If you happen to have an old computer in your closet collecting dust, it is time to bring it out and transform it into a Chromebook using Google’s Chrome OS Flex, without costing a penny.
If you ever used a Chromebook, you already know Chrome OS, but what is Chrome OS Flex?
Chrome OS Flex is a free and cloud-based OS developed by Google that can be installed on PCs and Macs. Chrome OS Flex is almost the same as Chrome OS, so you can say that Chrome OS Flex is Google’s attempt to attract PC and Mac users to switch to Chrome OS by offering them a super simple and easy way to install the OS on their existing devices, turning the device into a Chromebook.
Chrome OS Flex is built upon CloudReady, which is a popular program that allows you to install Chromium OS on an old computer so you can have a Chromebook-like experience. After acquired CloudReady, Google streamlined the installation process of CloudReady and branded as Chrome OS Flex. As a matter of fact, Chrome OS Flex is referred as CloudReady 2.0 during the installation. I tried CloudReady before, but unfortunately it failed to install Chromium OS on my Lenovo ThinkPad T450S. Chrome OS Flex, however, ran smoothly and installed on the same laptop without any issue.
To install Chrome OS Flex on a computer, just follow two simple steps:
- Create a bootable Chrome OS Flex USB drive
- Boot your computer using the bootable USB drive, then choose to install it
For the detailed Chrome OS Flex installation guide, click here.
I was able to install Chrome OS Flex on two old laptops: Lenovo ThindPad T450S and an HP Pavalion. They both are too old to run Windows 10 efficiently, but now they run Chrome OS Flex with amazing speed.