<
https://www.ifixit.com/News/80127/pick-a-repairable-laptop-for-school-not-a-chromebook>
"When you buy a new laptop for school, you’ve got a lot of things to worry
about: Will it let you do all your schoolwork? Does it fit in your budget? Does
it fit in your backpack? You probably don’t think to check whether it’s still
receiving security updates. If it’s new, of course it is… right?
Unfortunately, if you’re buying a Chromebook, you shouldn’t assume your device
will remain secure. You can buy a brand-new Chromebook that Google has already
marked obsolete. A Public Interest Research Group report found this month that
eight newly expired Chromebook models are still available for sale on Amazon.
Every Chromebook has a built-in Auto Update Expiration date, which is a certain
number of years after the model was first placed on the market. After its date
of expiration, that model will no longer receive automatic Chrome OS updates.
These updates include security patches, bug fixes, and new features—leaving the
Chromebook more vulnerable to security threats and making it impossible to run
software or websites that require the latest version of Chrome OS.
Okay, sure,
nobody expects a manufacturer to support their stuff forever, you might say.
But because AUE dates are based on the first time a Chromebook is sold, even
brand-new units may be past their expiration date.
This expiration can cause real problems for educators and students. Some
schools have found that their students’ expired Chromebooks can’t access state
testing sites, Lucas Gutterman of PIRG said in a report on educational
Chromebook churn, published as part of the Designed to Last Campaign he
directs. “We expect milk to expire, but not laptops,” Gutterman quipped."
Via Rixty Dixet.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
