Neverware on Thursday announced the addition of dual-boot support, allowing its CloudReady operating system and Microsoft Windows to run on the same computer.

The dual-boot feature preserves existing data on computers. Adding it to CloudReady -- which lets PCs and Apple computers function like Google Chromebooks -- will let users keep their existing computer configuration or boot into Neverware's cloud-based OS to access Google's Web app environment.

The company has gained traction in the last 18 months among schools and some larger organizations strapped with aging computers and lagging budgets. In some school and business settings, Chromebook adoption has stalled because of reliance on legacy Windows applications, Neverware said.

It hopes the dual-boot feature will ease the transition to Google's ecosystem.

CloudReady began as a product specifically for schools already adopting Google Apps and Chromebooks. Some of those customers wanted to convert their legacy hardware to speed up Google adoption faster and for less total cost, said Forrest Smith, director of product and customer experience at Neverware.

"Dual boot primarily opens the door for a market we think of as Chrome-curious. These are folks who are interested in Google Apps and Chromebooks but hesitant to invest heavily in new hardware or to take a major risk on adopting a new ecosystem," he told LinuxInsider.

Other products, both commercial and open source, allow users to run Chromium-based browser OSes on existing computers.

Neverware's dual-booting feature is available on most computers without purchasing special products or licenses. for more details please visit http://www.technewsworld.com/story/Neverware-Brings-Windows-Into-Its-Anti-Aging-Fold-83136.html