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Back Market and Google Launch $3 ChromeOS Flex USB Pilot to Extend Older Laptops' Life

The limited run aims to test an easy path to keep Windows 10–era machines secure using Google’s cloud‑updated OS.

Overview

  • Back Market will sell an initial 3,000 preloaded USB keys for $3 starting March 30, with potential expansion based on demand.
  • The keys install ChromeOS Flex, a secure, cloud-first operating system that receives ongoing updates and carries no monthly fees.
  • Both companies frame the pilot as a way to reduce e-waste by keeping functional devices in service longer.
  • ChromeOS Flex works on many Windows laptops and a subset of older Intel-based Macs, with no support for Apple’s M-series chips.
  • The partnership was announced March 4 at Back Market’s Slow Tech Uprising event in Barcelona, which coincides with Mobile World Congress.