I've worked with many Operating Systems (aka OS) over the past few decades, including Ubuntu, the first commercially friendly 'free' and open source linux variant that I was brave enough to install over my Windows Vista OS - which was hugely problematic - on a Dell Latitude D630 laptop, which I purchased via a Vodacom Data Deal, also one of the first such buying innovations, back in 2011 or so.
Embedded Files
Along the way I switched from Windows to Mac OSX, and got my first MacBook Pro 13", which I still have today, although it stopped receiving updates from Apple about three years ago. It now runs happily on ChromeOS Flex, Google's no-cost OS that anyone can download and install on most PCs and MacBooks - up to ten years old - which I have also used to resurrect an 27" iMac that stopped working for the owner, who was kind enough to pass on to me, having heard that I had obtained a secret weapon to Power Up! old laptops, desktops (and possibly more), to give old devices a new lease on life.
As a Google Partner for Education, I had the privilege, and my first opportunity to convert an entire lab of 40 old, slow PCs to ChromeOS Flex in 2023. They were generously donated to Vorentoe Primary School, but arrived without a server, without licenses and without any anti-virus software. Since the sponsors budget didn't allow for an additional R25k needed - just to buy a refurbished server computer - we simply installed ChromeOS Flex on all of them - which took all of three and a half hours - and they have been in daily use at school ever since, and haven't given us any problems whatsoever.
Amazingly, this is the same ChromeOS that comes with brand new Chromebooks
which are now guaranteed for ten (10) years updates of updated by Google.
Amazingly, this is the same ChromeOS that comes with brand new Chromebooks
which are now guaranteed for ten (10) years updates of updated by Google.
With the ChromeOS, besides the amazing security and manageability features, every device in use, whether by a student or a teacher, can now all cast their screen to a Chromecast-enabled TV (like our TCL Google TV collection), or a projector with Android 9+ (like our WANBO collection), or even a regular display device with an HDMI port, using a Chromecast dongle (such as our Google Chromecast 4K ULTRA), which we configure to work using Chromecast Moderator (which Powers Up! teachers to manage who and when students may cast).
Oh, the ChromeOS also lends itself to digital signage and kiosk mode,
which is great for those public spaces like reception areas.
Oh, the ChromeOS also lends itself to digital signage and kiosk mode,
which is great for those public spaces like reception areas.
About three years ago, I tried out a Chromebook for the first time, and was so impressed!
It requires each user to sign in with their Google Workspace account (available for education and enterprise), or Gmail (for individuals), but also has a Guest mode (great for younger learners, or as the name suggests, Guest users).
All of these can be easily managed by an administrator/teacher (using Google Workspace Admin Dashboard) or parent (using Google's FamilyLink) to ensure that digital wellbeing is enabled, access to websites, apps and extensions is managed and that every user remains fully accountable for their actions online.
For about a year, I had a 17" MacBook Pro and a 14" Chromebook on my desk, but now my trusty MacBook is hibernating in my desk drawer, as I can do everything that I need to operate an EdTech business, incl. training teachers and supporting businesses using Google Workspace using my quick, powerful and efficient Chromebook.
I can even run the entire Windows OS and any kind of Microsoft or Linux app on my ChromeOS powered device, using one of the many virtualization apps available - one of which, Cameyo - has recently been acquired by Google, so will become part of the default ChromeOS in the near future.
I hope that I have persuaded you to consider ChromeOS as your next best friend (as far as an OS goes), and encourage you to find out more, as explained in the rest of this email.
I'm off to convert my 17" MacBook Pro to ChromeOS Flex, so that I can get it out of the drawer, and back into use again!
Sincerely, Sean
Founding Director
SA Rechargeable (Pty) Ltd
Tired of manual updates, security threats and operating systems that are no longer fit for purpose?
We’re proud to partner with ChromeOS - an operating system made for the way we do business today.
ChromeOS is a cloud-first, AI-powered OS which could save your business up to $3,901 per device1, thanks to a reduction in support requests. And ChromeOS offers unrivalled security - with zero reported ransomware attacks ever2.
Ready to see what a switch to ChromeOS could do for your business?
2 As of May 2024, there has been no evidence of any documented, successful virus attack or ransomware attack on ChromeOS. Data based on ChromeOS monitoring of various national and internal databases.
Page updated
Report abuse