Google overtakes Apple for first time with school hardware
Google has flogged more Chromebooks to schools than Apple managed with its own iPad sales.
New data from IDC has revealed that US schools bagged 715,000 Chromebooks in Q3 this year.
Meanwhile Apple flogged a slightly more meagre 702,000 iPads to scholarly establishments.
This now puts Chromebooks in a strong position as representing a quarter of the US school market.
According to the report, Google’s growing presence in the classroom is a result of the low cost of Chromebooks.
The Google-powered notebooks typically price up at under £200, while the new iPad Air 2 can cost anywhere up to £659 depending on the model you spring for.
Apple does offer educational discounts for the iPad however, but the hyper-budget Chromebook range still undercuts it.
Schools were also alleged to prefer the physical keyboards proffered by Chromebooks, snubbing the virtual layout that ships with an iPad.
“Chromebooks are really gaining traction,” explained Rajani Singh, an analyst at IDC. “
Singh added: “As the average age of the student grows, the need for a keyboard becomes very important.”
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
