Tom Baumgarten, superintendent of the Morongo County School District, looks at a laptop with a cracked screen at Twentynine Palms Junior High School, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020, in Twentynine Palms, Calif. Baumgarten was set to order 5,000 Lenovo Chromebooks in July when his vendor called him off, saying Lenovos were getting "stopped by a government agency because of a component from China that's not allowed here," he said.
Baumgarten was set to order 5,000 Lenovo Chromebooks in July when his vendor called him off, saying Lenovos were getting “stopped by a government agency because of a component from China that’s not allowed here,” he said. He switched to HPs and was told they would arrive in time for the first day of school Aug. 26. The delivery date then changed to September, then October.
“We were promised devices. Our students need devices. And as a result of not receiving devices we will have students starting the school year unable to participate. It’s unconscionable,” said Hussain. A Lenovo official told California’s Department of Education the company has a backlog of more than 3 million Chromebooks, said Daniel Thigpen, the department’s spokesman.
The Department of Commerce said it added Hefei Bitland to its so-called Entity List, which restricts the export and in-country transfer of items by sanctioned companies. “It does not apply to the importation of Chromebooks from China,” the department said in a statement, adding, however, “we should all agree that American school children should not be using computers from China that were produced from forced labor.
Some of the school districts, like Los Angeles, say the outstanding orders are for replacement devices and all students who need a computer will have one. Many districts are asking parents with the means to buy devices for their children but realize that’s not an option for many families. The shortage stems from exceptionally high demand at a time when the personal computer industry is still recovering from pandemic-driven precautions that shut down the factories of major PC suppliers in China during February and March.
Even my local school district has waited until the last minute to do things. It’s simply a lack of leadership from the top down.
Laptops are ruining our kids.
And what were they doing ALL summer?
Whatever happened to books pencils and paper Laptops are not helping kids learn better.
If the GOP can make money on it it will fly if not they just don't care, be a fool send you kid to school.
Laptops are not an accessory, they are an essential tool in today’s educational system, especially at the university level.
Many parents know the importance of their children receiving a good quality education, but the question is: 'What's behind the push in the middle of a pandemic? Could it be the withholding of federal funds if the schools are not reopen by the Trump administration?
KishaMarique It’s not like they haven’t had since March to do this.
How about buying an all-in-one desktop computer? Better performing than chrome books,, supports chrome, bigger screen for zoom calls..
Still no internet for many students in my area. Verizon and Spectrum refusing to add service in areas that they deem to be low income.
It’s not just a laptop shortage. It’ll be a cruel surprise when homes with two parents and multiple kids are at home together on zoom or whatever video meeting platform their using.
The kids here are being given chromebooks, but this is a rural area and some kids don't have internet. We could revert back to the correspondence schools of yesteryear, where rural kids were sent hw via the POSTAL SERVICE, since the gov't apparently won't provide broadband.
I was able to get a Pixel Book Go chromebook, costs $649
Microsoft BillGates I know for a fact that you have 3yo laptops lying around. Maybe you guys should be donating them to schools. Good PR. DoTheRightThing
Not surprised. I bought a new laptop from Target in June and the girl told me they only had 2 laptops left in inventory that I could buy that day.
And who pays teachers’ internet bills or buys them equipment to teach online? I’m guessing it’s the teachers footing those bills too.
If it's an accessory, it's not crucial.
I noticed a kids desk/chair shortage when looking to buy one for my daughter a couple weeks ago. I found exactly 1 affordable (see: under $300) option with one in stock from Amazon and snagged it.
If only there were billion dollar companies that could help...
woot has some current deals on laptops
What happened to the ones the kids used last year?
There are lots of laptops available. Maybe the government should give a tax deduction for donations and folks with a little extra money could donate a new laptop, or redirect used ones from recycling programs and give them a new use. $30 hard drive and a copy of linux = solved
MichaelDell can you please help?! Please please...this is your area of expertise and you’ve done some tremendous educational work for urban poor families in the past. Thank you Sir💙💙
If only they has some sign earlier in the year that remote learning might be in the future.
WHERE R THE 'GREEDY' BILLIONAIRES/MILLIONAIRES WHO TRUMP GAVE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF 'TAXPAYER $$$$$' 2 UNDER HIS REGIME? THEY COULD EASILY TAKE CARE OF THIS NEED. IF THEY DON'T, MAY THE LORD BLESS/THEIR OWN AS THEY HAVE EARNED/DESERVE! EVERY ONE OF THEM!
Perhaps a national laptop donation drive would help? There are mounds of used laptops collecting dust across America.
I’ve been talking to the youngsters and they say that laptops are the third hottest accessory this year after Umbro shorts and Adidas jackets.
So everyones already got their back to school coffins then.
Kids need to use the oriental abicus so we can compete with China —- we are falling behind because laptops lead to dirty pitchers !!
Almost 6 months to get it done a bit better/organized, and still behind the 8 Ball. Just freaking Amazing.🤦
Because they’re not going back school. This is not back to school. It is saddling the parents with schooling and essential work.
Too bad Union Dues go to Democrats instead of students.
Weird that theres been a 'one laptop per child' charity going for ten years or so. Humans are mostly just ambivalent
WTF !!!
we bought a computer and backpack for our granson when he went to college and we could not afford a mobile laptop
Ask the teacher's unions to contribute instead of putting it towards the election.
Newegg has plenty!
ok