* Schools: School laptops were already a thing, I don't see how pandemic can significantly change those numbers.
* Price: Chromebooks are now much more expensive. And there are more cheap windows laptops now.
* Ease of use: Maybe this is tech savvy people buying laptops for their grandparents so they can keep in touch?
I don't know the answer. But as much as I hate recommending google products, chromeos is now a really good option for a lot of people.
Another big selling point is that Chrome OS supports Android apps, e.g. you can download Netflix shows to watch offline, or just use the same apps that you have on your phone. This might be the dark horse as Windows ARM apps support is pathetic and MacOS now also supports running iOS apps.
That said I'm also skeptical on the prices for Chromebooks - for a similar spec-ed laptop, Chromebooks are strangely a bit more expensive than a Windows counterpart.
It's a platform with a lot going for it.
Yes, the $200 devices are not as good as $1000+ laptops, but for the price, I think they are pretty great. I use one for both personal and work stuff (not as a primary machine, but for travel and field work).
