Link: https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/10/memory_chromebooks_pcs/

Who needs affordable PCs and oil, anyway?

Chromebooks, the low-cost computing option popular with education buyers, will be squeezed hardest this year as memory prices spiral out of control.

According to the mystics at Omdia, total global PC shipments are on track to decline 12 percent in 2026: desktop PCs by 10 percent to 53.2 million units and laptops by 12 percent to 192.2 million units.

Why? For readers with their heads in the clouds, an AI-driven memory shortage is plaguing the entire industry by inflating the price of the vital components, with a knock-on effect on systems.

The price of mainstream memory and storage configurations jumped between $90 and $165 since the start of last year, a financial pressure that forced PC brands to ditch promotions, hike purchase prices, and adjust specs, Omdia says. Memory prices are estimated to rise a further 60 percent in Q1.

I don't like Chromebooks because they're already a thin client for web services. We are in dire straits if they are getting hard to buy.

I think part of it is just that websites use more ram now

They actually run a surprising amount of local software aside from the web browser. They come with the Play Store installed and run Android Apps natively. They're basically what Android would be if it was made for 2-in-1 laptops.

Not to mention the Linux support. They are legit computers once you enable the Linux environment. I got by on that for a couple of years for my main computer... not what I'd recommend now, given Google being evil and all, but it's doable.

Anyways, Apple is now offering a budget laptop that kicks the ass of any Chromebook at that price point, and thinkpads with good specs can always be had, so there's no real need to get a Chromebook these days. Unless your kids' school requires it...