Initially, it appears like Google is presenting Chrome OS Flex to serve two purposes: as a method for individuals to experiment with and evaluate the benefits of Chromebooks, and as a tool for businesses to assess how well they can be managed. According to Google, Chrome Enterprise Upgrade can be used to manage a Chrome OS Flex “fleet,” which is a collection of Chromebooks. If any of this sounds familiar, that’s because it is: Google acquired CloudReady a few years back, and the company’s expertise was utilized to convert laptop PCs into Chromebooks using Google’s Chromebook conversion tool. Chrome OS Flex was a “prior version of Chrome OS CloudReady,” according to Google. “When Chrome OS Flex is stable, Google will automatically update CloudReady devices to Chrome OS Flex,” the company said in an additional statement.
The traditional approach for DIY PC enthusiasts was to either leave an outdated computer running and scavenge it for parts or to replace the Windows operating system with a resource-light version of the Linux operating system. Now, Google is providing them with an additional option: they can switch from Windows to Chrome OS and reap the benefits of the more streamlined operating system that Google has developed. And this is something that needs to be stressed again: Like the new Android apps for Windows, Chrome OS Flex does not provide the possibility to run Chrome OS in a window or a virtualized environment, as does the Chrome browser. Instead, it completely replaces Windows and all of its associated files.
Installing Google Chrome OS Flex using installation media on a new PC is quite similar to installing Windows 11 via installation media on an existing PC. You’ll need a USB flash drive with at least 8GB of storage space. PCs will require a minimum of 4GB of RAM and 16GB of storage space. The CPU requirements are more lenient: you’ll need a 64-bit processor, no matter what. Which is to say, every processor manufactured after the year 2000 falls into this category. However, there are several constraints on the GPU: Google claims that the Intel GMA 500, 600, 3600, and 3650 graphics processors do not fulfill the performance requirements for Chrome OS Flex.
