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Google acquires Neverware, a company that turns old PCs into Chromebooks

Google acquires Neverware, a company that turns old PCs into Chromebooks

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Neverware says not to expect big changes

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Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge

Today, Neverware announced in an FAQ that it’s now part of Google.

Neverware, based in New York City, makes a software application called CloudReady that allows you to convert a PC into a system that runs Chrome OS. In its FAQ, Neverware states that it and its CloudReady software are “officially part of Google and the Chrome OS team.”

CloudReady offers a free version for personal use, as well as paid tiers for enterprise and education. The idea is that companies and schools (as well as individuals) can convert old, slow systems into Chromebooks rather than throwing them out — Chrome OS is a less demanding operating system for these machines to run than Windows 10 is.

According to Neverware’s FAQ, not much is going to change for current CloudReady customers in the near future. The company’s website, forums, customer support, and admin portal will continue to function as usual, though it seems that they’ll eventually migrate over to Google’s services.

As the About Chromebooks site notes, some of the software that Neverware makes could help Google continue to push Chrome OS updates to older devices, extending the time frame in which some Chromebooks can receive the latest software. (Google hasn’t said anything of the sort, so that’s just hopeful speculation for now).

Google and Neverware are well acquainted — Google led an investment round in the startup back in 2017.