Windows-based PC sales continue to decline but Chromebooks are experiencing otherwise. For the last couple of months, shipments for Chromebooks have been increasing. Analysts expect the shipments to increase by as much as 200% to 300%. This trend now shifts the focus of companies. As Lenovo, HP, Acer and Samsung capitalize on launching Chromebooks, can Windows 8 devices survive?

According to a report in Digitimes, Chromebook shipments can double or triple in the latter half of 2013. Companies like Acer, HP, Samsung and Lenovo are already working on their Chromebooks. Likewise, other hardware providers such as Asustek are also trying their hands on the said device. Digitimes notes the following about the possible change in the supply chain if these companies will release their own Chromebooks:

"HP and Lenovo are both expected to increase their Chromebook orders in the second half compared to the first, while Acer will dramatically raise its orders by three fold and Samsung four fold, helping to raise overall Chromebook shipments in the second half."

Even when there isn't much hype on Chromebooks, they have been selling well already. On the average, consumers can find the device priced at $300. Based on Amazon, the Samsung Chromebook is one of the best sellers. It runs with a 1.7 Ghz dual processor with 16GB of hard disk and 2GB of RAM.

"Currently, Google, Acer and Samsung's Chromebooks together already account for about 20-25% of the US sub-US$300 notebook market, showing their rapid sales growth in the retail channel," Digitmes reported. Microsoft should do something about their Windows 8 offering if the company wants to keep up with this trend.

"The lost momentum [of PC shipment growth] means Microsoft was not able to grow its Windows client business. But by putting the operating systems businesses together, Microsoft can essentially offset the decline of the PC client with gains coming from mobile. It's a more holistic view," Al Gillen from IDC told Computerworld.