When PC sales are struggling, hardware makers try to find something else to make money on. The latest bet is the Android-capable Chromebook, a bandwagon that Samsung recently jumped on.
Some years ago, hardware makers bet on netbooks, underpowered laptops that were briefly media darlings. Then came a variety of ill-fated tablets, from the Microsoft Surface RT to the HP TouchPad. Touchscreen laptops and 2-in-1 hybrids got only mild traction, usually too replace an aging laptop that was on the way out anyhow. Customers bought iPads, Macs, and smartphones instead, and today they’re not buying iPads nor Macs as much. (They are buying some tabtops, notably Microsoft’s Surface Pro, but still not in enough volumes to move markets.)
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