The Google Chrome OS Flex Officially Refurbish Old PCs and Macs, By converting them to Chromebooks. Eventually, your Mac or PC will have trouble working after it gets stuck Programs disabled or from wear and tear after extensive use. It may take a few years or a decade, Depending on various factors, but it is practically inevitable to escape from the inevitable. Instead of reusing or recycling your aging system, you can now use Chrome OS Flex to turn your PC/Mac into a Chromebook.
Why would this be better? Because Flex, like ChromeOS, is a lightweight, cloud-based operating system that does not require the most advanced components to run smoothly. Google claims that the operating system will boot quickly, receive the same update pace as Chrome OS, provide access to the Chrome browser, the Google Assistant and other features (Family Link accounts, Smart Lock, Instant Tethering, Near Share), all From the same user interface as Chrome OS. It is also easy to manage, ID and ID admins can easily upgrade to Chrome OS devices when the time is right.
Keep in mind that Chrome OS Flex is intended primarily for businesses and schools running large fleets of old Windows PCs, including those from Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, LG, and others. It also works with Macs, including some up to 10 years.
An early access preview of Chrome OS Flex launched earlier this year and alerted Google to about 600 errors. With these fixes, Flex is now rolling out to businesses and schools. To make things easier for those organizations, Google List the systems Verified to run Chrome OS Flex. At the time of writing, about 300 devices are capable of switching to the operating system. Here are the functions that are guaranteed to work on supported devices:
- Installations
- WIFI
- Ethernet
- Inner width (if any)
- At least one method for both audio input and output
- Sleep and resume
- The touchpad
- keyboard
- USB
- Non-infrared webcam (if available)
“We’re working on more certifications every day, and even if your device isn’t certified yet, you can still try Chrome OS Flex,” wrote Thomas Riedl, Director of Product, Enterprise, and Education at Google.
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Chrome OS Flex was made possible after Neverware, makers of CloudReady, was acquired by Google in 2020. I have since worked with the team to integrate CloudReady into a Chrome-branded product. To try Chrome OS Flex, you can boot directly from the USB without uninstalling or installing anything. When you’re ready, you can replace your old OS (back up everything first!) by Install Chrome OS Flex.