Chromebooks have in just the past eight months snagged 20 percent to 25 percent of the U.S. market for laptops that cost less than $300, according to NPD Group Inc. The devices, which have a full keyboard and get regular software updates from Google, are the fastest-growing part of the PC industry based on price, NPD said. ... Chromebooks still remain a small portion of the total U.S. market for laptops and netbooks.

Chromebooks have in just the past eight months snagged 20 percent to 25 percent of the U.S. market for laptops that cost less than $300, according to NPD Group Inc. The devices, which have a full keyboard and get regular software updates from Google, are the fastest-growing part of the PC industry based on price, NPD said. ... Chromebooks still remain a small portion of the total U.S. market for laptops and netbooks.

Then Facebook began to grow and grow. I remember the first time someone was showing me Facebook—it was Tantek of all people—I remember asking “But what is it for?” After all, Flickr was for photos, Delicious was for links, Dopplr was for travel. Facebook was for …everything …and nothing. I just didn’t get it. It seemed crazy that a social network could grow so big just by offering …well, a big social network.

Then Facebook began to grow and grow. I remember the first time someone was showing me Facebook—it was Tantek of all people—I remember asking “But what is it for?” After all, Flickr was for photos, Delicious was for links, Dopplr was for travel. Facebook was for …everything …and nothing. I just didn’t get it. It seemed crazy that a social network could grow so big just by offering …well, a big social network.

A while back I posted a quick quote from recent Gartner prognosticating about cloud email. The up-shot was that right now, it’s just about 8% for all types of companies, globally (except India and China for some reason). Someone from SpiceWorks left a comment that arecent survey of theirs indicated something much different, at least across the more SMB focused demographics they asked (out of 539 respondents, 46% were in companies of 10-99 employees, 23% were from companies of 100-249).

A while back I posted a quick quote from recent Gartner prognosticating about cloud email. The up-shot was that right now, it’s just about 8% for all types of companies, globally (except India and China for some reason). Someone from SpiceWorks left a comment that arecent survey of theirs indicated something much different, at least across the more SMB focused demographics they asked (out of 539 respondents, 46% were in companies of 10-99 employees, 23% were from companies of 100-249).

So what is the impact of IBM's acquisition of SoftLayer?This analyst believes this acquisition may be a fundamental signal to competitors that the old world of outsourcing is fading and that the only way to the future is delivery of services via an "IT" utility called the cloud.Just consider that 80% of U.S. buyers indicate that they will have transformed 50% of their IT environment to a cloud by 2017 and that they will not have all the resources to manage their own cloud.

So what is the impact of IBM's acquisition of SoftLayer?This analyst believes this acquisition may be a fundamental signal to competitors that the old world of outsourcing is fading and that the only way to the future is delivery of services via an "IT" utility called the cloud.Just consider that 80% of U.S. buyers indicate that they will have transformed 50% of their IT environment to a cloud by 2017 and that they will not have all the resources to manage their own cloud.

Increasingly, PC makers are experimenting with Android, given that Microsoft's Windows 8 devices have struggled to attract consumers, according to analysts. Google promotes Android as a free and open operating system, and many tech companies are already relying on the OS to build their smartphone and tablet products. PC makers will come out with more Android devices, "But the question is what is it going to look like?" said Bryan Ma, an analyst with IDC.

Increasingly, PC makers are experimenting with Android, given that Microsoft's Windows 8 devices have struggled to attract consumers, according to analysts. Google promotes Android as a free and open operating system, and many tech companies are already relying on the OS to build their smartphone and tablet products. PC makers will come out with more Android devices, "But the question is what is it going to look like?" said Bryan Ma, an analyst with IDC.