Google breaks promise to provide 10 years of updates to Chromebooks

谷歌违背承诺：不再为 Chromebook 提供 10 年更新支持

Google launched its Googlebooks platform a week ago, and a lot of people were wondering what this meant for Chrome OS and Chromebooks. Since Googlebooks and its Android-based Googlebook OS lack the management frameworks markets like schools require, Chromebooks will continue to be available for now, until such time Googlebooks catch up in that regard. 谷歌在一周前推出了 Googlebooks 平台，许多人都在猜测这对 Chrome OS 和 Chromebook 意味着什么。由于 Googlebooks 及其基于 Android 的 Googlebook OS 缺乏学校等市场所需的管理框架，因此在 Googlebooks 赶上这一需求之前，Chromebook 将继续提供。

However, in a support document, Google states that update support for all Chromebook devices will end in 2034: 然而，谷歌在一份支持文档中指出，所有 Chromebook 设备的更新支持将于 2034 年结束：

ChromeOS devices will continue to receive regular updates and security patches through mid-2034. For qualifying devices purchased today whose 10-year support lifecycle extends beyond 2034, Google is committed to supporting your transition to Googlebook OS, with many devices offering direct migration paths. ↫ Google support document ChromeOS 设备将继续接收常规更新和安全补丁，直至 2034 年年中。对于今天购买的、其 10 年支持周期超过 2034 年的合格设备，谷歌承诺支持您过渡到 Googlebook OS，许多设备将提供直接迁移路径。—— 谷歌支持文档

Google promised 10 years of updates for all Chromebooks, and it’s now breaking that promise for anyone buying a Chromebook between now and whenever the last Chromebook rolls off the production line. Sadly, we live in a world where corporations are free to make and break whatever promises they want virtually free of consequences, and as society we’re so used to it that anti-consumer behaviour like this barely elicits a shrug. 谷歌曾承诺为所有 Chromebook 提供 10 年更新，但现在它违背了这一承诺，影响了从现在起到最后一台 Chromebook 下线期间购买该产品的用户。可悲的是，我们生活在一个企业可以随意做出并违背承诺而几乎无需承担后果的世界里，作为社会的一员，我们对此已经习以为常，以至于这种反消费者的行为甚至让人懒得耸耸肩。

Google does state that “many newer commercial Chromebook models will be capable of upgrading to Googlebook OS”, but that, too, is just another promise – and a vague, one at that – so who knows how many devices will actually be capable of upgrading out in the real world. On top of that, we have no idea if Googlebooks will just be yet another in a long line of quickly abandoned Google tablet/laptop projects, further adding to the uncertainty. 谷歌确实声称“许多较新的商用 Chromebook 机型将能够升级到 Googlebook OS”，但这也不过是另一个承诺——而且是一个模糊的承诺——所以谁也不知道在现实世界中到底有多少设备能够真正升级。最重要的是，我们不知道 Googlebooks 是否会成为谷歌众多被迅速放弃的平板电脑/笔记本电脑项目中的又一个，这进一步增加了不确定性。

Stuff like this should not be legal. 这样的事情不应该是合法的。