Old PCs and Macs can now be turned into Chromebooks: Here's how.

Google Chrome OS
(Image credit: Google)

Google quietly announced that it acquired Neverware, the makers of CloudReady OS, as reported by 9to5Gooogle. CloudReady OS is aimed at users with older computers and converts old Mac or PCs into fully functioning Chrome OS computers, allowing them to extend the life of their hardware. 

Neverware announced the acquisition on Monday when it released the following statement, "We’re pleased to share some very exciting news: Neverware and CloudReady are now officially part of Google and the Chrome OS team! We’re looking forward to sharing more details with all our CloudReady customers, users, and fans in the coming weeks and months, but for now, please review the following for answers to some of your anticipated questions." 

This could be a major coup for Google, as it extends the reach of Chrome OS to users looking to extend their older hardware. 

Google released the following statement " We can confirm that the Neverware team is joining the Google Chrome OS team. As we continue to support customers with their transition to the cloud, Neverware has offered a valuable solution, CloudReady, that allows customers to unlock the manageability, speed, and productivity of a Chrome device."

It continued, "Following our partnership over the past few years, we’re looking forward to working more closely with the team to support more customers in their transition to deploy Chrome OS."

This is an exciting turn of events for many who may not have the resources to invest in a new Chromebook, as CloudyReady's Chromium-based OS allows them to extend the usefulness of their current systems but also have access to Google's suite of productivity software, like Google Docs. This may also be a boon for small businesses that have been struggling to keep up with the ever-expanding technology that is needed to run a successful business.

Mark Anthony Ramirez

Mark has spent 20 years headlining comedy shows around the country and made appearances on ABC, MTV, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, Food Network, and Sirius XM Radio. He has written about every topic imaginable, from dating, family, politics, social issues, and tech. He wrote his first tech articles for the now-defunct Dads On Tech 10 years ago, and his passion for combining humor and tech has grown under the tutelage of the Laptop Mag team. His penchant for tearing things down and rebuilding them did not make Mark popular at home, however, when he got his hands on the legendary Commodore 64, his passion for all things tech deepened. These days, when he is not filming, editing footage, tinkering with cameras and laptops, or on stage, he can be found at his desk snacking, writing about everything tech, new jokes, or scripts he dreams of filming.