With Chrome OS, Google has been targeting Apple and Microsoft for some time. The problem so far is that Chrome OS is always tied to new hardware. But that is changing now. With the new Chrome OS Flex, Google is doing away with hardware tethering. The new system runs for free on PC and Mac. The focus is mostly on older hardware.
Microsoft is currently alienating many users with high hardware requirements for Windows 11. Google is going the other way and starting ChromeFlex OS, an operating system designed specifically for older PCs and Macs. This allows Chrome OS, which has always shipped with its own hardware, to be used on existing systems.
If you want to test the system, you can easily do it through a Live system from USB stick do. The principle follows cloud ready longer, Google bought the company behind it about two years ago. CHIP shows how to get the new Chrome OS Flex to boot.
Prepare for Chrome OS Flex
A few things are needed to prepare: Take a look at the list of support devices. Chrome OS Flex is brand new and the situation is correspondingly clear with smoothly running hardware. It’s also worth a try if you don’t see a green icon on your computer model. Also, you need:
- USB stick with at least 8 GB capacity, the content of which will be deleted when Chrome OS Flex is installed; alternatively this also works with an SD memory card.
- chrome browser
- chrome extension
Create a USB stick for Chrome OS Flex
Start the chrome extension and click “Start Now” on the first screen. Then click “Select model from list” and set “Google Chrome OS Flex” in the first field and “Chrome OS Flex (Developer Edition)” in the second. Click Continue.”
Now insert the USB stick with at least 8GB capacity. Important: Installing Chrome OS Flex will reformat your device and remove any content on it. The stick should be automatically detected and you should select it.
Click Next and then click Create Now. An Internet connection is required to upload the image. First, the device is prepared and then equipped with Chrome OS Flex, which should only take a few minutes in total.
Try Chrome OS Flex safely
Once created, all you have to do is boot your computer from the USB stick. In Windows 10 and 11, you can do this through “Advanced Startup”. If you want to get into the boot menu by pressing a key, we’ve created a small table of common manufacturers below. After a few seconds, a Chrome logo should appear when you launch it.
The best thing to do first on the home screen is to change your language and keyboard settings. Then click “Start Now” and then select “Try it first”. The hard drive or SSD remains intact and you can simply test the operating system. After that, Chrome OS Flex needs Internet access.
Don’t expect too much, you can still clearly say that this is a young project. The system didn’t even boot up on a test laptop, and it felt like it took forever on a second one. Then there were difficulties with hardware integration, regardless of whether it was a keyboard, WLAN or power management, nothing is a matter of course here. Hopefully the situation should improve a bit in the coming months, Chrome OS Flex is currently still an absolute hobbyist project.
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