Google's Chromebooks thrive in US classrooms but generate waste, costs, critics say

The emergence of Google's Chromebook as a centerpiece of classroom education nationwide is exemplified by the excuses students have offered for incomplete work, technology repair shop owner Justin Millman said.

"The new version of 'my dog ate my homework' is 'my Chromebook won't turn on,'" Millman, who says his Westbury, New York-based shop Cell Mechanic serves roughly 150 schools and repairs 5,000 Chromebooks per month, told ABC News.

The durability of Chromebooks is an issue hardly limited to student concoctions, though. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the wide adoption of Chromebooks in schools across the U.S., since the relative affordability and effectiveness of the products eased the shift toward digital learning.