[PSA] THINK TWICE about that super-cheap Chromebook

[anon(50597)]

Assuming it doesn't suffer from some stupid hardware failure LOL. High end gadgets can die after just a few years, like my $1050 Samsung tablet that seems to have lost the ability to charge after less than 3 years of use (looks like a hardware failure).

Everything can have hardware failure. My iPhone Xr headphones won't work now. Not sure if it's hardware or software. Oh well.
Hope you are doing well.

 

[B. Diddy]

I hadn't heard of that one. Will look into it. Thanks!

Check it out: https://www.google.com/chromebook/device/lenovo-ideapad-duet-chromebook/

 

[anon(50597)]

Check it out: https://www.google.com/chromebook/device/lenovo-ideapad-duet-chromebook/

I like the size. Hopefully the price will be right.

 

[anon(50597)]

Sounds like $279?

 

[B. Diddy]

That's what it says here: https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/lenovo-ideapad-duet-chromebook

 

[anon(10181084)]

Everything can have hardware failure. My iPhone Xr headphones won't work now. Not sure if it's hardware or software. Oh well.
Hope you are doing well.

Funny though how they want to give Software support that will likely outlast the supported hardware

 

[anon(50597)]

Funny though how they want to give Software support that will likely outlast the supported hardware

True. Most people don't keep their device over 6 years anyway, many way less. I think it's just a selling point more than anything.

 

[anon(10181084)]

True. Most people don't keep their device over 6 years anyway, many way less. I think it's just a selling point more than anything.

Yeah. Even I, who likes keeping devices for as long as possible, don't even keep using one for 6 years (if we exclude the iPod I had that died after 6 years of use). I think the longest I daily drove a device was my first Android tablet, 4.5 years (December 2012 to July 2017) and by the time I replaced it the internal battery was borderline unusable due to very high internal resistance causing voltage sagging and the processor was so slow that even with a thermally unstable +42% overclock it could hardly run anything modern (but no major hardware failure happened at all).

But those long updates are best paired with hardware that can actually last that long under the most intensive imaginable use.

 

[lorenkjr]

Well so far I like the hardware in my HP 14a Chromebook. I use it 10 to 12 hours a day. But, I refused to get one with a 32gb hard drive. Just too small for me anyway.

 

[Pedro Paulo2]

As we see more and more "killer deals" for Chromebooks under $100, it's worth reminding everyone here about how to check a Chromebook's end of life in terms of automatic software updates. Up until recently, Chromebooks were guaranteed to get around 5 years of automatic software updates (bringing new features as well as bugfixes and security patches/enhancements). Google just announced (Jan 2020) that newer Chromebooks will now get 8 years of automatic software updates, which is great -- hopefully Google continues to extend this even further (although one could argue that most people won't hang onto a laptop for much longer than 8 years). What happens after support ends? The device is still usable, but as time goes by, it will become increasingly risky as new security flaws are found and subsequently patched in continued updates to Chrome OS (which that device will no longer get).

We're now seeing a lot of older Chromebooks reaching their support end of life, so of course sellers are trying to push these with deep discounts. DON'T FALL FOR THEM​. Bear this in mind when you see an unbelievably low price -- chances are that Chromebook is no longer getting updates, or is very close to the end. You can easily check the status of any Chrome OS device here: https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6220366?hl=en

The issue here is that Google is limiting updates to 6 years, most of the time.

And, in practical terms, there are very solid Chromebooks available for the public to buy that will stop updating in 3 to 4 years. A quick look online confirms that. That is way too short!

In comparison, Apple is still updating Macs sold in 2014. I have a Windows laptop (Lenovo X220) that will get updates until 2025 with Windows 10 - and I got it in 2015. So solid 10 years from the machine. I still use it today.

So what Google is proposing is not competitive when compared to the other players. Bring it to 10 years and it will become very acceptable.

On top of that, with either a Mac or PC, you can always install Linux and the hardware remains functional. I mean, really rip off MacOS or Windows from the machine and boot with Linux. As far as I know, this is not possible with Chromebooks (please correct me if I'm wrong).

I'm in the market for a new "portable device" and my needs fit a Chromebook. But the end of life issue is moving me in a more traditional laptop direction.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! You make a good point about the update limitation (although newer Chromebooks will get 8 years of updates not 6). But I would also point out the persistent price differential between Chromebooks and Macs or the average Windows laptop. The typical decent Chromebook costs around $300-400, while you'll usually want to spend at least twice that on a decent Windows laptop. And we all know how expensive Macbooks are (even used or refurbished ones). So if you have to get a new Chromebook in 8 years to replace one that's no longer getting updates, the total cost will still be about the same or even less than if you got a Windows laptop.

 

[Windroid 2483]

Even PCs stop getting updated. Anything prior to Windows 10 is out dated.

Yes and no. A Windoes computer which stops getting updates can still be upgraded to a modern version of Linux or even a modern version of Android.