Chromebook demand greater than supply
Posted Oct. 4, 2022
News Editor
The demand for Chromebooks has posed a problem as September turns to October of the 2022-23 school year.
With the year starting and students returning to school, they all had to check out a Chromebook since they were to return them at the end of last year. The problem began when approximately 500 Chromebooks were missing or unreturned. After counting returned computers from all levels, from kindergarten all the way to the high school, their worst case scenario became the worry. The district was approximately 2,400 Chromebooks short for the start of the school year.
To deal with this, the district placed an order in anticipation of Chromebooks not returned, which were to arrive the week of Sept. 26-30.
Approximately 20-25 students report computer problems each school day. Approximately 350 Chromebooks have been deemed non functioning.
“Many of the returned, non functioning computers actually have minor issues that are pretty easy to fix, like the keyboard switched to a different language or not connecting to the wifi,” high school hardware and software technician Samuel Francois said.
As for unreturned Chromebooks, emails have been sent to families and students to return them, and the district is working on a new policy to help support Chromebook accountability. The district also hopes to have check-out posts in the main offices for students who forget their computers at home or simply need to borrow one. As the year continues, many students still have questions about where to get certain Chromebook problems resolved, such as where to find a charger and who to go to when they can’t log into their StudentVue. Checking out a charger from the North Office is the best option. As for StudentVue problems, the librarian is very reliable. For any other Chromebook issue, students can find Francois in the Media Center by the library early in the morning, at the beginning of both lunches, and at the end of the day.
Chromebooks have been around since 2011. The model used at the district was manufactured in February of 2019. Many consider it being better than a laptop due to its higher security, longer battery life, and lower price. Prices for Dell Chromebooks can range $100 to almost $200. All Chromebooks have an expiration date. The date just symbolizes the time when the device stops updating and becomes obsolete. Most Chromebooks can last from five to eight years, receiving updates from Chrome OS. Even so, the device can still be in use, but because of the lack of software updates, it stops downloading security updates and bug fixes. Still, it might not work properly or be more likely to upload a virus.