{"id":35484,"date":"2016-03-20T09:00:36","date_gmt":"2016-03-20T14:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/?p=35484"},"modified":"2019-09-25T15:12:45","modified_gmt":"2019-09-25T20:12:45","slug":"tech-tip-turn-an-old-mac-into-a-chromebook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/35484-tech-tip-turn-an-old-mac-into-a-chromebook\/","title":{"rendered":"Rocket Yard Guide: Turning An Older Mac Into A New Chromebook"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_53522\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-53522\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-53522 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1103-1.jpg\" alt=\"white macbook running chrome os\" width=\"640\" height=\"424\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1103-1.jpg 640w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1103-1-181x120.jpg 181w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1103-1-284x188.jpg 284w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1103-1-190x126.jpg 190w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1103-1-100x65.jpg 100w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1103-1-181x120@2x.jpg 362w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1103-1-284x188@2x.jpg 568w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1103-1-190x126@2x.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-53522\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>(My &#8220;new&#8221; Chromebook.)<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Maybe your&nbsp;older MacBook doesn\u2019t meet the <a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/shop\/compatibility\/OS-X-10.11-El-Capitan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">specs to run OS X El Capitan<\/a>, or your child\u2019s school decided to switch to <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chromebook\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Google Chromebooks<\/a>. Either way, there\u2019s now a very simple way for you to convert that&nbsp;semi-retired Mac into a Chromebook-compatible device.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.neverware.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Neverware\u2019s CloudReady<\/a> can run on a huge number of devices \u2014 PCs as well as Macs \u2014 but for this article, we\u2019re going to concentrate on one thing:&nbsp;<strong>how to turn an older Mac into a Chromebook<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>For individual users, CloudReady is free, meaning that you can give it a try without spending a dime.&nbsp;So how is it done? Simply follow the steps below to find out:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1.)<\/strong> Make sure your Mac is certified to run CloudReady. The following models will work perfectly:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>iMac 7,1 &#8211; 2007 20 and 24 inch models<\/li>\n<li>iMac 8,1 &#8211; Early 2008 20 and 24-inch models<\/li>\n<li>iMac 9,1 &#8211; Early\/Mid 2009 20 and 24 inch models<\/li>\n<li>iMac 11,2 &#8211; Mid 2010 21.5 inch model<\/li>\n<li>MacBook 3,1 &#8211; Late 2007 13-inch black or white plastic<\/li>\n<li>MacBook 4,1 &#8211; Early 2008 13-inch black or white plastic<\/li>\n<li>MacBook 5,1 &#8211; Late 2008 aluminum 13-inch unibody<\/li>\n<li>MacBook 5,2 &#8211; Early\/Mid 2009 13-inch white plastic<\/li>\n<li>MacBook 7,1 &#8211; Mid 2010 13-inch white plastic<\/li>\n<li>MacBook Pro &#8211; Mid 2012 13-inch Core i7, Core i5<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For the purposes of this article, I have a MacBook 4,1 on hand that is in working condition, although the screen has a tendency to blank out if the machine is jiggled. Still, it&#8217;s a perfect candidate to become a Chromebook. (<strong>Note:<\/strong> The screenshots in this article&nbsp;were taken with a camera. During installation, there is no way to get a Chromebook screenshot.)<\/p>\n<p>And to get&nbsp;the best performance from your Chromebook-in-the-making, MacSales.com offers&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/shop\/apple\/memory\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">memory<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/shop\/storage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">storage<\/a>&nbsp;upgrades. You can also pick up a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/shop\/Apple_Systems\/Used\/Macs_and_Tablets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Refurbished Mac<\/a>&nbsp;from MacSales.com if you&#8217;re in need of a second or even a first Mac.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2.)<\/strong> Get your hands on a USB 2.0 flash drive with either 8GB or 16GB of storage. It must be 8GB or 16GB, so don\u2019t try to use something larger. Don&#8217;t have one on hand? <a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/search\/16GB+flash+drive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OWC offers&nbsp;several different models of 16GB flash drives for sale<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Be sure to erase the drive. For this, and for the purpose of creating the USB installer, you can use any Mac. I used my <a href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/shop\/memory\/iMac\/Retina-5K2015\/DDR3L\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">supercharged 27-inch 5K Retina iMac<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3.)<\/strong> If you already have Google\u2019s Chrome browser installed on your Mac, go to step 5. If not, proceed to Step 4.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4.)<\/strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.google.com\/chrome\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Download Chrome browser from Google\u2019s website<\/a>, and install it on your Mac. Be sure to log into Chrome using a Google account (usually associated with a Gmail account).<\/p>\n<p><strong>5.)<\/strong> Next, we want to open the installation zip file that will be downloaded in Step 6, so install <a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/app\/the-unarchiver\/id425424353?mt=12\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Unarchiver<\/a>&nbsp;(free) from the Mac App Store.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6.)<\/strong> Launch the Chrome browser on your Mac, and enter <a href=\"http:\/\/www.neverware.com\/freedownload\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">www.neverware.com\/freedownload<\/a> into the search\/address bar before pressing the Return key. The file \u201ccloudready-free-46.1.20.bin.zip\u201d is downloaded to your Mac automatically and appears in your Mac\u2019s Downloads folder.<\/p>\n<p><strong>7.)<\/strong> Open the Downloads folder, then right-click the file \u201ccloudready-free-46.1.20.bin.zip\u201d and select \u201cOpen With The Unarchiver\u201d. If you\u2019re asked where to save the unarchived file, click the button that indicates that you wish to save it in the same folder as the archive file. The file is unzipped, and a new file named \u201cchromiumosimage.bin\u201d appears in the Downloads folder.