From PC World: One of the best things about Chromebooks is that they’re built to last. Thanks to automatic security and feature updates from Google, along with a lightweight browser-based operating system, longtime users may find that their laptops run as well, if not better, than they did on day one.
But despite Chromebooks’ theoretical longevity, it’s possible for Google to cut their lives short. Per the company’s End of Life policy, Chromebooks and other Chrome OS devices are only entitled to five years of feature and security updates. After that, Google doesn’t guarantee that these systems will run safely or properly.
Obsolescence seems nigh for the first wave of browser-based laptops, including Samsung’s Series 5 and Acer’s AC700, which arrived in 2011. Still, the policy isn’t as cut-and-dry as Google’s Chromebook end-of-life chart makes it seem. Google has left itself some wiggle room to keep updating Chromebooks in the future, and is continuing to update Chromebooks that have officially lost support.
According to Google, each Chromebook is guaranteed a minimum of five years of updates after the product’s original release date (not to be confused with the time of purchase). Every six weeks during that time, Google provides automatic security and feature updates.
Beyond five years, though, things get murky. Right now, two Chromebooks—Samsung’s Series 5 and the CR-48 prototype from 2010—have received an “official” end-of-life date. Another Chromebook, Acer’s AC700, is unofficially slated for obsolescence this month. However, only devices with official end-of-life dates are liable to stop receiving updates.
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