lease in her work and converted over 120 work stations over to Mac from PC. When the quotes came in for renewal, Apple were cheaper than Dell, IBM and Acer. She is a marketing manger in charge of the graphics department where she works but everybody including the admin and clerks are now using MacBook Airs. In the consumer market however I think Apple are still priced higher therefore less attractive for the parent or medium use user.

fair points!

I work in the financial industry and mac is not an option, for us at least, due to proprietary programs that are not supported on mac by our vendors. I am curious how the backend works for these businesses that convert to mac. Apple has no server product, so are these businesses keeping a microsoft backend? I believe activedirectory plays nicely with mac. I've always wanted to play with a mac in our environment, but it is really like taking a square peg and fitting it in a round hole for us. I see the reasons why creative companies would go mac, but it just seems like more trouble than it is worth for everyone else in business.

Recently I've been buying i5 skylake 15" hp elitebooks 8gb ram (can put another 8gig dimm in later) w/ 256gb ssd 3 yr warranty for just over 1k, mac cant hit those specs near that price. Or at least I cant get that price, but we are more like 40 workstations total and we buy as we need, not some bulk agreement

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

fair points!

I work in the financial industry and mac is not an option, for us at least, due to proprietary programs that are not supported on mac by our vendors. I am curious how the backend works for these businesses that convert to mac. Apple has no server product, so are these businesses keeping a microsoft backend? I believe activedirectory plays nicely with mac. I've always wanted to play with a mac in our environment, but it is really like taking a square peg and fitting it in a round hole for us. I see the reasons why creative companies would go mac, but it just seems like more trouble than it is worth for everyone else in business.

Recently I've been buying i5 skylake 15" hp elitebooks 8gb ram (can put another 8gig dimm in later) w/ 256gb ssd 3 yr warranty for just over 1k, mac cant hit those specs near that price. Or at least I cant get that price, but we are more like 40 workstations total and we buy as we need, not some bulk agreement

Macs don't work for me either as a Design Engineer because Solidworks and other CAD based packages are only available on Windows. I do enjoy using my wife's MBP though as it's different and pleasant to navigate around. They suit creative companies and the nice product design of the devices themselves don't look too shabby either in a studio office lol.

 

[Zirel]

Great news for Apple investors. Not that much for customers.

Yes?

And for Apple costumers, what does marketshare matters?

Nothing!

It would matter in a Windows vs OS X war, but not a Chrome vs Safari war.

 

[maxsix]

I would choose my iPad air over a Chromebook for just pure entertainment too
But if I had to get write a term paper or any kind of extensive writing I would choose a laptop or desktop. Personally can't stand keyboards attached to tablets. That's why I haven't bought a Surface yet.

I'm a hard core laptop lover. Spending lots of time at the keyboard creating my work, there's nothing better than my 15" MBPr.

Yet being quite open minded and eager for variety and choices I've bought and attempted to enjoy countless iPad keyboards from ZAGG and many others. None, including my OEM iPad Pro keyboard have been very enjoyable.

I bought a Surface Pro upon it's release, found it surprisingly good, so I bought the Surface Pro 4 since my work is resource intense. At a glance the keyboard is nothing special, yet in use I find it both favorable and the best of that form factor.

Just when I least expected it, the Surface Pro 4 ends up being a nice surprise. Certainly no replacement for my laptops, but a nice alternative for variety.