June 10, 2021
By Nickolas Medina
Staff Writer
After nine years, LHS is making the switch from iPads to Chromebooks. With this move, LHS students will be joining the approximately 40 million users in the education space who already use Chromebooks.
Because Chromebooks are preinstalled with the Google Chrome Operating System, they work seamlessly with Docs, Sheets, Slides and other products in Google Workplace. From a security standpoint, the Google Chrome Operating System is difficult to hack and has built-in malware and virus protection.
Junior Daniel Gozdek has never used a Chromebook before but said he looks forward to the change.
“I would much rather be using any type of laptop over the iPads they have us using now. It’s much easier to type and navigate through a laptop,” Gozdek said.
He said he expects the switch to benefit students.
“I can’t think of anything that will make me miss the iPads. The only thing missing from a Chromebook is the app store, but most of the apps have websites anyway,” Gozdek said.
Junior Delaney Hibbits currently owns a Chromebook and said it is the better option for students.
“For the most part, anything you can do on an iPad can be done better and easier on a Chromebook.”
“I’ve been using my Chromebook all year, and it’s definitely easier than an iPad. I barely even charge my iPad at this point because I just don’t use it enough,” Hibbits said.
She said the functionality of a Chromebook far exceeds that of an iPad.
“For the most part, anything you can do on an iPad can be done better and easier on a Chromebook. The main use of iPads have been for apps like Docs, and it is so much easier to type when you have a keyboard to click on rather than a screen,” Hibbits said.
Principal Ms. Vuono said the main advantages of switching to Chromebooks are that students will have a keyboard available and compatibility will not be an issue.
“Keyboards will help students with writing assignments and state assessments,” Vuono said. “Chromebooks work seamlessly with Google’s tools such as Docs, Slides and Classroom, and these tools are being used more frequently in the high school.”
She said a distribution date for the Chromebooks has not yet been set.
“Our original plan was to collect the iPads at the end of the school year and distribute the Chromebooks simultaneously. However, with so many schools across the country being virtual this year, the demand for 1:1 technology is in high demand. We may have to plan distribution over the summer,” said Vuono.
