If your district is implementing a computing program, Chromebooks are an essential consideration. Low in price and secure, Chromebooks are internet-heavy devices running on Chrome OS.

One of the most attractive features about a Chromebook is the fact that they are relatively low maintenance. With little to no software, OS and app updates are often automatic and occur in the background. In terms of hardware, there are very few moving parts in the device.

Parts of a Chromebook

Even though they are lean on hardware, you should still be familiar with their parts. Here are the parts of a Chromebook:

Motherboard

The heart of your Chromebook, the motherboard is the main circuit board. It holds and enables all communication between many crucial systems in your Chromebook. The motherboard holds the central processing unit (CPU).

Battery

Chromebooks use lithium-ion batteries, which are rechargeable. Another draw about Chromebooks is their long battery life. Most Chromebooks can support an eight-hour school day easily on a single charge.

A/C Adapter

Also referred to as a power cord or charger, a Chromebook’s A/C adapter is its external power supply that recharges the battery.

Display

Referred to by many names, a Chromebook’s display is composed of an LCD and the glass screen. Depending on your Chromebook, it may also have a digitizer.

• LCD: Liquid-crystal display, or LCD, is a flat-panel display that uses liquid crystals in its primary operation. LCDs are extremely common today, and largely replaced light-emitting diode (LED) displays.
• Screen: The protective glass that covers the LCD
• Digitizer: If your Chromebook features a touch screen, it will have a digitizer which enable s the touch screen functionality.

Bezel

Typically made of plastic, the bezel is the border around the display.

Web Cam

The web cam is located above the display in the bezel.

Microphone

The microphone is typically located beside the web cam.

Ports

Chromebooks come equipped with a variety of ports which can include:

• USB ports: type A, C, or both
• Headphone and/or microphone jack
• Micro SD slot for expandable storage
• SIM card slot for Chromebooks with LTE capabilities

Keyboard, Touchpad, and Palmrest

Often sold as one part, the keyboard, touchpad, and palmrest is where the action occurs on the Chromebook.

• Keyboard: Although still in QWERTY format, Chromebook keyboards differ from a Windows laptop or MacBook. The caps lock key has been replaced with the search/launcher key. There are also no enhanced function keys (F1-F12).
• Touchpad: Also referred to as clickpad or trackpad, the touchpad is a touch-sensitive panel that controls point-and-click functionality.
• Palmrest: The plastic cover surrounding the keyboard and touchpad is the palmrest.

Top and Bottom Covers

The shell of the Chromebook is comprised of the top and bottom covers. They can be made of plastic or aluminum.

Repairing Your K-12 Chromebooks

Although Chromebooks are low maintenance, they sometimes do need to be repaired. The good news is that they are generally easy to repair and oftentimes the repairs can be completed in house.

All you need is a reliable Chromebook parts supplier to source parts and a tutorial. That’s where we come in! AGParts Education has the capability to support school districts of any size in parts procurement with:

• An inventory of 500,000+ OEM new and reclaimed parts
• Orders that ship the same day plus free shipping
• Discounts on bulk order
• A dedicated sales executive to simplify and assist your district in managing your 1:1 program
• A comprehensive YouTube library of 250+ repair tutorials for a variety of models and variety of repairs

AGParts Education has been in the classroom since Chromebooks were first introduced, partnering with Council Bluffs School District, one of Google’s pilot schools. Find out why 7,500+ school districts, including Council Bluffs, rely on us for their Chromebook parts, technology buyback, and more. Contact us today to see how we can help your school district today.