most browsers get autoupdates, but chromebooks are reaching a point where they're reaching end of life and (i think) without warning stop receiving browser updates.
it would be useful to have some error messages right at the start of loading
start with html that already has a message about javascript likely being disabled
after that, the first script that should run should be a simple well supported script to replace that text with something that helps people find whatever issues there could be, such as
a message saying that snap needs an up to date browser (maybe even a specific minimum version)
the browser useragent
a list of any errors that happen during loading (not sure if there's a way to do this other than a massive try/catch)
and just to get it out of the way since i'm sure others will say it and i want to say it too:
all googles fault, bad for users, bad for developers, don't get a chromebook, don't use chrome, etc.
you haven't explained what list, i didn't have this issue, and the issue isn't a bug.
i linked the thread where this issue happened in the original post to point out that it is an issue that people have.
Ugh, yeah, we should handle errors better in general. I'm not sure if we can find out what browser and version you're running, but I think we can. It's just a pain in the neck to keep track of the most recent version that fails to run Snap! correctly. (It's not just the case where Snap! can't start at all, but also relatively minor UI features not working.)
It's not just Chromebooks. I maintain some old(ish) computers in order to run programs that Apple has deemed unsupported in newer versions of MacOS. But both Firefox and Chrome will refuse to update on old OS versions, and anyway sometimes I like to keep an old Firefox because I use extensions that are obsoleted in newer Firefoxes. (I have a simulated Motorola 68000 processor so I can run MacOS 7 programs! I know, I'm a dinosaur. But pre-X versions of MacOS supported hundreds of terrific system extensions that are gone now. For example, I wish I had Replace!, an extension that made Yes the default if you just hit the enter key when those annoying "Are you sure?" boxes pop up. So far I haven't found a way to do that in MacOS X.)
I'm sorry, but the requirement for Snap! is to be able to run the current official web standards. This isn't just for convenience but also for security of your school's networks and cloud services. I'm sure your school's IT support staff understands and appreciates that.
What? No? Chromebooks just rose in popularity not even 2 years ago, why would Google be ending its life, especially when more schools are using it?
I think its just outdated hardware
hardware doesn't expire. every computer has the same performance it always had. the only reason it gets "outdated" is because people make slower software and for many devices, the companies stop giving them updates and don't make it clear where people can get their own updates from.
people were just fine using windows 95 and doing all their daily tasks on computers that are called "unusable" now.
you said yourself that the chromebook is from 2014, it's been 6.5 years since then, and that's around the time google stops supporting chromebooks. i can't know exactly why their device is out of date but pretty much everything gets autoupdates and the only reason they wouldn't without someone knowing is if the updates stopped being made.
agent sniffing (there's other stuff in navigator too) navigator.userAgent
feature sniffing
try {
({}.?a); // test .? operator
(null ?? 3); // ?? operator
} catch (e) {
// doesn't work! do some stuff
}
just don't block anything based on the detected browser version, only block things based on features. nobody wants to see that their rare browser isn't allowed on the website.
note that many browsers also change and mess around with the useragent specifically because people were using detected browser versions to guess if features were supported and to do nasty things. even my browser says it's an older version than it actually is.
Yes, but chromebooks themselves aren't reaching its end of life?
And also as technology improves, and better/more powerful software gets introduced, the hardware you might have may not work well enough with the program you want to run.
Of course hardware doesn't 'expire', I don't think you know what 'outdated hardware' means.
the chromebook can't get updates. it is at end of life. every chromebook of that model is at end of life. this means there are chromebooks that are reaching end of life and leaving around a lot of dangerous outdated browsers with unsuspecting users.