<\/p>\n<p><strong>8.)<\/strong> In the Chrome browser on your Mac, type or paste in this address: <a href=\"https:\/\/chrome.google.com\/webstore\/detail\/chromebook-recovery-utili\/jndclpdbaamdhonoechobihbbiimdgai?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/chrome.google.com\/webstore\/detail\/chromebook-recovery-utili\/jndclpdbaamdhonoechobihbbiimdgai?hl=en<\/a>. This takes you to the Chrome Web Store and to the Chromebook Recovery Utility that allows you to create a recovery media for a&nbsp;Chromebook. Click the Add To Chrome button in the upper right corner (see image below).<\/p>\n<p><strong>9.)<\/strong> The Chromebook Recovery Utility is added to the Chrome App Launcher, which is installed by default in your Mac Dock. When you click on it, the App Launcher displays all of your Chrome apps (see image below):<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_53523\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-53523\" style=\"width: 420px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-53523 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ChromebookRecover.jpg\" alt=\"Chrome App Launcher on a Mac\" width=\"420\" height=\"599\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ChromebookRecover.jpg 420w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ChromebookRecover-84x120.jpg 84w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ChromebookRecover-226x323.jpg 226w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ChromebookRecover-133x190.jpg 133w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ChromebookRecover-84x120@2x.jpg 168w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/ChromebookRecover-133x190@2x.jpg 266w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-53523\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>(Chrome App Launcher on a Mac.)<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>10.)<\/strong> Click on the Recovery icon to launch the Chromebook Recovery Utility. When prompted, plug in the flash drive. It is erased and the Recovery media is created. Remove the flash drive when you\u2019re done, and now let\u2019s move to the old Mac.<\/p>\n<p><strong>11.)<\/strong> Make sure that everything you need is off of the old Mac, because<strong> installing Chromium OS on this device is going to wipe out everything on the internal drive<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>12.)<\/strong> Power down the Mac, then plug the flash drive into one of the USB ports.<\/p>\n<p><strong>13.)<\/strong> Hold down the Option key on the keyboard, then power the Mac back on. Pressing the Option key while booting displays all of the available boot devices, which should include whatever version of OS X you had installed, the OS X recovery partition, and the flash drive, which will be listed as EFI Boot (outline in red on the image below). Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to select the flash drive, then press the return key.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_53524\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-53524\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-53524 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1050-1.jpg\" alt=\"EFI Boot icon\" width=\"640\" height=\"307\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1050-1.jpg 640w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1050-1-250x120.jpg 250w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1050-1-284x136.jpg 284w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1050-1-190x91.jpg 190w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1050-1-250x120@2x.jpg 500w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1050-1-284x136@2x.jpg 568w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1050-1-190x91@2x.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-53524\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>(Select the EFI Boot icon, then press Return.)<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>14.)<\/strong> Now CloudReady installs itself <i>temporarily<\/i> on the system. You\u2019ll get to a point where you\u2019re asked for your language, keyboard type and to connect to a Wi-Fi network (see image below). When those tasks are done, press the Continue button. Next, you get to install Adobe Flash. And finally, you\u2019re asked to \u201cSign in to your Chromebook\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_53525\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-53525\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-53525 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1051-1.jpg\" alt=\"CloudReady\" width=\"640\" height=\"445\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1051-1.jpg 640w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1051-1-173x120.jpg 173w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1051-1-284x197.jpg 284w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1051-1-190x132.jpg 190w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1051-1-173x120@2x.jpg 346w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1051-1-284x197@2x.jpg 568w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1051-1-190x132@2x.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-53525\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>(Setting up CloudReady.)<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>15.)<\/strong> At this point, enter your email address (see image below) and password. If it\u2019s a Gmail address you have associated with Chrome at some point, any and all Chrome apps you\u2019ve installed will automatically appear on your Chromebook.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_53526\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-53526\" style=\"width: 480px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-53526 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1053-1.jpg\" alt=\"Sign in to Chromebook\" width=\"480\" height=\"569\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1053-1.jpg 480w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1053-1-101x120.jpg 101w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1053-1-272x323.jpg 272w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1053-1-160x190.jpg 160w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1053-1-101x120@2x.jpg 202w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1053-1-160x190@2x.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-53526\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>(Sign in to your Chromebook.)<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>16.)<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8220;Howdy, User.&#8221; Once you have been greeted by your Chromebook&nbsp;(see image below), it\u2019s a good time to check out the quick tour of Chromium by clicking the Take a tour button.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-53527 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1055-1.jpg\" alt=\"Howdy, Steve!