To give a boost to a PC or Mac close to retirement, Google has a solution: Chrome OS Flex. A light, simple and free operating system inspired by Chrome OS, already at work in Chromebooks.
Is your PC or Mac too old or too slow to run recent versions of Windows or macOS, or at least up-to-date enough not to risk a virus attack every time you surf the Web? With Chrome OS Flex, Google offers to give it a second life without resorting to an obscure Linux distribution. Chrome OS is the operating system that has been driving Chromebooks and Chromeboxes for several years, a fairly limited range of laptop or desktop computers. Intended primarily for the education market in the United States, these machines have also won over the general public. Based on the Chrome browser, Google’s operating system has the particularity of focusing on online work – obviously favoring in-house tools – but also being ultra-light and very responsive. Initially working mainly with web applications opened in the browser, Chrome OS has opened up over time to host the Google Play Store, the online store for Android applications. Chrome OS Flex therefore draws all its essence from Chrome OS except for one detail and not the least: here no Google Play Store.
How to install Chrome OS Flex?
Installing Chrome OS on an aging PC or Mac has already been possible for a few years, but not necessarily within everyone’s reach. To achieve this, it was necessary to rely on the free tool CloudReady developed by the American Neverware and find a version of Chrome OS. Acquired by Google in 2020, CloudReady therefore officially made it possible to install Chrome OS on any computer. And it is quite naturally to this tool that Google turned to develop Chrome OS Flex. Completely free, Chrome OS Flex works on most computers prior to 2016. Google also provides a list compatible machines sorted by brand to verify that your PC or Mac can accommodate the system. Moreover, currently available in an early access version, it is necessary to register online to be able to download and install the OS. Then simply create, from the Chrome browser on PC or Mac, a bootable USB key containing the system and then start the installation on the computer to host Chrome OS Flex with it.
A stable version of Chrome OS Flex should be offered in the coming months according to Google. But you can already try the adventure and see if your old computer finds a little freshness by swapping Windows or macOS against Chrome OS Flex.