Possibly user error (i.e. way too many programs in startup)?
My laptop is a an Acer Aspire R that I picked up at Best Buy over a year ago for $450. Nothing fancy, but I can still run software like Office or MATLAB when I need to. Has 8GB RAM, 1TB conventional HD, and a 6th gen Core i5 processor. Windows 10. Just timed it and it went from shut down to log in screen in 16 seconds. After entering password, Windows was fully loaded and ready to go in 31 seconds. Waking from sleep is less than 10 seconds. Cost less than half as much as a comparable Mac and more functional than a Chromebook. Chromebooks are definitely a great product for those with limited needs, but for a couple hundred more bucks you can get a whole lot more computer.