Buying a cheaper Chromebook laptop? Check this warning first

For the budget-conscious people out there, while buying a new laptop, finding an affordable one with good features and specs is likely the obvious choice. This applied especially during the pandemic. With the widespread adoption of remote learning, school districts in the US, and elsewhere in the world, have been searching for a cost-effective laptop that can be purchased in large quantities and distributed to students. For many, Google Chromebook appeared to be the best solution. A few years down the line, these affordable Chromebooks that schools in the US purchased during the pandemic to support remote learning have started to break down, a report by the US Public Interest Research Group Education Fund (PIRG) warned.

The report further added that during the final quarter of 2020, sales of Chromebooks had skyrocketed by 287 percent compared to the previous year. However, three years later, these laptops are increasingly failing, resulting in the accumulation of electronic waste and burdening these schools with extra expenses.

Chromebooks are designed with a predetermined "end-of-life" date, which marks the end of software support. The certification of the model determines this date, not the purchase date. Currently, Google has an average expiration date of four years for all devices listed. Additionally, locating replacement parts to repair Chromebooks is a difficult task, which forces schools to consider third-party providers. However, the procedure becomes hectic and uneconomical.