Google has officially released ChromeOS Flex, which allows users to replace the operating system on older PCs and Macs, for all intents and purposes changing the computer into a Chromebook.
The company says “Flex” can “within minutes” turn your old PC or Mac into what are essentially Chromebooks. The company says individuals, schools, and businesses can extend the lifespan of older devices while trying can “easily try modern computing with cloud-based management.” The company also points out that such a move will help reduce e-waste.
If you have an older Mac or PC that cannot run Apple or Microsoft’s latest and greatest operating systems, you can install Google’s new OS. If you’re not ready to go all in with ChromeOS Flex, you can try it out by creating a bootable Chrome OS Flex USB stick, boot from that, then try out the lightweight operating system.
Chrome OS Flex has the same look and feel as Chrome OS, which is installed on every recent Chromebook. Flex is built on the same code base and includes Google Assistant, the Chrome browser, and Nearby Sharing. However, there’s no Google Play Store, and Google has listed some other limitations of OS Flex that distinguish it from ChromeOS on native Google devices.
Chrome OS Flex is the result of Google’s 2020 purchase of Neverware, a company that offered an app called CloudReady that could be used to convert old PCs into Chrome OS machines.
The operating system is certified to work on over 400 devices, including Macs released after 2010 with 16GB of free storage.
The use of OS Flex is free for individuals, but schools and businesses using CloudReady will continue to be charged a fee and subscription rate.
For more information on how to install and configure ChromeOS Flex, view the ChromeOS Flex installation guide.