Google Targets 500 Million Stranded Windows 10 PCs With ChromeOS Flex
Google is pitching ChromeOS Flex as an option for breathing new life into old Windows PCs and Macs. The company is teaming up with refurbished electronics marketplace Back Market to offer a roughly $3 USB installer kit, aiming to make installation easier. Google says the kit targets users looking to keep aging hardware secure after Microsoft ends Windows 10 support. The timing is key here: Windows 10 lost its free security updates on Oct. 14, 2025. Microsoft maintains that PCs can still operate, but without technical support, software updates, or security patches—unless users make the jump to Windows 11 or sign up for Extended Security Updates, known as ESU. That program extends critical patches for a set timeframe.