Googlebook OS has reportedly been installed on an existing Chromebook, and the early results suggest Google’s new operating system could run surprisingly well on older hardware.
A Reddit user has managed to get Googlebook OS running on an ASUS Chromebook Plus, claiming the software feels just as fast as ChromeOS and, in some cases, even smoother.
However, the unofficial installation is far from perfect, with several important features still not working.
According to the user, the biggest surprise was how well the operating system performed despite being installed through an unofficial workaround. They described the experience as “fast and smooth”, suggesting that Googlebook OS might not require significantly more powerful hardware than existing Chromebooks.
There are some fairly big limitations, though. Wi-Fi, audio and Pixel integration are currently broken on the modified device, meaning it’s not yet a practical replacement for ChromeOS. Still, the fact that the software can boot and run on existing Chromebook hardware is an encouraging sign for anyone hoping to try Google’s new platform without buying another laptop.
The experiment has also caught the attention of other Reddit users, some of whom are attempting similar installations on different machines. One user reported getting the operating system through part of the boot process using QEMU on Linux, although it initially became stuck at a stage labelled “keystore”. The same user later claimed to have successfully booted Googlebook OS on an HP Envy laptop powered by an Intel Core i7-1250U, but hadn’t yet confirmed which features were working.
The bigger question is whether Google will eventually allow existing Chromebook owners to install Googlebook OS officially. Some Reddit users believe these experiments could encourage an earlier public release, while others are less convinced, pointing to Google’s previous approach with ChromeOS Flex, which arrived without Google Play Store support.
There’s also the question of whether Chromebook users would actually want to switch. One commenter pointed out that ChromeOS offers the full desktop version of Chrome, something Googlebook OS reportedly doesn’t currently provide.
For now, these remain unofficial experiments rather than evidence of a supported upgrade path. But with users already getting Googlebook OS running on different machines, there’s growing interest in whether Google’s new platform could eventually give existing Chromebooks a second life.