Chrome OS Flex can repurpose your old computer
So, you went and bought yourself a brand new laptop and stored your old one in a closet. You don’t want to use it, but you don’t want to toss it, so what do you do? Why not turn it into a Chromebook? With Chrome OS Flex, you can do just that. Google is now testing out a way of putting a fully working version of Chrome OS onto older computers. The keyword, however, is OLDER; Chrome OS Flex is only compatible with older computers for the moment. How much older? Well, one compatible computer is the Acer Aspire V5-122P which launched back in 2013. It seems weird that Google is targeting older computers until you think about the fact that it’s for repurposing older laptops. Otherwise, they’ll be thrown into the landfill, which isn’t great. If you can get this software to run on your computer, and if it can run just fine on it, then there’s no reason to throw it out. It’s always great getting additional use out of a device. If you’re an Apple user, this is also available to use on older MacBooks and iMacs. That’s a bit surprising considering how closed off the macOS ecosystem is.
This is in a beta testing stage
There’s a bit of a catch to this software, as it’s currently being tested. This means that the software is very unstable right now. Google has a list of compatible devices that can use the software, but only a small amount of them will actually run smoothly. Most of the computers are expected to have minor issues throughout the software. Also, a fair amount of them is expected to have major issues that could render the device unusable. If you manage to get the software to run on your computer, just know that you might run into some hiccups.
How to install the software
Right now, there are two ways to get this software on your computer. You can either clear the operating system on your old computer or use a flash drive. The safest way is by using the flash drive, as you don’t need to clear the operating system. Here’s an installation guide to help get you up and going.
