New data shows that Chromebook laptops have sold more than Mac computers for the first time over the course of a full year in 2020, a year largely driven by the commercial demand for lightweight, powerful and affordable personal computers. The data from IDC (via GeekWire) shows that Windows continues to dominate the market, although its share declined over the year as Chrome OS rose to second place beyond macOS.
For the full year, Windows’ market share was 4.9% lower in 2020 than in 2019, while Mac grew from 6.7% to 7.5%. IDC’s data contains collective information about desktops, laptops and workstations, and does not provide a breakdown of specific different product types. However, it’s worth noting that Chrome OS includes products made by Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo.
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The demand for personal computers has skyrocketed in 2020, largely due to the shift to working and learning from home. Market data estimates that the Mac grew by about 30% in Q4 of 2020 compared to the same quarter last year. Compared to other manufacturers, Apple had the largest year-on-year growth in the quarter.
In addition to market shifts due to changes in work and school patterns, Apple notably launched its first Apple silicon Macs in the fourth quarter of 2020, which were very well received.