Remix.run Logo
▲ jezzamon an hour ago

Discussed a lot here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49893653

Seems to be more reasonable than this title suggests?

Some comments: "So they have introduced a major change and said any older Chromebooks bought going forward will only get 8. So its not a retrospective reduction for existing customers." (Edit: actually I think this comment is wrong, if you bought a Chromebook 1 year ago, you'd only get 9 years of ChromeOS updates)

"From my understanding of the article, it sounds like ChromeOS support is getting pared back for those devices, but the devices themselves should still be supported, albeit via a (planned but not yet in existence) migration path to GooglebookOS."

▲wongarsu 3 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

Reasonable would have been to deprecate support in 10 years, not 8.

Saying "yeah, we promised you 10 years of support, but if you just bought yours the last two years of that will only be supported if you switch to a completely different OS. But happily some of our devices have a direct migration path (if that's not yours, deal with it). Better hope the features you need will be available in our new OS by then, because right now they are not" is a major rugpull and not reasonable at all

▲hedora an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

These devices are usually bought on contract, with lots of lock in.

In particular, there are lots of schools getting screwed over financially. Maybe they’ll switch vendors, or use the money for education. Chromebook spending has a strong negative correlation with educational performance.

As a parent, I am supposed to have control over my kids’ personal information, but the schools firehose all the most sensitive kids’ info they have to an unlawful marketing firm that I do not trust. How do I opt out?

▲hdgvhicv 32 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

> How do I opt out?

Through your government. Maybe you could form a union strong enough but unlikely as you face more to lose than them.

▲eitally 29 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Education contracts do not allow Google to use customer data for advertising.

▲shevy-java 20 minutes ago | parent [-]

But they still store the data.

▲robertlagrant 9 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> or use the money for education

Totally agree. Would love far fewer computers in schools.

▲_blk 16 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Homeschool, vote for free school choice, vote for getting the subsidized funds to where you actually send your kids. Solves most problems related to bad school policies.

▲wat10000 43 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

Surely those contracts specify whatever the schools need.

▲shevy-java 20 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Could you clarify what you mean with reasonable here?

▲wat10000 41 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

Isn't it retrospective to all customers who purchased in the last 2 years? They're not saying a Chromebook bought yesterday gets 10 years but one bought tomorrow only gets 8. They're saying they all end in 2034. If you bought one yesterday expecting 10 years of updates, you got screwed.

▲bryanlarsen 39 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

They're saying that you'll have to switch from ChromeOS to GoogleOS to keep getting updates for the full 10 years.

▲wat10000 35 minutes ago | parent [-]

"All Chromebook platforms will get regular automatic updates for 10 years"

Are they going to make the switch automatic? It sure doesn't sound like the sort of transition that can be done automatically.

▲fg137 7 minutes ago | parent [-]

Yeah unless Google is giving you a Googlebook for free I don't think there is any issue saying Google is breaking the promise

▲jezzamon 22 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

Yeah I think you're right.