Google has announced the release of a new version of its Chrome OS operating system for Mac and Windows devices.
This new version is called Chrome OS Flex, and it is intended primarily for business and enterprise customers, but it can be run and installed on any certified device.
Chrome OS Flex supports a large number of desktop and laptop computers from many well-known manufacturers such as Apple, HP, Acer, Dell, Lenovo, Microsoft, and Asus within what Google calls the certified models list.
The supported models list includes many very old devices that were manufactured more than ten years ago, and Google says that providing Chrome OS Flex for these devices, seeks to enable users to refresh their older devices with a modern OS and extend their lifespan to reduce e-waste.
Bringing Chrome OS for Windows and Mac computers is not new, as it is based on the open-source Chromium OS, and there are already many Chrome OS-like OSes such as fydeos and CloudReady. At the end of 2020, Google acquired Neverware, the developer and owner of CloudReady, which is what Google relied on to release Chrome OS Flex.
And since Chrome OS is completely dependent on the cloud, this system does not consume a lot of the resources of the device it is installed on. In addition, it always gets feature updates and security updates, which makes Google’s initiative to bring this operating system to old computers worth noting Because it will give a new breath to these devices and will help more users around the world to use their devices to work and study without having to buy a new computer, which is difficult for many given the high price of computers these days as a result of the Corona pandemic.
Chrome OS Flex lacks a set of features found on Chrome OS, such as support for running Android apps and Google Play Store, and support for running virtual Windows machines using Parallels Desktop, and it also does not support running a set of hardware components such as CD and DVD drives, fingerprint readers, FireWire ports, Infrared (IR) and face recognition cameras, Proprietary connectors and docks, Stylus and active pen input, and Thunderbolt functionality. Chrome OS Flex does not also support data encryption on devices that do not have a TPM chip and doesn't support firmware updates as well.
Chrome OS Flex is still in the early development stage, and it may be unstable at this stage, but you can try it from now by putting it on a USB flash by following the steps shown in the following video, and then booting from the USB.
After booting from the USB, Chrome OS Flex gives an option to try the system on your computer without installing it on your computer, and you can also at any time click the “Install CloudReady” button from the lock screen to install the system on your hard drive.
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