> extremely popular

for really small amounts of "extremely"

(outside US K-12 they are hardly a thing)

And Australian K-12 too :)

crucial though, that's were audiences get introduced with their software

I wouldn't be surprised if Chromebooks alone gave Chrome more market share than Firefox.

They don't do so badly in the UK with non-technical types (eg the elderly) especially where a full computer isn't safe or supportable.

I have a very nice Chromebook tablet (a Lenovo Duet). I use it to run a Debian Linux VM; it has its quirks, but I use it to run Emacs, TeX, and various Scheme implementations. It is relatively cheap, and even though it's a relatively low-powered device, it has adequate performance for my needs. (And yes, it is not “really” Linux: you can't install your own window manager, for example. But it's usable.)

I have lots of criticisms of Chrome OS, but the fact is that the year of Linux on the Desktop has arrived. You buy one of these machines, and out of the box you can have Linux apps (and a terminal) running within 15 minutes of switching the machine on.

Yea, I don't disagree it is a decent product. I was just refuting the "extremely popular" comment. Statistically their market share is minimal. People still by-and-large buy Microsoft Windows laptops.

German here. I know 0 people who own a Chromebook. In fact I think I have never seen one in my entire life (outside of a store).

Schools I know are using Windows laptops or iPads.