Chrome Is a Bigger Threat to Windows Than You Think
Tablets aren't the only devices taking sales from PC makers. Google's Chromebook is also taking a toll, if comments from Acer are to be believed.
Chrome OS-based machines accounted for between 5% and 10% of the Taiwanese computer maker's U.S. shipments in the fourth quarter, company president Jim Wong told BloombergBusinessweek in a recent interview. Overall shipments dropped 28% over the same period, suggesting a weak climate for Windows PC sales.
"Windows 8 itself is still not successful," Wong told the magazine. "The whole market didn't come back to growth after the Windows 8 launch, that's a simple way to judge if it is successful or not."
His account matches up with what we've seen recently from the PC industry's other key participants. For example, Intel issued uninspiring first-quarter earlier this month, continuing a trends that's seen the chip maker's revenue and profit decline over the past year.
Microsoft hasn't fared much better. Windows division revenue came in at $5.9 billion, a 24% year-over-year increase. Trouble is, that total is more than $1 billion short of Microsoft's last major release: Windows 7 helped push division revenue to $6.9 billion in fiscal 2010's second quarter.
Mr. Softy's backers will rightly point out that 60 million Windows 8 licenses have been sold to date. And yet license commitments don't equal quantifiable PC sales. We've no idea how many "licensed" Windows 8 PCs Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and their peers have sold as of this writing.
Which brings us back to Acer. If Chromebooks are selling well enough to account for more than 5% of of sales -- enough that the company is considering taking the device to new markets -- then there has to be a growing base of customers who use it as a PC alternative.
Windows may still dominate the world, but the clouds are finally rolling in. Do you agree? Disagree? Either way, we want to hear you think in the comments box below. And remember: if you're interested in further analysis of Microsoft's prospects in a post-PC world, we've compiled a premium research report that digs into the details of the business and tells you whether the stock is a buy right now. Just click here to claim your copy.
The article Chrome Is a Bigger Threat to Windows Than You Think originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Tim Beyers is a member of theMotley Fool Rule Breakers stock-picking team and the Motley Fool Supernova Odyssey I mission. He owned shares of Google at the time of publication. Check out Tim's web home and portfolio holdings or connect with him on Google+, Tumblr, or Twitter, where he goes by @milehighfool. You can also get his insights delivered directly to your RSS reader.The Motley Fool owns shares of Google and Intel. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Intel and Google. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended creating a synthetic covered call position in Microsoft. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended writing puts on Intel. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days.
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