Google’s Chromebook Outsells Apple’s MacBook In US In 2013, But iPad Leads Tablet Sales

This year saw 25 percent more desktops, notebooks and tablets sold in the U.S. compared to last year, but it was not a pleasant one for Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL). The company’s flagship MacBook computers were outsold by Google’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Chromebooks in the U.S., and the iPad lost market share to its Android and Windows counterparts, according to a new report from the NPD Group.

The data in the report, published by the New York-based market research company, showed that a total of 14.4 million desktops, notebooks and tablets were sold in the U.S. in 2013. Overall, Chromebooks and Android-powered tablets collectively had the biggest impact on this jump -- selling 1.76 million units -- from January through November of this year, while Apple’s MacBook and iPad lines lost market share during the same period.

"The market for personal computing devices in commercial markets continues to shift and change," Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD, said in a statement. "New products like Chromebooks, and reimagined items like Windows tablets, are now supplementing the revitalization that iPads started in personal computing devices."

Chromebook sales witnessed the most drastic change with a 9.4 percent increase in market share compared to the same 11-month period in 2012. While Apple’s notebooks accounted for only 1.8 percent of the market -- a drop from last year's share -- Windows-powered notebooks dominated despite a drop of 8.8 percentage points from last year’s 42.9 percent share.

In the tablet segment, the iPad’s share was greater than that of both Android and Windows tablets. However, the iPad's share of unit sales in the U.S. this year was down from the same period a year ago, while sales of tablets powered by Android and Windows grew by 4.5 percent and 1.4 percent, respectively.

In the list of top personal-computing device brands, Apple stood third with a 16.1 percent unit share in 2013. This list was led by HP (NYSE:HPQ) and Lenovo (HKG:0992) with a 30.4 percent and 23.3 percent unit share, respectively. Samsung (KRX:005935) came in fourth with a 10 percent unit share.

The news follows a report in October stating that Mac sales were down 7 percent year-on-year for the full September quarter, as the decline of traditional PC sales has been triggered in part due to the rising popularity of tablets.

"Tepid Windows PC sales allowed brands with a focus on alternative form factors or operating systems, like Apple and Samsung, to capture significant share of a market traditionally dominated by Windows devices," Baker said. "Yet the Windows PC in commercial channels is clearly not dead, and its biggest brand proponents, HP and Lenovo, remain deeply committed to that product."