I love Chromebooks. But they always had a size problem. Although they can work for years – I have several that are still working for over a decade – officially Google and Chromebook vendors only support them until their update expiration date. automatic update (Auto Update Expiration, AUE). Previously, this duration was three to five years. Then it increased to eight years for models launched in 2020 or later. Now, according to the Wall Street Journal, Google will support all Chromebooks for ten years
Personally, their limited lifespan has never bothered me. My old Chromebooks worked great. But for businesses and schools, on the other hand, they had to get rid of their old Chromebooks. And that’s not a good thing.
Therefore, in response to growing concerns from business users, Google is significantly extending the support period. This measure aims to ensure that these devices remain useful to organizations, and prevent them from becoming electronic waste. Doubling the lifespan of Chromebooks from their original end-of-support date could save schools approximately $1.8 billion.
This ten-year support policy will begin in 2024
Under this new policy, Google will provide security patches and software updates for Chromebooks for up to ten years. This substantial expansion will begin next year and will effectively ensure that no existing Chromebooks expire in the next two years.
However, a Google spokesperson added a caveat: “In making changes to the expiration policy, we must coordinate with each partner that manufactures a component of these devices. This requires an assurance of security and performance on the part of manufacturers. Other Google sources have indicated that major Chromebook vendors are expected to work with the company to extend the life of their hardware.
This ten-year support policy will begin in 2024. More specifically, Google will offer support for specific “platforms”. A platform will not be the brand of a manufacturer. Rather, support should be for a specific model. For example, low-end ARM-powered Chromebooks would be one type of model, while high-end Intel i5-powered Chromebooks would be another.
If support for your Chromebook ends within the next 2 years, you will receive an additional 2-3 years of support
Meanwhile, Google also announced that it will extend the life of support for all 2021 and newer Chromebooks. Additionally, if you have an older Chromebook, pre-2021, you can extend your support once it reaches its AUE. So if support for your Chromebook ends within the next two years, you’ll get two to three additional years of support.
Chromebooks seem more attractive than ever for anyone who wants an inexpensive laptop for school, work, or anything other than gaming, photography, or video. Windows PCs offer the best options for gaming, and Macs are best suited for photographers and videographers.
Source: “ZDNet.com”