Chromebooks and auto update expirations

I initially wasn’t going to cover this, but when Michael put this out to TSB, I figured I’d better.

Several days ago, Kim Komando talked about something in the Chromebook era called Auto Update Expiration and why its important.

Michael sent this Ars article to TSB titled “Absurd”: Google, Amazon rebuked over unsupported Chromebooks still for sale which may have also passed me on mastodon.

I read the accompanying article and now I understand, although I did hear it through Kim, why this is important.

AUE, which this is known by, is bad. Just like Microsoft sends us updates, Apple patches us, Google does the same thing. Since Chromebooks are different than your average desktop or phone, there are chromebooks that are out there that have expired AUE and are still being sold.

That’s where it is bad. You don’t really want to run something like a Chromebook which needs internet connection to run anyway to be running out of date software.

Its bad enough we probably have XP and 7 machines still out there, but they aren’t required to be updated and owners don’t need necessarily to worry if they understand. But to sell something that is still on the shelf that has an expired AUE?

Ars turned to the places that are selling these now outdated chromebooks and none have responded at press time.

Go, team! Thanks Michael for making me really read this one.