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RIP CloudReady but Chrome OS Flex Can Still Save Older Computers
Article by: Kevin Purdy @kpifixit February 18, 2022 Filed under: E-Waste, Tech News 5 Yorum Facebook Twitter Reddit Linkedin Email Copy Link Share It’s a little disconcerting when a megacorp buys something you love. Especially if that megacorp is Google, a company with infinite resources but finite patience for yesterday’s projects. That’s why when Google acquired the maker of CloudReady late last year, I felt a deep sense of despair. Google makes Chrome OS, the light, browser-focused operating system that powers Chromebooks. Google has an interest in people using Chromebooks because they get you signed into a Google account, running Android apps, and using Google’s search engine by default. All of this makes people more likely to use Google products and see advertising served by Google. Rescuing an end-of-life Chromebook Pixel with CloudReady Neverware’s CloudReady is based on the open-source roots of Chrome and Chrome OS, Chromium and Chromium OS. The firm made a version that worked on many older Windows and Mac devices—and, in some cases, end-of-life Chromebooks. CloudReady was an ideal old-computer OS, with its lighter memory and processor requirements and regular security updates. I rescued more than a few old laptops with CloudReady. Sometimes its lack of Google-tied features was a bonus. So my fear was that Google would acquire and eventually smother CloudReady, eliminating one good way to extend a device’s life without signing up for targeted advertising. Instead, Google announced this week that it is remaking CloudReady as “Chrome OS Flex” by putting a bunch of Google stuff into it: Chrome sync, Google Assistant, and some Android phone integrations. It won’t get Android apps themselves, or Linux (at least officially). Google’s Chrome OS Flex early access program is available to anyone willing to provide their name, email, and company details. Google is keeping Chrome OS Flex available as a free download for home users, while keeping an eye on lucrative enterprise and education fleet installations. CloudReady systems will have to update, and there are some notable differences. But Chrome OS Flex is still a relatively free and simple way to install Chrome OS on an old laptop and keep it useful. Will Chrome OS Flex work on your own aging laptop, the one that runs modern Windows or Mac OS like it’s sunk in wet sand? Google has a list of certified models, and minimum requirements for others: Intel or AMD processor, 4 GB RAM, 16 GB storage, and access to USB booting and BIOS settings. The easiest way to see if your computer will run Chrome OS Flex is to run Chrome OS Flex on it, using a thumb drive. The USB drive version won’t run as smoothly as if you installed it, but you can see if your trackpad, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, touchscreen, and other components work. ThinkPad e490s running Chrome OS Flex from a USB drive. It would have been interesting to see Neverware keep CloudReady going as an open-source, no-Google-needed project, especially for the millions of laptops cast off every year by businesses and institutions during upgrade cycles. That’s a gigantic-scale market, though, and one Google is perhaps better suited to tackle. Either way, I’m glad Neverware’s work in getting a whole bunch of laptop hardware working with a light, modern, secure operating system won’t be forgotten. It remains the case, for now, that the most affordable Chromebook you can get might already be in your home. Related Stories Repair Guides Save the Dishwasher Save the World
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Yorum Ekle Sad, but good! Thanks for the info! Dimitri Cooper - 18 Şub 2022 Yanıt Me…..heading to Chrome OS flex ray.sheehan - 26 Şub 2022 Yanıt What about old laptops and stations that cannot boot from a USB drive? Can this OS be booted from a DVD or several CD-R discs? rayramirez - 27 Şub 2022 Yanıt What about using lightweight GNU/Linux distributions instead? dinoo_fixit - 27 Mar 2022 Yanıt Great info. I'm using Cloudready now and enjoy it. It wasn't easy to do but it was worth it (Done on a slow HP 14 notebook). Going to try my wifes Dell then Mac next. Also I want the Chrome flex update, at least until I buy a new chromebook. Albert Garrett - 8 Haz 2022 Yanıt Yorum Ekle
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