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Here’s how to use a Chromebook and ChromeOS

Do you want to come over to the Chromebook and ChromeOS side of life? It’s easier than you may think; here’s a quick guide to get you started.

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This year has been quite the ride. On the upside, 2020 is turning out to be the Year of the Chromebook, too. Here’s what you need to know about switching to ChromeOS, and howmake the most of it.

ChromeOS: What you need to know

What is ChromeOS

Just like its rivals (macOS, Windows), ChromeOS comes with a variety of pros and cons. Whether ChromeOS and Chromebooks are for you will be determined by what you want from your device.

Some people might find that using ChromeOS comes with a slight learning curve. That’s only because ChromeOS is different than Windows, it’s not necessarily harder to master. You’re just used to Windows, is all.

In fact, ChromeOS was designed around simplicity. It’s leaner, meaner, and easier to use. It’s not burdened down with unnecessary features and it’s capable of running Android apps.

acer chromebook 715
Photo: Cheryl Kahla/TheSouthAfrican.com

Difference between ChromeOS and Chrome browser

Google’s Chrome browser allows you to connect to the internet, the same that Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Opera, Brave, Safari does. ChromeOS, on the other hand, is an operating system.

An operating system is the low-level software that supports the basic functions of a computer (or a phone). Other types of operating systems include Windows, macOS for Apple computers and Android for, well, Android-enabled phones.

In that sense, ChromeOS is the operating system that powers Chromebooks, just like Windows powers most desktops and laptops.

Decide why you want a Chromebook

Will it be used by a student for school work and studying? Do you want to use it as a gaming device? For work? Is it going to be your entertainment centre for streaming music, series and films? Do you want to create and edit videos?

Chromebook is perfect for some of those activities, but not so ideal for others. If you’re a hardcore, FPS-gamer or you deal with audio or video projects on the daily, this might not be for you.

That said, if you’re an occasional gamer, you might want to read this, too. I’m not going to use a Chromebook as my main gaming device, but it is possible to run some low-spec Epic Games titles on it.

For everyday-work tasks, a Chromebook is more than sufficient. If you’re going with Acer, another plus point is the 10 to 12-hour battery life, which makes it ideal if you’re based in South Africa and working from home.

While I haven’t had the chance to travel with a Chromebook yet, I can just tell that it’s going to be the perfect on-the-road device. It’s lightweight yet powerful and will keep you connected while away from home.

Using a ChromeOS and a Chromebook

Pros

  • Simple and easy to use
  • Watch videos, use social media
  • Download android s from Google Play Store
  • Sturdy, durable chassis
  • Between 10 to 12 hours of battery life
  • Full keyboard with a dedicated number pad
  • Charging ports on both sides
  • Powerful Intel CPU

Cons

  • Can only download Android apps released after 2017
  • Most apps aren’t customised for ChromeOS
  • Can’t play AAA-games
  • Can’t use desktop programs like Adobe Premiere Plus
  • The webcam isn’t ideal on most budget-devices

My personal Chromebook experience

If you’ve made it this far and decided that a Chromebook is indeed for you, congratulations! May I suggest the Acer Chromebook 715? It’s not available in South Africa yet but there are a few reasons why you should wait for it.

It has a matte aluminium chassis that extends to the back of the notebook and is resistant to fingerprint smudges. In addition, the lid can open 180 degrees and the hinges won’t wear down that easily.

The Chromebook 715 is also equipped with a large IPS (In-Plane Switching) 15.6-inch HD display with a resolution of 1920 by 1080. It’s perfect for practically anything: From streaming Netflix to working across several apps.

The Chromebook I’ve been using – and trust me, it has carried me through long work hours in the midst of load shedding – is equipped with a powerful Intel Celeron 3867U processor.

It was an absolute dream to work. In fact, it was so fast, I thought it was had 8GB RAM. Imagine my surprise when I realised it was only 4GB RAM? Now imagine what could be done if you have a Chromebook with 8GB?

acer chromebook 715
Photo: Cheryl Kahla/TheSouthAfrican.com

ChromeOS: Tips and tricks

As mentioned earlier, there is a slight learning curve. For example, I use the en dash quite often. For years, I’ve used Alt+0150 to get my en dash; it took me a considerable amount of time to get used to the ChromeOS way.

Spoiler alert, it’s not ALT+0150. Instead, you have to press Shift-Ctrl-U, type out the numbers 2014 one by one, and then press the spacebar. So, to save you some pain, I’ve compiled a list of useful shortcuts.

This is by no means an extensive list of tips and trick, but will hopefully be enough to get you started on your new Chromebook and ChromeOS journey.

Add most important apps to the Dock

Think of the Dock as an extended Taskbar. Add the most important apps here for quick access. I’ve customised my Dock by adding Files so I can access my photos and downloads easier.

Needless to say, I also docked the Chrome browser, along with the Google Play store, Settings and dedicated apps for streaming. You can also pin a specific website by following these steps:

  • Open the webpage in Chrome.
  • Click More  and then Create shortcut.
  • To add the shortcut to your shelf, click Create

Moving or hiding apps

You can also more or hide a row of apps by right-clicking the shelf and selecting Shelf Position. Then simply choose where you’d like the shelf to go. You can move it to the bottom of the screen, or the left or right side.

To hide the shelf and status area, right-click the shelf and select Autohide Shelf. When they’re hidden, move the pointer to that side of the screen to see your apps, bookmarks, and account picture.

Keyboard shortcuts

This is a bit trickier, but you’ll get hang of it in no time. You might notice that Chromebooks don’t have a Caps Lock key; it has a Launcher key. You can reinstate the Caps Lock by opening Settings and selecting Keyboard.

Then select the drop-down menu to the right of the Launcher and select Caps Lock from the options provided. You can also combine the Launcher and the Backspace key to do a forward delete. It’s useful for writers.

Other useful shortcuts include Alt + [ to lock current window to the left side of the screen, or Alt + ] to lock current window to the right side of the screen. You can also use Alt + = to maximize the current window.

If you don’t want to remember all that, simply memorise this: Ctrl + Alt + /

It will bring up a window that contains all of the shortcuts you can use. It’s even divided into categories for even reference, or use the search option to lookup a specific shortcut function.