A study by IDC reveals that Google is starting to become more popular than Apple within schools in the United States.
According to the research company, Google sold 715,000 Chromebooks in the third quarter compared to the 702,000 iPad tablets that Apple sold to U.S. schools.
As a whole, Google's Chromebooks now make up a quarter of the entire education market.
According to the IDC, the lower price of Chromebooks is a significant factor on why school districts are picking them up over iPads. The price of Chromebooks begin at only $199, while the iPad Air, which Apple released last year, starts at prices nearly double that at $379.
The IDC also said that many schools have a preference for the full typing keyboards found in the Chromebook, as compared to the touchscreens that the iPad utilizes. In fact, for schools that purchase iPads, they also supply their students with keyboard cases, which only add to the overall cost of the device.
In addition, the IT departments of schools tend to prefer Chromebooks over iPads because they are easier to manage.
"Chromebooks are really gaining traction. The growth of Chromebook is a major concern for Apple's iPad. As the average age of the student grows the need for a keyboard becomes very important," said Rajani Singh, an analyst for IDC.
Studies by research company Gartner further confirm the emergence of the Chromebook as its sales continues to accelerate. In 2013, 2.9 million Chromebooks were sold, with that figure expected to reach 14.4 million units sold by 2017.
Gartner adds that for 2013, 85 percent of all the sales of Chromebooks were to the education sector, which should start to worry Apple and Microsoft.
The iPad currently dominates the tablet market for the education sector within the United States, with the tablet holding a market share of 95 percent. However, change could be on the horizon.
One such example is detailed by a report of the Los Angeles Times, wherein it is revealed that the Los Angeles Unified School District is currently planning to purchase Chromebooks, as well as Microsoft Windows laptops, to replace the iPad.
However, despite the rapid ascent of Chromebooks, it is still Apple that features the biggest collection of education-focused apps on its App Store, with over 75,000 such apps available for download. Apple also features iTunes U, which gives professors and teachers the ability to share their lectures and create customized courses.
To compete with Apple's iTunes U and the educational apps in the App Store, Google has launched Google Play for Education, which is a customized version of Google's Play Store that focuses on educational apps.
