Welcome to “Chrome OS Operating System Essentials.” After watching this video, you will be able to: Explain the pros and cons of Chromebooks. Describe Chromebook setup essentials. Describe parts of the Chromebook desktop. Explain how to adjust frequently modified settings. Describe how to locate essential operating system and hardware information. Chromebooks, known for being lightweight and portable, are suitable for web-based work and storage and run Android apps available on the Google Play Store. Chromebook hardware typically includes less powerful processors, less RAM, and less local storage than standard computers. With reduced hardware needs, Chromebooks are generally more affordable than laptops and desktops running other operating systems. Chromebooks tend to be popular with students and web-based workers in small to medium-sized businesses. Around 2020, Chromebooks incorporated additional capabilities. Chromebook users could now mirror programs from their desktops and laptops and run mobile Android versions of Microsoft Office 365 products. So why doesn’t everyone use a Chromebook? Chromebooks require an internet connection for access to web-based apps and functions. Google apps and some other apps are available for offline or asynchronous work. However, many business apps and tasks require a network, and internet connectivity. Chromebooks also enforce a strict automatic expiration date. After that date, the operating system is no longer guaranteed to work with hardware. After you press the Start or Power button, you’ll select your preferred language and click “Let’s go.” Next, join a Wi-Fi network. You’ll enter the network name, specify the security type and enter the network’s password. You also can allow others who use the Chromebook to access the same network. Then sign in with an existing Google account or create a new Google account. Next, let’s learn about setting up Google Assistant. You’ll be prompted to enable Google Assistant. Google Assistant integrates with other Google devices, including lights, music, and other devices configured in Google Home. You can use both voice and keyboard input capabilities to ask Google questions or ask Google to perform tasks. You can adjust these settings at any time. You can also find Google Assistant using the Settings pane. Select Search and Assistant. Google Assistant settings appear. Click the toggle to enable Google Assistant. You can also click the “Ok Google” toggle to use Google Assistant with your voice. If you want to use your voice instead of the keyboard, click the Preferred Input toggle. To talk with your Assistant, say, “Ok Google,” and ask your question. Also, on your keyboard, you can press the Search key or the Assistant key. Next, let’s learn about another Chromebook essential; how you can configure your Chromebook to use a preferred wireless network. In the Settings pane, select Network. In the Network section, click to toggle Wi-Fi. To automatically connect, or reconnect to a specific network, click the Automatically connect to this network toggle. To set the connected network as the preferred network, click the Prefer this network toggle. Now it’s time to learn about installing apps. To install additional apps, use the Shelf and select the Google Play Store app. You’ll find apps for gaming, productivity, navigation, shopping, social sites, education, movies, and books. After your apps are installed, how do you find them? Let’s check out the desktop, the Shelf, and the Launcher. The desktop is your workspace. You can access programs and shortcuts using the Shelf. You’ll use the open space to view open programs. You can also select the Launcher to find and open programs. When viewing an app in the Launcher, you can right-click an app to pin or anchor the app to the Shelf. The desktop is also where you access frequently adjusted settings, such as speaker volume and screen brightness, locate the Settings app, and, although not enabled here, view notifications. When connected to the Internet, Chromebooks can automatically check for, download, and install operating system updates. Within Settings and About Chrome OS, you can manually Check for Updates. You’ll also be able to see which version of the Chrome operating system your Chromebook is running. After downloading the update, ChromeOS prompts you to select Restart to finish the update process. Chromebooks have a date when they will no longer receive ChromeOS updates. View Update schedule to see the expiration date. Some Chromebooks may also have a device name. A search of this Chromebook device did not supply a name. To monitor system performance, click Settings then About ChromeOS and select Diagnostics. Select System to view the battery health and a CPU usage graph. Scroll the System view to see more CPU details and then view memory usage details. Next, select Connectivity, where you can view network performance. In this video, you learned that: You need a Google account to use a Chromebook Google Assistant, with both voice and keyboard command capabilities and notifications, provides functionality that integrates additional Google capabilities. You can use the Launcher to locate files, and within Settings, select About ChromeOS to update the Chromebook operating system. You’ll use the Google Play Store app to download apps, and within About ChromeOS, you can check the operating system update status, find the Chromebook’s expiration date, and view system diagnostic information.
