this post was submitted on 25 Jul 2023

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Built-in software ‘death dates’ are sending thousands of schools’ Chromebooks to the recycling bin (www.mercurynews.com)

submitted 3 years ago by UngodlyAudrey@beehaw.org to c/technology@beehaw.org

296 comments fedilink hide all child comments

There are few things quite as emblematic of late stage capitalism than the concept of "planned obsolescence".

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[–] OneRedFox@beehaw.org 37 points 3 years ago (17 children)

Chromebooks expire? What the fuck? Are there logistical problems with installing Linux on these devices?

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[–] boonhet@lemm.ee 36 points 3 years ago* (13 children)

Chromebooks are unfortunately meant to be disposable like phones. Nobody should buy one, but unfortunately schools get them because they're cheap.

On an individual basis you can install Linux, but for millions of devices thrown out by schools around the world, there's no solution because the residual value is so tiny, you'd have to pay the techs minimum wage and hold a gun to their heads to get enough devices per hour to justify it.

I used to work at a refurb place and when we saw a chromebook that wasn't immediately OK (it could've had a bad display or keyboard, or locked to an account), we just removed the eMMC, smashed the chip and threw the device on our scrap pallet.

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[–] Sina@beehaw.org 14 points 3 years ago* (7 children)

Give them to the kids with a QR code guide sticker about installing Linux on them? I'm not a kid, but I would love if someone "threw" a couple of these in my general direction.

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[–] boonhet@lemm.ee 12 points 3 years ago (4 children)

Almost certainly not allowed, schools are responsible for privacy and security on these devices.

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[–] buckykat@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 3 years ago (3 children)

Any standard desktop linux is more private and secure than google spyware

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[–] boonhet@lemm.ee 8 points 3 years ago (1 child)

And as soon as the IT guy at school installs Linux on these machines, he's responsible for said privacy and security. And he's a lot easier to sue than Google if something goes wrong.

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[–] Hellebert@beehaw.org 5 points 3 years ago*

This is exactly why right here, cost aside.

I would not hand out hundreds of Chromebooks to kids running some Linux distro I installed even if I could. It's critical to have full manufacturer support in these types of environments.

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[–] Hephoh2@feddit.de 3 points 3 years ago

Yes but there might already be personal data on them from the child, so they cannot give the chromebooks out before wiping them, which seems hard to do so they just bin em.

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[–] MaxHardwood@lemmy.ca 9 points 3 years ago (1 child)

Most of these Chromebooks are 3-4 years old and in really rough shape. Kids use these things for literally everything. You likely wouldn't even want them for free. Probably bio-waste at this point.

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[–] Squidious@lemm.ee [B] 2 points 3 years ago

A friend asked me to fix their daughter's desktop and also asked if she could borrow an old laptop to use in the meantime. The desktop was disgusting with food smeared all over the keys and display. I cleaned it up and fixed it and sent it back. My laptop was returned with food smeared everywhere after just a few days. I was stunned.

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[–] BellaDonna@mujico.org 2 points 3 years ago (2 children)

Phones shouldn't be disposable either, I'm coming up on five years on mine.

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[–] boonhet@lemm.ee 1 point 3 years ago (1 child)

They shouldn't be, but they're designed to be, especially Androids with their abysmal software support period.

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[–] BellaDonna@mujico.org 1 point 3 years ago

I guess mine is unusual then. I still get very regular security updates, and battery life though noticeably shorter, well, it's still okay.

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[–] appel@whiskers.bim.boats 1 point 3 years ago (1 child)

Is there something preventing the use of ansible or similar, to handle the installs?

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[–] boonhet@lemm.ee 2 points 3 years ago

Ansible probably doesn't change UEFI settings or switch off the hardware lock that some Chromebooks have for installing a new OS.

You have to remember that these things cost like 200 USD new and they're utterly underpowered. By the time they stop getting updates, they have so little residual value, it's literally not worth salvaging them.

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[–] arc@lemm.ee 12 points 3 years ago

I think its more that Google supports them for only so long and then they go bitrotten. The final update for these devices should also unlock the firmware so people can wipe the device and install Linux or something on it.

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[–] EddyBot@feddit.de 6 points 3 years ago

the Chromebooks with ARM processor (the majority of the cheaper ones) are notoriously known to be awful to install any alternative operating system

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[–] agressivelyPassive@feddit.de 2 points 3 years ago

Not really, but it's almost impossible for a school to pull that off and still get the support needed. Don't forget that new Chromebooks are dirt cheap, after all discounts probably in the 100-200$/€ range. It's (sadly) just not worth it salvaging them.

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