Google has classified computers from various manufacturers as “ certified” for use with Chrome OS Flex. The processor and graphics chips need to be circa 2010 or later for best results, Google says. Old Mac System RequirementsĬhrome OS Flex requires an Intel-based 64-bit Mac with at least 4 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage. You can reuse the flash device if you want to install Chrome OS Flex on more than one computer.īut first, here are some details that you’ll want to get straight before you dive in-these preliminary steps will help make your Chrome OS Flex installation go more quickly and easily. Second, plug the flash device into the computer you want to repurpose, and run the installer. First, use a USB flash drive or SD card to create an installer, much as you’d create a flash-drive macOS installer. Setting up Chrome OS Flex is a quick two- or three-step process. It almost felt, just a tiny bit, like I had Frankie back. Still, I found this a satisfying exercise because it brought my brother’s Mac back to usefulness. Using Chrome OS X Flex on a Mac is not the full equivalent of using Chrome OS on a Chromebook, and some features are missing (more on that in a bit). It can be a trippy experience since Chrome OS Flex sweeps away the familiar macOS interface and immerses you in the marquee features of the Google ecosystem, such as the Google Assistant (which Neverware’s CloudReady lacks). Google would look to profit from this through sales of associated Google services.įor this article, though, I am focusing on individuals who might be excited to dust off an old Mac and give it a new lease on life. In fact, Google has big plans to position Chrome OS Flex as a tool for organizations that want to repurpose fleets of older, centrally managed machines central management is a Chrome OS strong suit. A free version of CloudReady is still available while Google works out the kinks in Chrome OS Flex, but Flex is the future. Google bought Neverware in December 2020 and is rebranding CloudReady as Chrome OS Flex. If this sounds familiar, you might have heard of Neverware, a company that provides a CloudReady operating system based on Google’s open-source Chromium OS. Installing Chrome OS Flex on my old Mac was easy, too. The major appeal of Chrome OS Flex is compatibility with older Macs and PCs that would otherwise be at the ends of their useful lives. Google has now made it possible for anyone to install a version of Chrome OS for free on an existing computer, instead of having to buy a Chromebook. You’ve probably heard of Chrome OS, Google’s Web-centric operating system that powers the Chromebook laptops commonly deployed in K-12 classrooms and embraced by some consumers and businesses because they’re cheap, albeit janky. ![]() Here’s the kicker: It’s not running macOS but Google’s Chrome OS Flex. It performs said duties reliably and speedily using a current, cutting-edge operating system. Tucked into a corner of the attic where I have my office and gym, Frankie’s Mac mini has a spot of honor atop a standing desk, where I use it for Web browsing, messaging, and video-streaming (with my brother’s modest display, a wired keyboard and trackball, and my beloved Apple iPod Hi-Fi boombox to complete the hardware setup). In recent weeks, however, I find myself using it every day. However, I couldn’t find a compelling use for his increasingly sluggish Mac, so I set it aside. Initially inclined to donate the computer, I decided to keep it as a reminder of the Apple-obsessed Frankie. ![]() When my brother was killed in 2017, I inherited his Apple setup, including a 2012 Mac mini. Revitalize an Elderly Mac with Google’s Chrome OS Flex #1657: A deep dive into the innovative Arc Web browser.#1658: Rapid Security Responses, NYPD and industry standard AirTag news, Apple's Q2 2023 financials.#1659: Exposure notifications shut down, cookbook subscription service, alarm notification type proposal, Explain XKCD.#1660: OS updates for sports and security, Drobo in bankruptcy, why TidBITS doesn't cover rumors.#1661: Mimestream app for Gmail, auto-post WordPress headlines to Twitter and Mastodon, My Photo Stream shutting down.
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