I am writing this newsletter to you from a 13-year-old MacBook Pro, but one that’s no longer running Mac OS X.

Instead, this dusty MacBook is now equipped with ChromeOS Flex, a free operating system from Google that turns old Windows PCs and Macs into Chromebooks. The process was surprisingly easy, and it breathed new life into a laptop that would otherwise be sitting in a junk drawer.

Google first launched a rough version of ChromeOS Flex earlier this year, but brought it out of beta last week. While it’s mainly aimed at schools and businesses that want to find new use for old computers, it’s also available for free to individuals. (Technically, ChromeOS Flex is based on an earlier service called CloudReady, which Google acquired in late 2020, but it offers stronger security, faster updates, and some extra features such as Google Assistant support.)

ChormeOS Flex isn’t without downsides, so I wouldn’t rush to install it on a computer that might still have some life left in it. But if you’ve got an old laptop or desktop PC sitting around and no idea what to do with it, ChromeOS might be just what it needs.

Why bother putting ChromeOS on an old computer? I can think of a few reasons:

To set up ChromeOS Flex, you’ll need a few things:

Once you’ve set up the USB drive, you can plug it into the old computer, enter the computer’s boot menu—this usually involves holding down a specific keyboard command on startup—and choose the USB drive as your boot source. After the installation, you can unplug the USB drive, reboot the computer, and set it up just like you would with a new Chromebook.

Google documents all of this in more detail (including how to launch the boot menu on most computers) on its support website, and I found it easy enough to follow. The whole process, from creating the USB boot drive to installing it on the old MacBook, took less than a half-hour.

Before you start replacing your computer's operating system with ChromeOS, be aware of a few caveats:

I’ve already run into a bunch of issues on my 2009 MacBook Pro, which is not on Google’s certified device list: Screen brightness controls don’t work, my mouse won’t pair over Bluetooth, and the webcam is unbearably laggy. Linux app support doesn't work either, as it’s limited to just a subset of certified devices. I have no idea whether Google will resolve any of these issues in the future.

Still, I’d rather have a device with a few hardware limitations than one with outdated security updates, and I’m glad to have another computer on which to play with the latest ChromeOS features.

If you have an old computer to revive and are willing to stomach similar risks, ChromeOS Flex is worth a try. At the very least, it’s a lot easier than installing Linux instead.

Verizon's cheaper data plan: As if four unlimited data plans wasn't enough, Verizon has added a fifth option, called "Welcome Unlimited," to its lineup. Starting at $65 per month for one line, it's cheaper than the carrier's other unlimited plans, but it doesn’t include any mobile hotspot data and doesn’t support Verizon’s fastest 5G speeds.

If you’re undeterred by such, ahem, limitations, Welcome Unlimited may be worth considering. Once again, I have updated my unlimited data plan comparison chart, so you can see how the new plan fares against AT&T's and T-Mobile's offerings.

MacBook storage drama: With Apple's new M2-powered MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro, you're giving up more than just storage space by sticking to the 256 GB models. Reviewers have found that the base model uses a slower form of solid state storage, with a single flash storage chip instead of two working in parallel.

This obviously hinders file transfer speeds, but because Apple's processors can also use SSD storage as temporary memory, it can also cause bottlenecks for other tasks, such as video and image processing. One test by the YouTube channel Max Tech found that the new MacBook Pro took 12 seconds to switch between images in Adobe Lightroom with 10 browser tabs and another productivity app open in the background. An older Intel-powered model switched images instantly.

For basic productivity and web browsing, the slower storage may not matter much, with The Verge's Monica Chin finding no significant difference while watching 4K videos and juggling a couple dozen browser tabs. Creative pros, however, might want to pay for more onboard storage even if they don't really need it.

A Wordle warning: While the fad may have faded, I'm still playing Wordle every day, so I was pleased to see that you can now sync your record with a New York Times account, letting you play across all devices.

But Wordle’s new sync feature has one big downside: If you’re using someone else's Times account to read the paper—even a spouse or family member—setting up sync could wipe out all of your own records. Proceed with caution, and consider setting up a separate Times account in an alternate web browser to preserve your hard-earned streaks.

A one-minute PC tune-up: As long as we’re thinking about reviving old laptops, you can easily add some pep to your current one by preventing it from launching unnecessary apps at startup. Slimming down your startup process will of course lead to faster boot times, but it can also help unclutter your taskbar or menu bar, while also freeing up processing power from programs you seldom use.

As I wrote recently, you don’t need expensive system cleaner apps to perform this brief bit of PC maintenance. All it takes is a quick trip to your Windows or Mac settings menu, where you can decide which apps to launch at startup:

The next time you restart your computer, it should feel a whole lot leaner.

Another free music source: SomaFM is a free internet radio site with more than 30 human-curated stations, focusing on deep cuts, offbeat genres, and assorted oddities. Apps for Android (free) and iOS ($7.99, one-time purchase) are also available, as is a third-party desktop app for Windows and Mac. It's commercial-free and relies on listener donations for support, and it's apparently been around since the turn of the millennium. Wish I'd known that sooner.

I have, of course, added it to the big list of free stuff.

To speed, or not to speed? For the lead-footed among us, "Should I Speed?" is a website that calculates how much faster you'd arrive at a destination by stepping on the gas. Conversely, you might view it as a way to determine the relative futility of doing so. (Via the Insanely Useful Websites newsletter.)

If you thought the deal landscape would be barren in the wake of Prime Day, you'd be mistaken. Most notably, a handful of Google Assistant devices are on sale for record lows, including the Nest Hub Max for $165, Lenovo's second-gen Smart Clock for $35, and the Nest Audio speaker for $60. (For the Nest Audio, you can also use the Honey browser extension for an extra $6 in cash back.)

Other notable deals:

Have you had your own success repurposing an old computer with a new operating system? Or do you need more help figuring out what to do with old tech gear? Just reply to this email to get in touch about that or any other tech topic.

Until next week,
Jared