When the first Chromebooks hit the street in 2011 they came with a promise that Google would deliver regular software and security updates for at least four years. A few years later Google extended that to five years. But as I noted in 2018, that wasn’t nearly long enough for many users, especially since the […]
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4 Comments on Lilbits: Windows 11 Pro will require Microsoft accounts, using Chrome OS Flex to keep old Chromebooks alive
Lilbits: Windows 11 Pro will require Microsoft accounts, using Chrome OS Flex to keep old Chromebooks alive
4 Comments on Lilbits: Windows 11 Pro will require Microsoft accounts, using Chrome OS Flex to keep old Chromebooks aliveThis week Google released an early access version of Chrome OS Flex, which is basically software that lets you turn nearly any PC into a Chromebook. Officially Google maintains a list of supported computers, but unofficially you can install Chrome OS Flex on just about any computer… including, it turns out, old Chromebooks. That could […]
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Chromebook lifespans creeping upward: some models get 9 years of OS updates
Buy an old Windows laptop and you’ll probably be able to keep installing Windows updates until you decide that your system doesn’t have enough RAM or a fast enough processor to meet your needs anymore. Buy a Chromebook and the clock has already started ticking on software updates. Google guarantees to deliver OS updates for […]
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Check Google’s Auto Update policy before buying older Chromebooks
It’s been nine years since the first Chromebook went on sale. And it’s been four years since Google released any software updates for that device. When Chrome OS was brand new, Google promised to deliver operating systems for at least 4 years from the release date of each Chromebook. Eventually the company extended that to […]
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All new Chromebooks will get at least 8 years of automatic updates
One of the nice things about buying a Google Chromebook is that the operating system receives automatic security and feature updates delivered straight from Google — which means that it’ll stay up to date years after your Android phone stops receiving official updates. But up until recently, Google only promised 5 to 6.5 years of […]
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Google extends the software lifespan of more Chromebooks
Chromebooks are simple, relatively secure computers that download operating system and security updates automatically… for a set period of time. When Google first launched Chrome OS, the company promised to deliver 5 years of updates from the release date of each Chromebook or Chromebox. Eventually the company raised that do 6.5 years. And recently Google […]
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Google gives some Chromebooks another 3 years of support
Some of the key selling points for Chromebooks is that they’re easy to use, secure, and always getting better thanks to software updates delivered regularly. But the truth is that Google only guarantees 6.5 years of software updates from the release date of a particular Chromebook (or rather the board that a Chromebook is based […]
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Google’s 5 years of support for older Chromebooks is starting to be a problem
When Google announced a few years ago that it would offer at least 5 years of software updates for Chromebooks and Chromeboxes, that seemed like good news. After all, most Android phones only get updates for a year or two, if that. But compared to Windows and OS X, that 5 year lifespan is pretty […]