\" width=\"640\" height=\"187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1055-1.jpg 640w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1055-1-284x83.jpg 284w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1055-1-190x56.jpg 190w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1055-1-284x83@2x.jpg 568w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1055-1-190x56@2x.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>17.)<\/strong> Pretty fast tour, isn\u2019t it? Well, you\u2019re not done yet. Go over to the lower right-hand corner of the screen and click that little image of you. A menu appears, and the top item on the list under your name is \u201cInstall CloudReady\u201d. Wait, didn\u2019t you already do this? No, you actually booted off of the flash drive. Here, you\u2019ll launch a CloudReady installer that installs a copy of CloudReady onto your Mac\/Chromebook hard drive. Click the Install CloudReady button.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_53528\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-53528\" style=\"width: 480px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-53528 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1056-1.jpg\" alt=\"Chromebook menu\" width=\"480\" height=\"605\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1056-1.jpg 480w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1056-1-95x120.jpg 95w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1056-1-256x323.jpg 256w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1056-1-151x190.jpg 151w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1056-1-364x460.jpg 364w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1056-1-95x120@2x.jpg 190w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1056-1-151x190@2x.jpg 302w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-53528\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>(The Chromebook menu. Select Install CloudReady&#8230;)<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>18.)<\/strong> You\u2019re given the option to create a dual-boot CloudReady + Microsoft Windows device. Since your Mac doesn\u2019t already have Windows installed, select Install CloudReady Standalone (see image below). Now, in about 20 minutes, everything is installed for you and the device is rebooted. A &#8220;CloudReady Installation in Progress&#8221; screen keeps you entertained during this time.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_53529\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-53529\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-53529 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1058-1.jpg\" alt=\"Select the Standalone option\" width=\"640\" height=\"561\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1058-1.jpg 640w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1058-1-137x120.jpg 137w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1058-1-284x249.jpg 284w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1058-1-190x167.jpg 190w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1058-1-137x120@2x.jpg 274w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1058-1-284x249@2x.jpg 568w, https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_1058-1-190x167@2x.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-53529\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>(Select the Standalone option.)<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>19.)<\/strong> This time, the only choice you have is to boot right into CloudReady and Chromium. You\u2019ll hear the standard Mac startup tone, but you\u2019re not going to see the Apple logo on the screen. Instead, you\u2019re greeted with &#8220;Welcome to Grub!&#8221; (a boot loader) in text and shortly thereafter your face appears on the screen, signaling that you can log in.<\/p>\n<p><strong>20.)<\/strong> Once you log in again with your Google account, you can go wild with installing Chrome apps from the Chrome Web Store. Since the only thing on your toolbar will be the Chrome browser, do a search for \u201cChrome Web Store\u201d and then follow the link.<\/p>\n<p>So, how does it work? Surprisingly well. The boot time can be&nbsp;a little slow, but once the system is up and running you have access to a world of Google and third-party apps. If you&#8217;re already using Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive or any of those other apps on your Mac or PC, they&#8217;re available from the browser on your Chromebook. Want to listen to music or watch movies from your favorite non-Apple services? Players for Spotify, Google Play, Netflix and more are available.<\/p>\n<p>A word of warning, though &#8212; some of the apps and browser extensions in the Chrome Web Store are just plain flaky, and it doesn&#8217;t appear that there&#8217;s as much proper vetting of apps going on as you see in the&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;App Stores. But for those of you who may be working in that world already, converting an unused&nbsp;Mac to Chromium using CloudReady is a fascinating alternative to just letting it gather dust.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related article:&nbsp;<\/strong><a title=\"Friday Five: Amazing Things You Can Do with Google Chrome Browser on a Mac\" href=\"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/33005-friday-five-amazing-things-you-can-do-with-google-chrome-browser-on-a-mac\" rel=\"bookmark\">Friday Five: Amazing Things You Can Do with Google Chrome Browser on a Mac<\/a><\/p>\n<p><i>Note: The Rocket Yard&nbsp;has no affiliation with the&nbsp;software mentioned in this article and receives no benefit related to this support (other than a benefit we all share in the continued support of these applications). If you appreciate the function or functionality this software offers, we encourage you to support the authors.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>Related Reading:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/chromeunboxed.com\/owc-docks-and-drives-perfect-chromebook-companions\/\">See why OWC drives and docks are the perfect Chromebook companion<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maybe your&nbsp;older MacBook doesn\u2019t meet the specs to run OS X El Capitan, or your child\u2019s school decided to switch to Google Chromebooks. Either way, there\u2019s now a very simple way for you to convert that&nbsp;semi-retired Mac into a Chromebook-compatible device. Neverware\u2019s CloudReady can run on a huge number of devices \u2014 PCs as well [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":33016,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"class_list":["post-35484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech-tips"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v20.2 (Yoast SEO v20.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Turn an Older Mac Into a New Chromebook<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There\u2019s now a very simple way for you to convert that semi-retired Mac into a Chromebook-compatible device.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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