Chromebooks are a relatively inexpensive alternative to traditional laptops. While they don't offer the full functionality of a Windows PC or a MacBook, they are great for those who spend most of their screen time online and need some basic productivity programs.
There are a lot of nifty features inside. Chrome OS has Google Now integrated into the Launcher, meaning that weather, calendar, and other info is as accessible as it is on an Android device. You can also search your Chromebook with your voice.
In general, Chromebooks are pretty intuitive to use right from the start, but there are lots of tips and tricks that are not so apparent and could be a huge help. For one thing, you might have a moment of surprise when you go to express your extreme emotions in caps lock and can't find the button. Find out what we mean, as well as 11 other things you should know, in the slideshow.
If you're reading this because you don't yet have a Chromebook but are thinking about getting one, then check out PCMag's roundup of the best Chromebooks. We tested these tips out on a Dell Chromebook 11.
Double Duty
Use the Search Button or the App Launcher as a calculator by selecting either and then typing in calculations (+ for addition, - for subtraction, x for multiplication, / for division). They also function as unit converters. Just type in something like "½ cup in ounces" and get an instant answer.
Play Some iTunes
You can't run iTunes on a Chromebook, but you can import an iTunes library into Google Play Music. The service offers free music (up to 50,000 songs; after that it's $9.99 a month) and works whenever there's Wi-Fi. First sign up for Google Play Music. On the computer with your iTunes library, sign into Google Play Music and download Music Manager. If you're using the Chrome browser, select Add Music; if you're using another browser choose Upload Music. Follow the instructions to upload your library. Once you're in your Chromebook, you can get to your music by going to Search or App Launcher and clicking Google Play.
See What the Future Has in Store
If you want to check out upcoming features and changes to Chrome OS, you can just change the channel. Google lets you stay with a stable version of Chrome, switch to a beta version, or go full-on dev. Stable is the version that's been fully tested and is the safest. Beta has updates and enhancements that will be rolled out soon and it offers low risk. Dev has the very latest in what developers are working on but is the most unstable. To change which channel you're on, go to your account on the lower right of the home screen, then click Settings > About Chrome OS. In the window that appears, select More Info and choose which channel you want.
Hit the Reset
To rid your Chromebook of all accounts and factory reset it, click your account name, then Settings, then Show Advanced Settings, scroll down to Powerwash, and then click.
Recovery
Prevent the horrors of a crash and create recovery media for your Chromebook. Get a USB drive or SD card that can hold 4GB or more, go to the Chrome Web Store and download the Chromebook Recovery Utility. Click Get Started, and then follow the onscreen instructions. Should you ever get the message "Chrome OS is missing or damaged," you can then insert whatever media you used and the OS will reinstall.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Check out all of the Chromebook's keyboard shortcuts by hitting Ctrl+Alt+?. You'll get a keyboard map that you can explore by hitting Ctrl, Alt, and Shift by themselves and in combination to see all shortcut configurations.
Caps Lock
You don't think you need caps lock until all of a sudden you're looking for it AND OMIGOD WHERE IS CAPS LOCK? People in Mountain View are probably very chill and thought it was unnecessary to dedicate an entire button to it. If you'd like to put caps lock on your keyboard, go to your account on the lower right of the home screen, then click Settings, and then Keyboard Settings. You'll see drop-downs next to Search, Ctrl, and Alt. You can designate any of those buttons to function as caps lock.
Get Things Under (Parental) Control
If you share a Chromebook, you might want to implement parental control. First make sure your child has an account on the Chromebook by going to Settings > People > Manage Other Users. Now select your account name from the bottom right toolbar again and click Sign Out. The sign-in screen will appear; select Add User and then Create a Supervised User and enter your child's account info. Sign back into your own account and then select Next and enter in your info. Go to the Supervised Users Dashboard and go to Permissions. From there select Manage, and under Allow you can let the supervised user browse All of the Web or Only Approved Sites. To block a website, insert an asterisk in the place of the "www" in a website address, ex. *.google.com.
Voice
A friendly conversation with your Chromebook just requires you saying "OK, Google." Go to Settings, check the box next to Enable OK Google and you're set.
Screenshot
To take a screenshot, hit the Ctrl and the Window Switcher key at the same time. You'll get confirmation that a screenshot was taken and it will appear in the Downloads folder.
Just Say Play
In 2014, Google launched the first set of Android apps for Chrome OS, including Duolingo, Evernote, the children's reading app Sight Words, and Twitter's Vine. At this year's Google I/O developer conference, the company announced that the entire Google Play store is coming to Chrome OS, making Chromebooks suitable for work (with Office) and play (Minecraft). For now, it's available on the dev channel for three Chromebooks and is coming to a few dozen other models in the next year or so. There's a list to check availability.
Extensions
Until Google Play launches on all Chromebooks, extensions are to Chromebooks what software is on a Windows machine. For Microsoft Office users, there's Office Online (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), in addition to the standard Google Docs. Adobe has an upcoming cloud version of Photoshop, but in the meantime, there's Pixlr and Sumo Paint, both free.
A number of apps also work offline, which helps when you're without an Internet connection.
A number of apps also work offline, which helps when you're without an Internet connection.