Google might breathe new life into old Chromebooks with ChromeOS Flex
Don’t throw away your outdated Chromebook just yet, as newly found evidence suggests Google may be expanding the availability of ChromeOS Flex to its old laptops.
This information comes from tech news site Chrome Unboxed after recently diving into Google’s Chromium Repositories, where they came across references for a ‘Flexor’ project. They dug deeper and eventually discovered code that talked about installing a thirteenth partition in ChromeOS. The reason why the website believes that the partition is actually ChromeOS Flex is that the file size is 10 GB, which indicates that it is a full operating system and “not just a small add-on.”
There’s even a note in the repository stating that installing the script “inserts a thirteenth partition on disk.” Apparently, when the installation starts, a message saying “Start flex-ing” will appear on the screen Android Central.
Why ChromeOS Flex matters
Now you might be wondering: what exactly is ChromeOS Flex?
Well, it’s a cloud-based, lightweight version of ChromeOS that can turn old PCs and Macs into some form of Chromebook. This system can run on both desktop computers and laptops. It was primarily aimed at businesses and students to revive outdated hardware into a high-performing machine, but anyone can join the program. You just have to sign up Google’s website first.
Instructions for installing the operating system are available online. All you need, besides an old computer, is a USB stick with enough space for a bootable version of Flex. Chromebooks cannot currently run the Flex system. However, that may change in the near future. That tired laptop collecting dust could be given a new life.
It’s hard to say when exactly this update will arrive. At the time of writing this, Google programmers have been working on the Flexor project for about a week. Funny enough, one of the team members left a message in the repository saying “do the final install, keep your fingers crossed”. As Chrome Unboxed points out, everything is still in a “very early process”
Analysis: Long-term support
This comes at an interesting time as it’s part of Google’s renewed interest in device longevity and repairability. We saw this recently with the announcement that the Pixel 8 will receive updates for seven years after launch. It’s great to see this attitude possibly extending to their laptops.
The tech giant has faced widespread criticism from users, accusing the company of abandoning many Chromebook models, leaving them vulnerable to cyber attacks. Since then, Google has made a U-turn by promising to “roll out software updates for Chromebooks over the next decade following a product launch.” However, due to the rules of the 10-year plan, certain laptops will not receive the same level of support as others. Some have shorter update cycles.
If the Flexor project becomes a reality, users may not have to worry about uneven support. You can buy that super cheap $65 Chromebook, install Flex, and rest easy knowing your personal data is safe. The question now is: Will Flex Chromebooks get upgrades for ten years? We have no idea. Hopefully they will, but again, it’s too early to say for sure.
If you’re going back to school (or thinking about it), we recommend TechRadar’s list of the best student Chromebooks for 2023.