Why parents, teachers and school districts are fed up with their Chromebooks
Tens of thousands of kids are headed back to school with computers that are about to be useless.
Right to repair
We should be able to fix our stuff when it breaks. That means getting the companies who make our stuff, to give us the right to repair our stuff.
We should be able to fix our stuff when it breaks. We need easy access to the information, tools, resources and third party repair shops it takes to fix our cell phones, appliances, electronics and other equipment. That means working together to get the companies who make our stuff, to give us the right to repair our stuff. When they do, it will be better for the planet, better for our budgets, and things will work the way they are supposed to.
The Latest on Right to repair
Why do we replace our laptops every few years?
‘When will my Chromebook expire?’ Why computers should be designed to last.
Updates
PIRG hosts webinar with MythBusters’ Adam Savage on Right to Repair
Featured Resources
Full Letter— Parents, environmentalists to Google: stop Chromebooks from expiring this summer
Green schools guide
‘Chromebook Churn’ report highlights problems of short-lived laptops in schools
‘Failing the Fix’ scorecard helps you buy a repairable laptop and cellphone
The Latest
NEWS RELEASE: Parents, environmentalists to Google: stop Chromebooks from expiring this summer
End of service for millions of school computers jeopardizes students’ educations
‘Failing the Fix’ scorecard grades Apple, Google, Dell, others on how fixable their devices are
According to the Arizona PIRG Education Fund, consumers often don’t know which products will last and they’ll be able to fix, or which manufacturers make fixable devices and support Right to Repair. A new scorecard by the organization, “Failing the Fix,” ranks the most popular cell phone and laptop makers for consumers who seek to purchase easily repairable products – especially those from companies who do not fight to prevent Right to Repair.
‘Hog-tied’ and fed up: New report shows dealership consolidation makes farmers’ lives harder
According to the Arizona PIRG Education Fund, many farm equipment manufacturers prevent farmers from accessing the software tools they need to fix their modern tractors. The organization states that this “forces farmers to turn to corporate-authorized dealers for many problems, which can lead to high repair bills and delays that can put their crops—and their livelihoods—at risk”. While farmers have always relied on local dealerships for help, more and more those dealerships have been bought up by large chain networks, further reducing competition and exacerbating the problems farmers already face due to repair restrictions.
You’re not crazy: your appliances were built to fail you
Why appliances aren’t built to last, and how the E.U. is changing that.
Statement: Landmark FTC report calls for action on Right to Repair
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a report today on manufacturers' use of restrictive repair tactics that have kept consumers from repairing their own products.