86 PCWorld OCTOBER 2020FEATURE WHY GOOGLE’S EXPIRATION DATES MATTER
updating it is the first line of defense. With an
expired Chromebook, you lose that defense.
For people used to Windows and
macOS, that could be enough to make you
think an expired Chromebook should be
crossed off the list. But to be fair,
Chromebooks are still one of the most secure
consumer laptops around, and you could
argue that an expired Chromebook might
even be more secure than updated Windows
or macOS laptops. In 10 years, only 55
security exploits (go.pcworld.com/55xp)
have been documented for ChromeOS.
Apple’s OS X has 2,212 (go.pcworld.
com/22xp) listed vulnerabilities from 1999
until today and Microsoft Windows has 6,814
(go.pcworld.com/68xp) since 1999.
Security risks are just one problem. Anunsupported browser
means you get left behind
by websites, too. For
example, on the original
$1,300 Google
Chromebook Pixel (which
expired in 2018), the
version of Chrome it runs
will no longer let you
watch Netflix. For a
typical consumer who
isn’t going to open the
laptop up, unlock the OS
write protect, and install
CloudReady (go.
pcworld.com/incr), the
only way to watch a Netflix movie is to buy a
new Chromebook. Disney+ also rejected the
2013 Pixel. Eat your heart out, because you
can still watch Netflix or Disney+ on a 2013-era
Windows PC or MacBook. Meanwhile,
Nvidia’s nifty GeForce Now game streaming
service (go.pcworld.com/gefn) requires
ChromeOS 77 and up, which was released
late last year. If you’re on an older version, you
can’t use GeForce Now, full stop. As time goes
on, you can bet more Chromebooks on the list
will also be abandoned.NEARLY EXPIRED
CHROMEBOOKS ARE STILL
BEING SOLD
The unstated mess in all this is that you can
still buy many Chromebooks that areThe original Google Pixel Chromebook is still a very capable laptop, but
because its last OS update was in 2018, it can’t even watch movies on
Netflix anymore.