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Built-in software ‘death dates’ are sending thousands of schools’ Chromebooks to the recycling bin
(www.mercurynews.com)
this post was submitted on 25 Jul 2023
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Technology
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Huh? I have an ipad mini and since two-three years ago it's as useful as a brick, Apple doesn't allow me to install any app because they require a newer os version (that's not available for the model)
By contrast my much older nexus 7 can still use most apps that I want
It can’t run everything obviously but the fact that my nearly 10 year old iPad can handle video streaming still and these schools have bricked laptops after 3 years is ridiculous.
Those Chromebooks aren't bricked. They simply don't get chrome updates anymore, even if it's just Linux+Chrome and updates could continue forever without any real effort from Google
For security issues they can't give to students unsupported hardware. The discontinued iPad would go in the same e-waste bin, because it's not like android where browsers will continue to get updates for years and years
For a school they functionally are. They can’t use them if they can’t get security updates.
and instead the ipad that doesn't get security updates since 2018 in your example doesn't count?
Well for starters it wasn't purchased by or for schools so no. But even if it was, it gets far more than 3 years of support. I think 5 is somewhat reasonable if we're just going to accept this sort of behavior.
Either way the comparison is not really apt. Mobile devices are far worse about this than PC's. You should instead compare a macbook (or a cheap windows machine), which gets security updates for 7-10 years. Google knows their devices are very popular for school computers, so to treat them like mobile devices and enforce the terrible standards that comes with is pernicious.
you again chose a macbook for an example, some macs released in 2017 got less than 5 years of OS updates and became ewaste very quickly
choose a different company than apple for your "long time support" examples....
It was one example, and if you'll notice I said "or just any affordable windows machine," I don't know why you're ignoring that.
As for the 2017 releases getting less than 5 years support, I have never heard of this nor am I finding any examples. Here is the Monterey (apple's current OS version) compatibility list, which consists of computers as far back as 2013. So I'd be curious to see what you're referencing. Catalina, the previous OS which dates back even further with compatibility, had security updates until about 8mo ago as well.
3 years is unacceptable on Google's part and Apple hasn't come anywhere close to that.
Are you cherry picking? Check Sonoma compatibility list, only for iMac 2019 or later
How is it cherrypicking? The OS isn't even out yet. I'm literally going off the current OS.
Where is this computer that got dropped after less than 5 years?
Ok sorry it will be out in October. Owners will get extra 3 months of support. This completely changes everything
Huh
Maybe you didn't notice due to the Stockholm syndrome, but when Apple discontinues support, you can't get the latest apps. Yay can get security updates for another 12 months! But can't install the latest apps as they're required to target the latest os version to be published in the app store. Victory
I don't understand you. Google is shitty because Chromebooks get 6 years of updates (not their fault if the school is buying old new stock that sat in a warehouse for 4 years), but apple is an hero because their products in average get 6 years of os updates + a full extra year of security updates? That extra year changes everything?
While Google is shitty because x86 Linux+chrome could be automatically updated indefinitely for decades with no effort at all, at least on their devices you could install an alternative os, giving a second life on old devices. iPads and iPhones can't run an alternative os. And the alternative os selection on the m1 macs is limited too
Hih
in my language: "che palle, ma se te l'ho detto prima..."
someone could have bought an imac A1419 on march 18, 2019 and that lost major OS updates on october 24, 2022. That's just 3 years of major OS updates for the buyer. It will get less than 5 years of total support for the buyer.
you again cherrypicked your example, with a third party app that's not in the app store. Go to watch the requirements of a 1st party app like final cut pro x and see if it can work in your 2010 mac mini.....
Before you say "but that got released in 2017!!!!!11!!11!!" - go to watch your post history and see that you did the same for the school chromebook example. It came out from the factory with 7 years of updates, but it was bought after it sat 4 years in a warehouse
Huh
Are you cherry picking? Check Sonoma compatibility list, only for iMac 2019 or later
You need a source because this directly contradicts you.
That is not under 5 years.
Edit: Additionally, Monterey will get security updates until mid-2024. That's 7 years for your 2017 models, which is the most recent, and only impacts the 2017 MBAir.
https://www.macrumors.com/guide/will-my-mac-run-macos-sonoma/
No it isn't?