Google turns old Macs, PCs into Chromebooks with Chrome OS Flex

Whether you have an aging Windows PC in the classroom or a dated Mac in your home office that can't handle macOS 12 Monterey, Google wants to turn it into a Chromebook. Google today announced early access to Chrome OS Flex, which makes the Chrome OS operating system found on Chromebooks downloadable onto a Mac or Windows PC.

Chrome OS Flex is basically the official Google version of CloudReady, which Google acquired when it bought Neverware in 2020. Flex allows individuals, schools, or businesses to download Chrome OS onto a USB drive for free (CloudReady charges a fee and annual subscription rate to schools and businesses, respectively) and install it onto their Mac or Windows PC. The OS could also be booted from a USB drive instead of installed or launched via network deployment by an IT department.

Google is positioning Chrome OS Flex as an answer to old Mac and Windows PCs that might not be able to handle the latest version of their native OS and/or that might not be owned by folks with budgets to replace the devices. Rather than buying new hardware, consumers or IT departments could install the latest version of Chrome OS Flex.

Chrome OS Flex is set to run on an identical code base and release schedule as the Chrome OS used by Chromebooks.

For years, Chromium OS-based Chrome OS alternative CloudReady had been positioned as a way to transform consumers', businesses', and schools' old hardware. Then Google snatched it up. Google will automatically move CloudReady home, school, and enterprise users to Chrome OS Flex when the OS is stable.

A Google rep told Ars Technica that Google doesn't currently have plans to add Google Play Store and Android Apps to Chrome OS Flex, as Google is "more focused on the core experience of the OS first." However, Google will continue evaluating. Google has detailed other ways Chrome OS Flex differs from Chrome OS.

Google has also specified how Chrome OS Flex differs from CloudReady. Chrome OS Flex will add Google Assistant, the Chrome browser, and Nearby Sharing. Chrome OS Flex also adds a Linux development environment for compatible hardware for education and enterprise customers.

However, Chrome OS Flex doesn't allow certain system-level access that the home edition of CloudReady supports, including command line access via shell and teletype.

Google's Chrome OS Flex is currently available as early access in the dev channel with bugs expected. According to a blog post today from Thomas Riedl, director of product, enterprise, and education at Google, Chrome OS Flex has already been tested with "Googlers and other large customers." A stable version of the OS will launch "in the coming months," the blog said.

"After login, a user's cloud profile gets downloaded and automatically syncs their settings, bookmarks, and policies," Riedl explained. He added that IT members will be able to use the cloud-based Google Admin console with over 500 policies and controls, including security-focused ones, like sandboxing.

Updated 2/15/2022 at 12:12 p.m. ET with information on how Chrome OS Flex differs from Chrome OS and CloudReady. 

Listing image by Getty Images / Aurich Lawson