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What is ChromeOS Flex? Google’s cloud-first operating system explained
In This Article
In the world of PCs, there aren’t a ton of widely used operating systems. There’s Windows,MacOS,ChromeOSand you may be familiar with Linux. But, Google has one more option, ChromeOS Flex. Here’s the skinny.
Scores of people around the world are sure to have old PCs lying around that they’ve let fall by the wayside due to poor performance, or you may not be happy with the device you’re currently using. That’s where ChromeOS Flex can step in.
Google’s cloud-first operating system is made to turn your old Windows and MacOS duds into capable, contemporary machines once again. This is all you need to know about ChromeOS Flex.
What is ChromeOS Flex?
ChromeOS Flex is a cloud-first operating system created by Google and, like ChromeOS, is based on the open-source Chromium OS project. ChromeOS Flex is aimed at revitalising old Windows and MacOS devices by offering you a lightweight operating system that can run on old hardware but offers modern features and software updates.
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ChromeOS Flex offers a similar experience to ChromeOS but is completely cloud-based, meaning apps can’t be installed. Along with modern computing through its similar experience to ChromeOS, which is great for productivity use on low-specification computers, it offers up-to-date software and security with them coming at a similar cadence to ChromeOS. This enables your old Windows and MacOS devices with an internet connection to be modernised, preventing them from becoming waste. ChromeOS Flex is also a low-energy consumption operating system, offering sustainability and cost-saving capabilities in that area too.
Google touts the simplicity of deploying ChromeOS Flex as a key feature too, with a bootable version of the software simply required to be placed onto a USB drive and then installed on your Windows or MacOS devices of choice or deployed over a company network.
ChromeOS Flex is completely free to use and you can finda list of compatible devices here.
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Adam is the Computing Editor of Trusted Reviews. He joined as a staff writer in 2019 after graduating from Newcastle University with an MA in Multimedia Journalism. After spending two years at WIRED,…
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Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
