The end of the 2022-2023 school year also brought the departure of the infamous Chromebook. Students wondered what type of device the new laptops would be and if they would exceed the standard set by their predecessors.

Alas, the Chromebook rebounded and returned for yet another three-year cycle. While some are content with the device, most feel it underperforms in many categories.

“I mean, the RAM [Random Access Memory]  is only four gigabytes, so it takes a ton of time for the laptop to load any extra tabs,” sophomore Sam Childers said. “The school also has way too many apps that they install to manage students through. Lightspeed is honestly sufficient enough because a majority of people don’t have the technological capability to bypass most of the others.”

The limited capabilities of Chromebooks are expected, but many feel that it is insufficient even at an educational level. The reasoning for this? Price.

“They’re Chromebooks, and Chromebooks are not known for being good computers,” freshman Sebastien Keefer said. “I mean, they’re good for buying them in bulk, because I’m sure it gets expensive, and for what they are, they run pretty good.”

With the school district having to pay for hundreds of computers, it is understandable that the item won’t be leading-edge technology. However, many of this year’s Chromebooks have had to be sent back due to technical malfunctions.

“I can’t give you a real honest answer on my thoughts about the new Chromebooks because, for some reason, we got a bunch of lemons,” PHS Librarian Mrs. Leslie McPhereson said. “We’re sending them back tons and tons at a time to have them repaired. I don’t know if it’s the workmanship or if it’s parts, but we might’ve just got a bad set.”

Many computers have experienced issues with the touchpad not working, the keys being in the wrong place, the touchscreen malfunctioning, and even the battery not charging. Despite these concerning flaws in the design, some enjoy the easy-to-use features that 

“Compared to the previous years, the Chromebooks this year are much better quality,” freshman Kate Mainwaring said. “My favorite feature is the touchscreen.”

Regardless of the staggered results throughout the student body, students are afforded wonderful opportunities when utilizing these devices.