Upgrade every outdated Chromebook at my school to this model
Boy, did I develop a real love-hate relationship with Chromebooks a couple years into my teaching gig! ChromeOS really cramps my style when it comes to teaching interactive fiction, but man, did those Chromebooks come in handy during the pandemic—giving students without laptops the chance to attend class and keep up with assignments.
Fast forward to today, and those same Chromebooks are starting to show their age, which is a huge bummer. That's why I'd give anything to wave a magic wand and replace all of 'em with a spiffy new Acer Chromebook Spin 312.
At first glance, it's like comparing apples to oranges to my seven-year-old Chromebooks. The Spin 312's keyboard, touchpad, and hardware components are all major upgrades, and I've no doubt my students would notice and appreciate it. But hey, remember when our Chromebooks appeared out of nowhere during a literal crisis, probably due to some federal emergency fund action?
No telling when the school will have the cash to upgrade, but let me tell you why I'll shout my love for the Spin 312 from the rooftops as long as it's around.
Out with the old
Our primary Chromebook model is the Dell Chromebook 11 5190, with a $339 price tag. It comes equipped with an Intel Celeron N3450 (1.1GHz), 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of eMMC storage. Since we chose the clamshell form factor, but splurged for the touchscreen version, it's been pretty robust (scrapes and dings notwithstanding)—but fewer and fewer students are using it these days, opting for their own laptops instead.
I've dealt with more than a few tech support issues. Frozen laptops, ones that refuse to turn on even after charging, laptops with insufficient storage space, and laptops running too slow are just a few examples. There's only so much I can do—aside from flagging issues with the IT department or telling students to grab another Chromebook or close some tabs.
The aging ChromeOS operating system is another issue entirely. How long will Google keep rolling out support updates for these devices? According to their auto update policy, our Chromebooks will receive updates until June 2027. After that, the school will need to opt in for extended updates if they decide to keep them around.
In with the new
The Acer Chromebook Spin 312 sets the bar high with a price tag of $450, but you get what you pay for: an Intel Core i3-N305 (3.80GHz), 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of eMMC storage. Like the Dell Chromebook, it's touchscreen, but the real revolution is the 2-in-1 form factor.
Placing both side by side is like a trip through memory lane—boot up times on the Spin 312 are noticeably faster, and it can handle more open Chrome browser tabs. Switching between them happens in the blink of an eye instead of a slow second.
The increase in storage space is crucial, too. With so many students using these laptops throughout the day, filling up the local storage is a real issue. Partitioning the local storage or creating a recovery image of ChromeOS can exacerbate the problem, especially on aging machines like the Dell.
Will the Chromebook craze continue?
With federal emergency funds for schools long spent, schools will have to figure out a way to fit new Chromebooks into the budget or stretch out the ones they've got. These devices may not have solved all the problems that distance learning presented, but they sure were the most affordable solution for trudging through it.
There's one perk to schools buying new Chromebooks: they're still some of the best laptops for students on a budget, and their overall quality has improved drastically since the Dell Chromebook 11 5190.
Windows laptops are getting cheaper, but the Acer Chromebook Spin 312 still makes more sense if the school is buying in bulk. Especially if they're investing in 2,200 of these bad boys!
Note: The Acer Chromebook Spin 312 generally receives automatic updates for about 8 years from its release, with an estimated end-of-life date around 2031. In contrast, the Dell Chromebook 11 5190's remaining lifespan in terms of updates is shorter (around 2026 or earlier), while performance-wise, the Acer Spin 312 outperforms the older Dell model.
- The aging Dell Chromebook 11 5190, priced at $339, features an Intel Celeron N3450 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage.
- Despite its robust performance and touchscreen display, the Dell Chromebook model is becoming less popular among students, who are choosing personal laptops instead.
- Tech support issues, such as frozen laptops, insufficient storage space, and slow performance, are becoming more common with the aging Chromebooks.
- In contrast, the Acer Chromebook Spin 312, priced at $450, comes with an Intel Core i3-N305 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage, offering improved performance and faster boot times.
- The Acer Chromebook Spin 312's 2-in-1 form factor, larger storage space, and longer update lifespan make it a more viable option for schools on a budget compared to Windows laptops, especially when purchased in large quantities.
- With the end of federal emergency funds for schools, institutions will need to consider the longevity and performance of Chromebooks in their lifestyle and education-and-self-development technology decisions, as well as their budgetary constraints.
