The ChromeOS Flex tool, which was released in February this year and provided for use in the early beta stage, is currently released by Google in the official version, so that more old PCs can be turned into ChromeOS devices and continue to be used, and at the same time, it can also reduce the problem of e-waste disposal.
According to Google, more than 400 devices have been verified so far, and devices such as laptops promoted by Apple, Dell, and HP can be transformed into ChromeOS devices that can operate smoothly through this tool.
The ChromeOS Flex tool is derived from the CloudReady software service of Neverware, which Google acquired at the end of 2020. It can turn old Windows PCs and Macs into ChromeOS devices, so that these devices that would otherwise be obsolete can be reused.
Compared with the early beta version released in February this year, Google said that the official version has made more than 600 corrections and adjustments based on previous feedback, and it can work normally on more than 400 devices, including Apple Mac Mini, MacBook , MacBook Air, or Lenovo’s early launch of ThinkPad X1 Carbon and other models.
Even if the model has not been officially verified by Google, as long as it meets the basic requirements, it can be turned into a ChromeOS device through the ChromeOS Flex tool. However, it is still limited to models with x86 architecture processors, and models that support Arm architecture have not yet been added.
In addition to allowing old computer devices to be used again, Thomas Riedl, director of products, enterprise and education at Google, took Nordic Choice Hotels, a boutique hotel group with more than 200 hotel chains, as an example. After the group’s hotels were attacked by ransomware , with the ChromeOS Flex tool, more than 2,000 PC devices were restored in just 2 days.
In addition, Google has also quietly adjusted the name this time. In the future, it will no longer use the “Chrome OS” name with spaces, but will be adjusted to the “ChromeOS” name that is linked together.