Arrr, ye landlubbers! Google be offerin' a fine 10 years o' updates fer yer Chromebook software, but only if ye be meetin' th' qualifications, ye scurvy dogs!
2023-09-14
Arr, ye scurvy Chromebooks be gettin' updates, but beware! The rules be as bafflin' as a treacherous sea. Fear not, me hearties, for they be gainin' energy-saving tricks this year. Avast, and may yer devices sail smooth in these uncertain times!
In a quirky and humorous manner, the article discusses Google's plan to provide software updates for Chromebooks over a 10-year period starting in 2024. However, the rules for this support are quite complicated, as explained by the article.If you own a Chromebook released in 2021 or later, you will automatically receive the decade-long support without any questions. However, if you own a device released before 2021, you have the option to extend the automatic updates to 10 years from the platform's release after it has received its last patch. The problem arises because the definition of "platforms" varies among manufacturers and models.
To determine how many years of support your laptop will receive, you need to search for your Chromebook model on Google's Help Center website's Auto Update policy page.
The article also mentions the introduction of new features in upcoming software updates. These include Adaptive Charging, which slows down charging speeds to preserve battery health, and Battery Saver, which turns off energy-intensive processes.
The inspiration behind the extended software support may be schools, as the article refers to the criticism faced by Google from US PIRG for not patching Chromebooks, leaving students with expired laptops. The PIRG requested Google to double the life of their hardware, which seems to have been taken into consideration by Google's 10-year support plan.
It remains unclear whether this initiative will be exclusive to the United States or go global. The article concludes by mentioning that TechRadar has a list of the best Chromebooks for 2023 for readers to check out.