Google has a new Chromebook repair program for education
Google has launched a new repair program aimed at education to help admins identify which Chromebooks can be repaired.
Chromebooks might be a cheap option for schools to roll out and manage, but not all of them are easy to repair. Thanks in no small part to education, Chromebook sales also jumped massively due to the move to remote learning as a result of the pandemic.
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According to Google, 50 million students and teachers are using Chromebook from its partners. To support admins who help these users, Google has launched the Chromebook repair program. It's starting in the US and for now includes Acer and Lenovo and is aimed at IT admins who can fix devices and components as the need arises.
SEE: Chromebook sales weaken but MacBook sales hit new record
While Chromebook repairs are covered under vendors' warranties, Google admits "it's been challenging for school IT administrators to find information about which devices they can repair."
The repair pages currently list three Chromebooks each from Acer and Lenovo, offering a self-service guide that identifies which components can be self-serviced by users. Google notes that qualifying for the 'self-service' labels assumes some manufacturer training.
"Customers must complete training before attempting any repairs on any components listed below," Google notes in an Acer document.
Components covered include the battery, display, display back panel, palm rest, base cover, speakers, keyboard, motherboard and daughterboard.
Lenovo Chromebooks in the repair program include the 100e, 300e, and 500e. Acer models include the C732T, C733T, and C738T. There are also links to the full repair guide for each model, including self-repair and disassembly instructions along with component exploded diagrams. The guides also show how to find tools, get replacement parts, find training and get system update access.
Chromebook sales have fallen off in recent months after the education market reached saturation; chromebook shipments declined 63.6% year on year in Q4 2021, in part because of component shortages reducing Chromebook production as manufacturers focused on higher-priced Windows PCs, according to analyst IDC.
To spur more interest in Chromebooks, Google also announced a new line-up of Chromebooks for 2022. For teachers, it's highlighted the Acer Chromebook Spin 713, HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook and Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook. New student-focused Chromebooks include HP Fortis 14 G10 Chromebook, ASUS Chromebook Flip CR1, Dell Chromebook 3110 and Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Go.
Google's new education repair program follows US president Joe Biden last week heralding the arrival of federal right to repair legislation. Biden commended Apple and Microsoft for helping make some device repairs easier for end users and third-party repair shops.