Google introduced Chrome OS Flex, a lightweight version of the operating system that, according to the company, can revive almost any old hardware. The IT giant noted that, first of all, the system will be useful to educational institutions and various organizations that want to extend the life of laptops. But the initiative is also open to private users.
The main idea of Chrome OS Flex is to bring the main features of Chrome OS to almost any hardware. There may be issues with this part now, and on some devices Chrome OS Flex may experience minor issues or not work at all. For convenience, Google has prepared a list of compatible laptop models. It is important to note that new Apple laptops with the proprietary M1 line chip cannot install Chrome OS Flex.
Chrome OS Flex is installed in the usual way. On the project website, you need to download the operating system image and upload it to a USB flash drive. Next, you need to allow booting from external drives in the BIOS settings of the computer and insert the USB flash drive into the device. When you turn on the gadget, the installation menu will open with step-by-step system setup. Google director of product management for Chrome OS Thomas Riedl noted that the company tried to simplify the process of installing the operating system as much as possible, but despite this, inexperienced users may still be put off by the need to go to the BIOS menu.
Chrome OS and Chrome OS Flex use the same codebase and will receive updates at the same time. The company also maintains a unified style and design of the two versions of the OS. But Chrome OS Flex has a number of limitations:
the system does not support the Play Store and does not work with layers to run Android applications;
f the device does not have a TPM chip, then user data encryption keys are not encrypted at the hardware level;
the system does not automatically update the BIOS and UEFI, the user must monitor this;
The OS does not support running Windows virtual machines, and support for the Linux development environment depends on the specific laptop model;
the system does not use the standard Chrome OS layout, so some keyboard shortcuts may not work as they do on a Chromebook;
Chrome OS Flex does not work with most ports and external devices. These include CD and DVD drives, docking stations, FireWire ports, facial recognition cameras, fingerprint scanners, styluses, and Thunderbolt ports.
It is important to note that Chrome OS Flex is in early access mode and you can download the system only after registration. Google also notes that the OS may work with errors.
bbabo.Net