To give your aging computer a boost, give it a new OS! ChromeOS Flex, an operating system signed Google, is intended for low-performance PCs or Macs.
Your computer is not compatible with Windows 11? Do not panic, Google has (probably) a solution for you. The company has just announced that its ChromeOS Flex operating system now works on nearly 300 different machines, PCs or Macs.
ChromeOS Flex, the lighter Google ecosystem
Presented at the start of 2022, ChromeOS Flex is a light version of ChromeOS, the operating system entirely focused on Google services. Result of the acquisition of the company CloudReady, this OS is intended mainly for businesses and education, but it is quite possible to install it on your personal computer.
While traditional operating systems are becoming more and more resource-intensive, ChromeOS Flex is an interesting alternative. The list of compatible computers established by Google is quite long and includes machines whose characteristics seem outdated today. With its lowered requirements, ChromeOS Flex can give your aging PC or Mac a second life, keeping it out of the millions of tons of e-waste that pollutes the planet.
Machines certified by Google – HP, Asus, Apple, Dell or Lenovo computers – benefit from guaranteed software support for a few years. Some devices will thus benefit from updates until 2025, 2028 or 2030. What to see before considering the purchase of a new PC. Obviously, the features of ChromeOS Flex remain limited, due to its architecture geared towards the clouds and that it is aimed at low-powered computers. However, Google highlights enhanced security and lower energy consumption.
4 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage required
Google provides a full installation tutorial and even offers the option to install ChromeOS Flex on a USB drive. You will be able to test the system without touching the Windows or Mac installation present on your computer. To accommodate this OS, your machine must have at least 4 GB of RAM, 16 GB of storage and an Intel or AMD processor released after 2010. Nothing prevents you from implementing the OS on a computer that is not officially compatible , but the operation may end in “a degraded experience”warns Google.
If you don’t want to dive headlong into Google’s software ecosystem, you can also breathe new life into an aging machine with a lightweight Linux distro. The opportunity for your PC to recover and for you to discover the world of free software.