Huh, isn't Google nuking ChromeOS because it's a failure outside of selling a bunch of units to schools that were largely misused and abused?
For the home users you're talking about, a good iPad is fine. Making that into a mini PC format doesn't add anything for them. It does tie them to sitting at a desk.
I realize we're a niche case, but the real complaint of geeks over these years is that iPadOS continues to limit the true usefulness of the hardware*. Geeks actually want convergence in the other direction: make iPadOS more like macOS so that you get real desktop-class apps. But convergence means Apple sells fewer devices, so why would they ever do that?
* All recent iPad Pros are basically Mac minis now, without the external ports. But most often they are used as media consumption devices. A couple years back, they did make it possible to connect an iPad Pro to a display, KB+mouse but you're still stuck with a bunch of "mobile" apps.
Quite the opposite, ChromeOS was a HUGE success! Over 30 million Chromebooks were shipped in 2020 alone. More recently, they released ChromeOS Flex as a free way to keep older x86 devices alive:
Install ChromeOS Flex, a secure, cloud-based OS for PCs and Macs. Easy to install and manage, bringing the benefits of ChromeOS to your organization.
chromeos.google
I HATE throwing away or recycling older, functional hardware when it can be
upcycled! I'm nuking about 50 old Dell C2D towers right now on a client upgrade (just load up a Ventoy stick with Memtest86+, DBAN, and Flex) to be repurposed as donation hardware. We have a place here that handles distribution to good causes & even offers tax deductions:
We help students, teachers, parents, the elderly, foster homes, shelters, the disabled, USA veterans, other nonprofit organizations, and many other causes. 💑
www.computerswithcauses.org
Google is in a pickle because:
1. iPad owns the tablet market
2. Android & ChromeOS overlap
3. Everything is going ARM
Consolidating platforms for new hardware architectures makes sense at this point in time. For home users, Chromebooks were mismarketed & got huge returns because people thought they were cheap Windows laptops, but then couldn't run standard home, school, or work applications. Microsoft swooped in with cheap Windows S-mode laptops & web-based Office 365 apps that Chromebooks could use.
However:
1. Most people just use their phones these days
2. The rest mostly use basic laptops, as they are so cheap these days
3. Non-gamers & non-nerds (mom, grandma, etc.) mostly need a Chromebox, but better. An iPad Mac "Micro" desktop with apps & a secure app store would be 10/10! Easy browsing, social media apps, simple Capcut to edit videos, etc.
Personally, I live on my iPad:
Easy to use a desktop with a Bluetooth keyboard & mouse, big screen, and RDP into a real PC. Or use with a docking station, USB keyboard & mouse. The iPad Pro, iPad Air (5th generation), and iPad mini (A17 Pro) can output 4K@60Hz over HDMI 2.0. They have really fantastic cloud PC's to rent now too:
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