However, owning a Chromebook seems to come in the category of "doing something naughty you don't mention in public".
Having mentioned that I bought one, several friends have told me they already have a Chromebook, and at the place I bought mine there was a queue for them - a short queue but nevertheless a queue - and people were scuttling out of the store with wrapped parcels.
Probably the absence of a large illuminated graphic of a piece of fruit on the lid makes them less worthy of ownership.