How did Chromebooks corner US schools market?
Google’s Chromebooks have surged in popularity among K-12 educators across America in the past year, overtaking Apple's iPads as the classroom device of choice. Education Talk radio host Larry Jacobs and Google Certified Innovator and trainer Chris Scott tell eSchoolNews that the Google-powered laptops are leading the pack largely due to their under $200 price point, brand integrity, device longevity, overall simplicity, and support network. To train educators, Google offers device training and "a large network of certified trainers and innovators," in addition to conferences and professional development, contributing to its reputation as a "safe" choice by many educators due to ease of use.

What makes Chromebooks popular, and will they outlast their buzz?

As the familiar refrain goes, “It’s not about the device,” but even so schools need to choose one to advance their digital instruction goals. And by all accounts, Chromebooks are the device of the moment, with 2.5 million shipped to schools in the first half of this year alone. There’s no doubt they’re trendy, but is there any deeper reasons for the sales surge beyond appearance and affordability? Recently, I joined host Larry Jacobs and Google Certified Innovator and trainer Chris Scott for an episode of Education Talk Radio in which we talked through these issues at length and came up with a handful of reasons for the Chromebook’s trendsetting status. Here’s the CliffsNotes of that discussion, but be sure to check out the full conversation available online.

Google’s name has staying power. We’ve been Googling for more than a decade by this point, and with the near ubiquity of Google Apps for Education in the nation’s classrooms, educators and students feel comfortable with the Google ecosystem. Branding helps, but at the end of the day, educators do realize that Google is just the conduit for students to advance their learning, not the first and last steps.

Chromebooks have some surface-level advantages. First, they’re cheap, with models often starting around $200. And while the cheaper cost can mean lower quality, it also means cheap replacement parts, too. IT management is simple — and there are few horror stories equaling what schools went through with iPads. They’re easy to share among students, and at a time when online high-stakes testing is still very much a part of the conversation, Chromebooks have the all-important built-in keyboard. None of these things necessarily makes the Chromebook the ideal or superior device for education, but they certainly don’t hurt.

Next page: Why Chromebooks are the safe choice