Google today released Chrome OS Flex, a new version of Chrome OS designed for businesses and schools to install and run on older computers and Macs. Google began testing Chrome OS Flex earlier this year in an early access preview, and the company has now resolved 600 bugs to implement Flex in businesses and schools today.
Chrome OS Flex is primarily designed for businesses with older Windows computers, as Google has been testing and verifying devices from Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, LG, Toshiba and many more OEMs. Flex will even work on some older Macs, including some 10-year-old MacBooks.
Old hardware support is the big selling point of Chrome OS Flex, as companies don’t have to abandon existing hardware to get the latest modern operating system. More than 400 devices are certified to work, and installation is as easy as using a USB drive to install Chrome OS Flex.
“We’re working on more certifications every day, and even if your device isn’t certified yet, you can still try Chrome OS Flex,” says Thomas Riedl, Google’s director of product, business and education. On devices that are not officially supported, you may experience some minor issues, instability, or boot issues.
Chrome OS is no longer just for Chromebooks.
Chrome OS Flex was made possible by the acquisition of Neverware by Google, which previously sold an app called CloudReady that allowed users to convert older computers to Chrome OS systems. It comes less than a year after Microsoft released Windows 11 with strict hardware requirements that will leave behind millions of older computers.
Google introduces Chrome OS Flex to businesses and schools that want to modernize and simplify their computer configuration or improve security and management capabilities. It’s even a good flex for sustainability-focused companies, allowing some organizations to reduce e-waste and energy consumption.
But the biggest draw will probably be Chrome OS Flex in response to the growing ransomware threat, especially for companies that have been affected and are open to switching from Windows. Chrome OS is much more blocked than Windows, making it difficult for hackers to attack.
Nordic Choice Hotels was hit by a ransomware attack in December, which closed the operations of its 200 hotels in Scandinavia. Conti ransomware, which the U.S. government has been aggressively pursuing, encrypted hotel computers and kept them rescued. The hotel chain had planned to move to Chrome OS as a sustainability effort and was able to instantly convert its 2,000 Windows machines to Chrome OS Flex in less than 48 hours. Employees were sent USB sticks with a one-page document on how to perform the upgrade.
Not all businesses and schools will be able to easily switch to Chrome OS Flex, especially if they rely on existing Windows applications and systems designed with Windows in mind. Virtualization software like Cameyo certainly helps, but Microsoft has dominated computers for over 30 years, so there are deep-rooted dependencies that can’t always be solved with virtualization alone. Relying only on a cloud-based operating system also has its drawbacks, as we saw last year with two bad Chrome OS updates that left some locked to their Chromebooks and others with performance issues.
Undoubtedly, Chromebooks have shown the world that there is a strong alternative to Windows, especially for education where it has thrived thanks to Chromebooks. Chrome OS Flex is another option for those who want to get away from Windows.