Google took a serious swipe at Apple and Microsoft in its new Chromebook advert

• Google took a huge swipe at Apple and Microsoft in its new Chromebook commercial.
• In a sign of Google's confidence in Chromebook, the company mocked the load times and error messages of its rivals.
• Chromebook sales in the US grew 70% last year, according to Google.

Google has started hawking its new Chromebook - and it couldn't resist a dig at Apple and Microsoft.

In a sign of its confidence in Chromebook, which remains a relative upstart in the face of Apple and Microsoft's decades of dominance in the personal computer market, Google took a shot at its error-prone rivals.

The minute-long commercial, set to playful classical music, mocks Apple and Microsoft's spinning beach ball and egg timer, and asks if viewers are "over" the companies' error messages.

Google/YouTube

It then bombards the screen with error messages that PC and Mac users will be well accustomed with, before cutting to a clean shot of the Google Pixelbook and showcasing its features.

It's not unusual for tech manufacturers to poke fun at their competitors in ads. Samsung famously insulted iPhone users and the notch at the top of the iPhone X in a campaign last year.

But The Verge said it's the first time Google has taken a "clear shot" at Windows and Mac laptops. Chromebook sales in the US grew 70% last year, according to Google, while the laptops have been popular with schools in America.

Such is the success of Chromebook that it was reported last year that Microsoft is working on a product that will mimic the ultra-cheap laptop.

Here's the ad in full:

Get the latest Google stock price here.