Why Google's Chromebook Is Better than Windows, Mac and Android

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Public perception typically lags reality. As such, there are still a lot of people who don't know anything about Google's (GOOG_) PC operating system, Chrome OS.

They don't know what it is, or why they would want it. They haven't tried it.

Yet, at the same time, Google's laptops -- made by Samsung and Acer -- are now the two top sellers on Amazon.com, and six out of the top 14 are Google Chromebooks. Talk to many schools and you'll see them either throwing out Microsoft (MSFT_) and Apple (AAPL_) products already, or plotting to replace them with Chromebooks in the next year or two.

The overall market impact is clear: Windows PCs have been in decline for over a year, perfectly mirroring the increase in Chromebooks sales. Mac PC sales have ceased to grow, and can barely stay flat even with the "halo" drag effect from iPhones and iPads.In other words, whatever one's personal opinion about the quality and suitability of the product, the rapid rise of Chrome OS from a non-entity to material sales success is undeniable -- and you're not a denier, are you?Still, to many Americans, Google's PCs are a mystery. They've never used one. It's a little bit likeTesla (TSLA_): What's the big deal? "You're telling me that it's better, but I don't get it."

While there is no substitute for actually trying the product, I will try to sort out the two main questions most people tend to have about Chromebooks:

1. Why would I want a Chromebook when I can just run Chrome on my Mac or Windows laptop?

2. Why is Chrome OS better than Google's other operating system, Android?

Let's start with the first one: Why is Chrome OS better than Mac and Windows?