CHAPTER 1
Getting Started with Your Chromebook
In this chapter, you get started using your Chromebook. After a quick exploration of the Chromebook concept and the different types of Chromebooks available, you set up your Chromebook and sign in to your Google Account. You then learn to use the touchpad and the keyboard, connect to Wi-Fi networks, give commands, and work with windows. You also learn to lock your Chromebook, put it to sleep, sign out and in again, and shut it down.
Understanding the Chromebook Concept
Explore Different Types of Chromebooks
Set Up Your Chromebook
Start Your Chromebook and Sign In
Explore the Chrome OS Desktop
Point, Click, and Scroll with the Touchpad
Using the Touchscreen
Using the Keyboard
Using Keyboard Shortcuts
Connect to a Wi-Fi Network
Give Commands
Open, Close, and Manage Windows
Work with Notifications
Lock and Unlock Your Chromebook’s Screen
Put Your Chromebook to Sleep and Wake It Up
Sign Out and Sign Back In
Shut Down Your Chromebook
Understanding the Chromebook Concept
A Chromebook is a laptop computer that runs Google’s Chrome OS, a lightweight operating system designed to work well on low-end hardware. Chromebooks and Chrome OS are designed for ease of use, portability, and easy administration and management. Chromebooks are suitable for home use, but they are also widely used in schools and colleges, organizations, and companies. Each Chromebook receives operating-system updates for a fixed period.
This section explains the key features of the Chromebook concept. The next section illustrates the various types of Chromebooks available as of this writing.
Choose Chromebook Hardware
Like other laptop computers, a Chromebook is a self-contained unit that includes a built-in screen, keyboard, touchpad, speakers, microphone, and webcam as well as the system board, processor, memory, and storage.
Chromebook models are available in a wide range of prices and capabilities, from inexpensive and modestly equipped models built to survive usage by children up to $1,000-plus models with powerful hardware and high-resolution screens designed for professional use.
When choosing a Chromebook, you will normally want to get a model suitable for the type of usage it is likely to receive. Here are three examples:
- For elementary or junior high school use, you might choose a heavily armored Chromebook with a small screen, and perhaps a reduced-size keyboard; a modest processor; minimal memory, such as 4GB; and a small amount of storage, such as 32GB.
- For college use, you might choose a Chromebook model with a good-size screen, such as 14" or 15", so that the student can view more data at once; a moderately powerful processor and enough memory to run more demanding apps, such as 8GB; and enough storage — perhaps 64GB or 128GB — for however much data the student needs to store.
- For a power user, you might
