If you have a laptop that is considered old regarding today's standards, then you might have come across some major performance-related issues like lagging, stuttering, freezing, etc., especially if you are using a Windows 10 install on your old PC. Even many Linux distributions today require decent hardware like a good processor, 4GB RAM, and an SSD (Solid State Drive) to work smoothly. But what if I told you that if you are not a heavy user and do normal stuff like browsing the internet, watching videos, working with MS Office and other works that like these, then your old laptop might still be useful to you!
What is Chrome-OS?
Back in 2011, Google launched its very own operating system for laptops - Chrome OS. It was not like any other operating system. But then again, it was not meant to be like any other operating system. Chrome OS was and still is, a web-based operating system, meaning that it relies on the internet for its functioning. Do not get me wrong, it also works without the internet, but its existence mostly revolves around the web.
Chrome OS consists of Google Chrome. You can install apps in Chrome OS using the chrome web store. It also has Google Play Store from where you could download apps! You can do all the stuff that you can do in a web browser plus the things you can do through Play Store. And did I mention that a full-fledged Debian-based Linux terminal can also be installed from the settings? And once you have a Linux terminal in your hands, you already know that the possibilities become much wider! You can OS-like install every app made for Linux into your Chrome OS through virtualization, and it is very well optimized.
It is a very suitable operating system for students and other people who use it for light and general purposes.
What is Neverware Cloudready?
Chrome OS was made by Google for use in only specific laptops called Chromebooks. But as always, all things chrome are made from the Chromium Project, which is an open-source project. So, a company called Neverware made an operating system called Cloudready, which has Chromium Browser instead of Chrome.
Cloudready lacks two key features of Chrome OS -
It lacks Google Play Store.
It can't connect to your android phone like Chrome OS.
Almost all of the things are the same, except for some other minor things.
Cloudready does wonders to your old PC or laptop. I had an old HP Pavillion g4 model laptop, which has an AMD A4 processor, 2GB DDR2 RAM, and a 512 GB HDD. It used to perform well back in its days, but now it can barely run Windows 8.1, and almost all Linux distributions feel much slower in it. But after I installed Cloudready on it, it worked like a brand new laptop! I am saying this very literally - Cloudready is the only operating system I have ever found which works well on my old laptop.
Google acquires Neverware
On December 16, 2020, Neverware announced that it had been acquired by Google. Now, of course, Google said that it had acquired Neverware to improve it and bring a Chrome OS-like experience to non-Chromebooks. Sounds good, right? Well, we will have to see. In the past whenever Google has acquired any company, it had one of two aims, to improve it or two destroy it quietly and slowly to reduce competition.
Conclusion
So which reason applies to this scenario? Well, we will have to see, but for now, according to me, Cloudready remains the best operating system for old PCs, if you do light tasks and your usage primarily revolves around a web browser.
This is not an article on the details and functioning of Cloudready. This blog was just an overview. I will especially make another blog especially on Cloudready in which we will learn how to install it and how to use it. Stay tuned for that if you liked this one!
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