At the end of 2020, Google acquired a company that offers software to convert old PCs into Chrome OS-like devices. In one high-profile example, a Norwegian hotel chain turned to CloudReady to convert several thousand ransomware-locked Windows laptops into Chromebooks.
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Easily one of the best aspects of Chrome OS is how lightweight it is. That’s what enables it to run incredibly well on the inexpensive and low powered hardware that makes up most of the Chromebook market. However, Neverware found another use for it — a lifeline for aging computers, and now Google is investing in them.
Neverware makes Chromium OS, the open-source version of Chrome OS, easy to install on any PC or Mac. Unsurprisingly, it has gained traction with budget-strapped schools that have aging laptops laying around. While schools have to pay a license fee, it is free to download for everyone else and an update today adds a new dual-booting capability.
