Chrome OS Flex can be installed on old PC
Chrome OS Flex can be installed on old PC.
Don’t throw old computers in 10 years, Google announces free rescue plan
Google recently launched a new operating system “Chrome OS Flex”, the main function is to convert old computers that users no longer use and are about to retire into Google’s own Chrome OS, and by putting core computing in the cloud instead of the computer to extend the life of the old computer.
In fact, this feature is not a new build, but from Neverware, which Google acquired in 2020. The company’s “CloudReady” technology, the predecessor of the aforementioned “Chrome OS Flex”, also aims to extend the life of old PCs with Chrome OS, but Google points out in the description that it has been built to be more consistent with Chrome OS, including the underlying code and the cadence of future updates.
With this transition, users will be able to experience many of the features of Chrome OS, including using the Chrome browser as the main user interface, and using various Google services such as YouTube, Gmail, Google Doc, etc., to some extent cloud Internet access.
A dedicated computer is also different from a general computer.
However, it should be noted that there are still many differences between “Chrome OS Flex” and the general version of Chrome OS.
For example, it still does not support Android App and Google Play Store, and it cannot use Windows emulators such as Parallels Desktop.
Retrofitting an older computer with “Chrome OS Flex” also has some hardware requirements, including an Intel or AMD x86-64-bit processor (including Mac and Windows PCs), 4GB of memory and 16GB of storage.
Google also warned that laptops made before 2010, more than 12 years ago, may have a “bad experience” and are not suitable for updating.
Chrome OS Flex is also free software, which can be downloaded from Google’s official website, and you can choose to update it through the Internet, or change it to boot from a USB boot disk, and try it out before the official installation.
