CrossOver, the software for running Windows apps on Chromebooks, is out of beta

Good news for Chromebook owners who are missing Windows apps on their machines. Out of beta CrossOver software that allows you to run applications under Windows OS in the Chomebook software environment.

True, there is a fly in the ointment: the software is paid, and its cost starts at $40. Nevertheless, the solution is interesting, so we are already preparing a review on it. Now let’s describe in general terms what it is all about.

CrossOver is being developed by the CodeWeavers team, which stated in its блоге about leaving beta. There is a condition: the package can only be used on modern Chromebooks with Intel® processors.

CrossOver is far from a new solution, it has been working for Linux and Mac for many years, allowing you to run Windows applications on these platforms. As for Chrome OS, the corresponding version of the package appeared in 2016. Initially, it was based on Android and all this time did not move beyond the beta version.

Everything changed after Google added Linux support for Chromebooks. The developers at CodeWeavers responded almost immediately and made their software compatible with Google's Crostini tool. This is a Linux subsystem that runs on Chrome OS.

After the finalization, everything became so good that CodeWeavers published the final release, bringing the platform out of beta. But this is a commercial project, and the cost of the tool cannot be called low. For different versions the price is as follows:

• $40 - software only, current version.
• $60 – current software version and support for a year, plus updates.
• $500 – lifetime support and updates.

You can test the package for free.

Before you start testing CrossOver, it's worth making sure your Chromebook is compatible with the software. The characteristics should be as follows:

• Linux support (Chromebooks from 2019).
• Intel® processor.
• 2 GB RAM.
• 200 MB of free file space and space for applications that you plan to install.

Important note: not all Windows applications are compatible with CrossOver. You can see what is compatible and what is not in the database of software authors. There is a convenient search by name.

As for our in-depth CrossOver review, we'll be releasing that next week, so stay tuned.

Source: habr.com