Chromebook sales have edged out Mac sales for the first time, research firm IDC revealed last week at the Google I/O conference.
While IDC didn't release specific numbers for Chromebooks, it said around 1.76 million Macs were sold in the first quarter.
Chromebooks are known to be popular in the education market, thanks to the devices' low price and easy-to-use, browser-based model.
Chromebooks are priced cheaply, including the $466 Dell Chromebook 11 and the $462 HP Chromebook 11 G4. Meanwhile, the cheapest product in Apple's Mac lineup, the 11-inch MacBook Air, starts at $1,399.
Google is placing more investment in Chromebooks, announcing at Google I/O last week that Chrome OS devices will soon get Google Play, meaning that Chromebook users can download Android apps.
The education vertical represents a small spark of popularity in the slow PC market, which saw declining shipments in the first quarter, according to IDC.
While PC shipments fell 5.8 percent, to 13.6 million units, in the first quarter, IDC analysts point to education and corporate sales as a potential strength in the second quarter.
"Demand for PCs in the US remains sluggish," said Linn Huang, IDC research director for devices and displays. "However, we should be entering a period of reprieve. Peak corporate and education buying seasons have historically started in the second quarter.
"With some IT buyers thinking about early Windows 10 transitions and with the potential continued ascent of Chromebooks in US K-12, the PC market should experience a modest rebound in the coming months."
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