Chromebook sales up sharply in 2003; Microsoft, Apple market share falls

While Apple and Microsoft’s share of laptops sold in the U.S. decreased in 2013, Google dramatically increased its portion of sales.

From January through November, Google sold 1.76 million Chromebook laptops in the U.S., up from 400,000 during the comparable period in 2012, according to a report by NPD Group.

With that increase in sales, Google’s Chromebooks accounted for 21percent of laptops sold in the U.S. during that period, “up from negligible share in the prior year,” according to the report.

Google Chromebook laptops run the company’s Chrome OS software, which essentially lets users connect to the Internet through the company’s Internet browser. Users can’t install applications like Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop, but they also do not have to worry about installing updates or security software.

Apple and Microsoft struggled to sell their laptops.

According to NPD Group, the market share of laptops running Windows in 2013 stayed flat compared to 2012. For Apple, though, market share fell. NPD Group said Apple’s sales for notebooks and desktops dropped 7 percent.

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