Actually, using Parallels Desktop to install an OS for testing is my preferred approach.Ĭhrome OS Flex is a lightweight, secure Linux-based OS that is easy for businesses to manage thanks to Google’s cloud-based management. Read on to learn step-by-step how to do this. No problem: you can install this OS in a new virtual machine (VM) in Parallels® Desktop for Mac. I don’t have a spare Mac or PC that I can erase to try out this new OS – and I’m guessing you probably don’t either. If you haven’t yet, check out Google’s blog post about it or this article in Macworld or go through this excellent review by Ars Technica.

If your company cannot afford to switch to Chromebooks at one go due to the investment size, ChromeOS Flex is a great viable solution as it can work on existing hardware.You might have heard the BIG news from Google about the early access release of Chrome OS Flex – a “standalone” version of Google’s OS that can be installed on both Windows and Mac computers, aka “the cloud-first operating system for PCs and Macs”. Google claims enterprises can get up to 295% return on their investment with Chromebooks and save three hours per device per worker over a three-year period.

This is a paid service, though a 30-day free trial is available. You can remotely wipe them, control how they are updated, tweak system settings, and more.

This way, you also help reduce e-waste and do your bit to save Mother Earth.įor enterprises, Google provides Chrome Enterprise Upgrade that lets you remotely manage all ChromeOS Flex-running PCs. You can re-purpose these machines by installing ChromeOS Flex and using them for basic tasks. They are ideal for large enterprises and educational institutions that have old computers that can't handle their current workload. If you have old PCs and laptops that are too slow to use, consider installing ChromeOS Flex on them. When should you consider installing ChromeOS Flex?

Install chrome os on mac