Google has conquered American classrooms — now Microsoft is striking back with cheap PCs and a Minecraft upgrade (MSFT, GOOGL, GOOG)

While Microsoft dominates the global market for classroom PCs, Google Chrome OS rules the roost in the United States.
Microsoft is teaming up with partners including Lenovo to bring a new line of cheap, sub-$300 PCs to market, to take on Google’s low-cost Chromebooks.
Microsoft says that a Windows PC is more capable than a Chromebook — Windows 10 lets you run software like Minecraft or the full version of Microsoft Office.
Minecraft is getting a new chemistry module for students.

Google has all but captured the market for American classrooms — analyst firm Futuresource estimates that in the third quarter of 2017, Google’s low-cost Chromebooks accounted for 59.8% of the laptop market for K-12 education, compared to Microsoft Windows devices’ 22.3% share.

But Microsoft would be quick to remind you that this doesn’t tell the whole story: That 22.3% share is up from 18.4% the quarter before, and Microsoft says, up 4% from the same period in 2016. And, worldwide, Windows still reigns supreme: In that same third quarter of 2017, Windows accounted for 66.5% of global K-12 classroom PC shipments.

Now, Microsoft is striking back against Google’s domestic dominance, with a series of announcements designed to make Windows …read more

Source:: Businessinsider – Technology