Phil Schiller offers scathing critique of Chromebook, calls it 'cheap testing tool'
Apple SVP of Marketing Phil Schiller in an interview on Wednesday delivered a devastating take on Google's Chromebook initiative, saying the platform's success in the education market largely owes to its low price and broader institutional testing procedures.

Germany's Wilhelm Ferdinand School, where every student gets an iPad. | Source: Apple
Schiller was asked about Chromebook's growth in education as part of an interview with CNET covering Apple's new 16-inch MacBook Pro, which launched earlier today.
The executive, who noted colleges are "dominated" by MacBooks, was asked to offer perspective on Chromebook's rapid adoption in education. He initially deflected, saying iPad is "doing really well" in the K-12 market, before lashing out at the inexpensive hardware family.
"Kids who are really into learning and want to learn will have better success. It's not hard to understand why kids aren't engaged in a classroom without applying technology in a way that inspires them. You need to have these cutting-edge learning tools to help kids really achieve their best results," Schiller said. "Yet Chromebooks don't do that. Chromebooks have gotten to the classroom because, frankly, they're cheap testing tools for required testing. If all you want to do is test kids, well, maybe a cheap notebook will do that. But they're not going to succeed."
The derogatory "test machine" reference has been floated by other Apple execs, including CEO Tim Cook in 2015.
Over the past few years, schools across the U.S. have moved to an assessment-driven curriculum. Facing a shift in priorities and mounting budgetary concerns, many institutions began to question the value of a Mac or iPad, while others simply could not buy a tablet as mandated tests require keyboards.
Apple conducted study "many many years ago" that found student engagement was intrinsically tied to academic success, Schiller said, the conceit being technology baked into iPad and Mac is better suited for the classroom than what is on offer from "cheap" Chromebook hardware.
The comments drew swift criticism, which Schiller attempted to allay in a tweet.
"Every child has the ability to succeed -- helping them to do that has always been our mission," he said. "In the full conversation with CNET, we discussed giving kids and teachers the content, curriculum and tools they need to learn, explore and grow. Not just to take a test."
Education was once a stronghold for the iPhone maker, but the company's lead in the segment, previously spearheaded by Mac, has been quickly eroded by encroaching newcomers.
In a bid to bolster a weakening stance in the sector, Apple has since revamped its education strategy to focus on iPad and specialized mass distribution software. The company has transitioned to a mobile-first strategy under the iPad in education initiative, providing schools a more affordable path to hardware purchasing and management.

Germany's Wilhelm Ferdinand School, where every student gets an iPad. | Source: Apple
Schiller was asked about Chromebook's growth in education as part of an interview with CNET covering Apple's new 16-inch MacBook Pro, which launched earlier today.
The executive, who noted colleges are "dominated" by MacBooks, was asked to offer perspective on Chromebook's rapid adoption in education. He initially deflected, saying iPad is "doing really well" in the K-12 market, before lashing out at the inexpensive hardware family.
"Kids who are really into learning and want to learn will have better success. It's not hard to understand why kids aren't engaged in a classroom without applying technology in a way that inspires them. You need to have these cutting-edge learning tools to help kids really achieve their best results," Schiller said. "Yet Chromebooks don't do that. Chromebooks have gotten to the classroom because, frankly, they're cheap testing tools for required testing. If all you want to do is test kids, well, maybe a cheap notebook will do that. But they're not going to succeed."
The derogatory "test machine" reference has been floated by other Apple execs, including CEO Tim Cook in 2015.
Over the past few years, schools across the U.S. have moved to an assessment-driven curriculum. Facing a shift in priorities and mounting budgetary concerns, many institutions began to question the value of a Mac or iPad, while others simply could not buy a tablet as mandated tests require keyboards.
Apple conducted study "many many years ago" that found student engagement was intrinsically tied to academic success, Schiller said, the conceit being technology baked into iPad and Mac is better suited for the classroom than what is on offer from "cheap" Chromebook hardware.
The comments drew swift criticism, which Schiller attempted to allay in a tweet.
"Every child has the ability to succeed -- helping them to do that has always been our mission," he said. "In the full conversation with CNET, we discussed giving kids and teachers the content, curriculum and tools they need to learn, explore and grow. Not just to take a test."
Education was once a stronghold for the iPhone maker, but the company's lead in the segment, previously spearheaded by Mac, has been quickly eroded by encroaching newcomers.
In a bid to bolster a weakening stance in the sector, Apple has since revamped its education strategy to focus on iPad and specialized mass distribution software. The company has transitioned to a mobile-first strategy under the iPad in education initiative, providing schools a more affordable path to hardware purchasing and management.
Comments
Phil may be right that Chromebooks are only good for testing, so buy them for that, but also deploy a range of Macs, Windows and Android hardware throughout schools.
Ugh, although I agree with you Phill, never say those words again, they may one day come back to haunt you.
https://www.apple.com/education/
Unless he can come up with an appealing Apple alternative, Phil is being stupidly arrogant and dismissive. Not cool.
In hindsight, I'm betting Phil is regretting the original comment. I'm pretty freaking sure he thought that comment was going to get a different reception than the one it got. It was tone deaf. But if he's concerned about the success of the kids, and doesn't want them to become testing automatons, introduce educational initiatives like Google did. He can be dismissive of Google's Chromebooks but they've offered soup to nuts solutions for schools that actually fit tightening education budgets. Apple could easily do the same. There is literally nothing stopping them... 'cept doing it.
I dunno, Phil. Isn’t that a bit like saying cheesecake’s success in the marketplace is largely because it tastes good and everyone eats it?
You don’t tell folk why they shouldn’t buy into the competition, you tell them why they should buy into you.
If you have constant internet and don't care to use anything but Chrome, Google Photos, and Google Docs, then a Chromebook might be for you. Institutions love them because they are cheap and uniform, and don't allow much in the way of outside apps or storage (schools are as much about control as they are about education, as every student knows).
I hate them because a) they are useless without an internet connection AND YET THEY ARE PORTABLES (whaaa?), b) they tend to get returned with problems or because the user wants to, you know, do something Google doesn't make an app for. A lot. As I say, cheap in both senses.
And c) Google's pledge about student privacy is a complete crock that has already been exposed in several claimed "bugs" (you know, like FB privacy "bugs") and the amount of data the company collects via Chrome, GMail, Google Photos and Google Docs is staggering. Cheap hardware means they are supplementing the profitability by selling your data -- and they have more on you than you could possibly remember about even yourself -- to parties that use that data abusively to manipulate you far more extensively than you may realise.
The research on ICT in education doesn't show a massive uplift in student attainment (not when I look at the large meta studies from around the world) - and where it does its probably more to do with increased motivation because students like working on computers. From my research (I work at a UK university in education) and most of the large studies if kids put down the computers (and the tests!) and starting talking with each other about the school work their understanding and attainment is much more likely to rise!
From a researcher's point of view ... Phil is absolutely right on computerised testing and assessment-driven curricula but probably overestimates the benefit of the iPad to learning.