Tech's not my beat, but the
rise of Chromebooks is likely due to the fact that once upon a time you could by a Windows XP-based netbook that worked pretty well for cheap, and now you can't. Later versions require too much processor/battery power and, of course, in the case of Windows 8, suck. I still use my $280 or so netbook from 4 years ago. It will be very sad if/when it dies.
