"Chrome OS Flex" introduction method commentary and usability review. Easy to install, works smoothly

　The speed of installing to USB is revolutionary level. Of course it works fast.

　I immediately tried using the new OS "Chrome OS Flex" announced by Google in February 2022, so I will review it.

　This OS is a Chromium OS-based CloudReady that Google acquired in 2020, improved and added functions so that it can be used on more devices. It is relatively lighter than Windows and macOS, and is attracting attention as an "old PC resuscitation technique".

　This article introduces how to install it, but currently "Chrome OS Flex" is a development version and may contain unfinished functions and serious bugs. In the worst case, it may cause serious errors or malfunctions on your PC, so be sure to do so at your own risk when installing . We are not responsible for any damage caused. Also, when creating the USB media, all the data inside the USB media will be completely deleted, so be sure to confirm this before proceeding.

Index 

• 1 Create USB installation media
• 2 Try
  • 2.1 Use without installation
  • 2.2 Use on Mac
• 3 Sense of use
  • 3.1 Lightness of operation
  • 3.2 No Google Play Store. Can't run android apps.
• 4 General comments

Creating USB installation media

　"Chrome OS Flex" can be installed by creating USB media and booting the PC from USB. It is also possible to run the OS on USB without installing it.

　This installation media can be created from an extension of Google Chrome . Unlike Windows, there is no need to install tools for creating installation media on your PC. Also, there are no detailed settings, and you can create it just by following the instructions. I haven't tried it myself, but it might be possible to run it on Kiwi Browser, which allows you to use extensions for the desktop version of Google Chrome on Android.

　The following items are required for installation. A network connection is required during setup.

• computer
• 8GB or more USB memory
• Chrome web browser
• Admin rights
• Internet connection environment
• Google account

　The creation procedure is as follows.

First, add " Chromebook Recovery Utility " 　from the Chrome Web Store to your extensions.

　After the addition is complete, open the "Chromebook Recovery Utility" from the upper right tab. When the "Create Recovery Media for Chromebook" screen appears, select "Start". USB must be 8GB or more

　When the "Identify Chromebook" screen is displayed, click "Select model from list", select "Chrome OS Flex" in the manufacturer field, and select "Chrome OS Flex (Developer-Unstable)" in the product field. Click continue.

　The "Insert USB flash drive or SD card" screen will appear. Insert the USB memory or SD card and select the media to use. At this time, it is recommended to remove any external storage device other than the one you are using to prevent the wrong media from being selected. Once confirmed, click Continue.

　When the "Create Recovery Image" screen appears, click the "Create Now" button to begin creating the USB installation media. When starting, all data in the USB memory will be completely deleted, so before starting, please check once again whether you have selected the correct USB memory, etc., and whether important data is saved. .

　After starting, the work is automatically performed in the order of download → confirmation → writing → confirmation. When writing starts, UAC will be displayed on Windows, and a password will be required on macOS, so enter permission or password to continue work. Depending on the network environment, the work will take about 10 to 15 minutes.

　When "Recovery media creation is complete" is displayed, installation media creation is complete.

try it

　Now that the installation media has been created, let's run it and see how it feels. VAIO SX14 (Intel Core i7-1165g7) and Lenovo G50 (Intel Core i3-4005U) were used to check operation in order to compare operation between new and old devices. After confirming the basic functions with the VAIO SX14 equipped with the latest CPU, we will verify whether the Lenovo G50 equipped with the CPU announced in 2013 will also work smoothly.

use without installation

　Chrome OS Flex supports both BIOS and UEFI firmware, so boot from an external device in each PC method.

　When I boot it up, I see the Chrome logo and then immediately go through the setup screen. Set the language and keyboard and click "Start".

　On the next screen you can choose to install or run Chrome OS Flex from USB without installing. It should be noted that it is not possible to set detailed partition settings at the time of installation. This time, we will run from USB, so select "Try".

　Next, move to the Wi-Fi connection setting screen. As mentioned earlier, Chrome OS Flex requires a network environment during setup. When you connect to Wi-Fi, the login screen for your Google account will be displayed next, so log in here as well to continue.

　After that, follow the instructions to confirm the terms, set the information collection, set the Google Assistant, etc., and continue the setup.

　After setup is complete, you will see the desktop. You are done.

Usage on Mac

　In the official announcement, it was possible to use it on a Mac, but on my Macbook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015, Intel Core M-5Y71), when I booted from USB, the keyboard and track The pad did not respond. When booting Windows from an external SSD, etc., a trackpad and keyboard could be used by applying the Bootcamp driver, but drivers are not provided for Chrome OS. Wired mice and keyboards are recognized.

　I cannot deny the possibility that this problem is only in the author's environment, but it seems that an external keyboard and mouse are required when using it on a Mac.

sense of use

　After actually using it, I will list the good points and the points to be worried about.

lightness of action

　The first good point is, of course, that the operation is light. Lenovo's G50 equipped with Intel Core i3-4005U, which I used to use in the past, became very slow when I upgraded from the initial Windows 8.1 to Windows 10. First of all, it took more than a minute to start up, and when opening software such as Chrome, it usually took about 20 seconds. When this becomes "Chrome OS Flex", the OS starts up in less than 10 seconds, and Google Chrome starts up immediately.

　The video below is from YouTube. Depending on the performance of the device, YouTube is characterized by differences in behavior when displayed in full screen. When running Windows, it takes about 6 to 7 seconds to switch to full screen display, but you can see that the transition is smooth with "Chrome OS Flex". I was surprised that the operation was stable even when YouTube was started while recording the screen.

　In addition to CPU performance, storage performance is also involved in boot speed and operation, so it cannot be said that it is a lightweight and high-speed OS. However, I didn't feel much difference in operation between the SX14 with the 12th generation Core i7 and the G50 with the 4th generation Core i3, so I think it's no exaggeration to say that it's a fast and stable OS. increase.

　Among the OSs I have used in the past, the one I felt was the lightest was the Linux distribution "NN Linux" developed by Mr. Jin Takebayashi in Japan, and I believe that there is nothing better than this in terms of functionality. I was. However, it is not inferior to it, and there is little feeling of sluggishness.

No Google Play store. Can't run android apps.

　This is what I was most interested in. The biggest difference between "Chrome OS Flex" and a regular Chromebook is that it doesn't have the Google Play Store installed and doesn't support running Android apps. This has not changed since before CloudReady was acquired. "Chrome OS Flex" is an OS that requires an Internet connection, and most of the apps placed in the menu are run on a web browser using a separate Chrome window.

　For the time being, as a function for developers, it is possible to use a Linux virtual machine and run Linux GUI applications. However, in addition to requiring a certain level of specs for execution, a CPU compatible with Intel VT-x is required, making it a little difficult for older PCs.

　It's an OS that "runs comfortably even on old PCs" is the selling point, so it's necessary to keep in mind that the number of apps that run natively has been reduced to the limit, and that everything is basically done on the browser.

Overall review

　I felt that "Chrome OS Flex" was a "savior", so to speak, that gave old PCs a new role, while taking over the convenience of CloudReady and further improving the sense of stability. However, it is a little disappointing that advanced functions cannot be used due to the specifications.

　The most realistic usage in my opinion is remote desktop. "Chrome OS Flex" is recognized as a PC for browsing the Internet, and I felt that it is suitable for use in a simple role such as a web conference.

　However, "Chrome OS Flex" is still in the development stage, and there are still many features that have not been experienced. I plan to dig deeper in the future.