Introduction

Laptop sales have been declining for years. This decline is mainly due to the rise in popularity of smartphones and tablets in the consumer market. Technology is getting smaller, faster, and more portable, so the world’s dependence on full-size, full-featured computers with fixed connections has begun to decrease.

However, in this declining market, the rising star is the Chromebook — a low-cost portable computer powered by Google’s Chrome OS, the first popular operating system inspired by and designed specifically for the Internet. Unlike Windows PCs and the Mac, which were designed for general computer use with lots of big applications, Chromebooks are designed primarily for Internet use. Instead of a gigantic hard drive, Chromebook relies mainly on cloud-based storage. Instead of lots of expensive memory, Chromebook uses the Chrome browser that doesn’t use a lot of memory. And instead of resident applications, Chromebook uses mainly web-based applications that are accessed and bookmarked through the Chrome Web Store and the Google Play store.

By offloading the bulk of the functionality to the cloud, Google made it possible for hardware manufacturers to create computers with hardware configurations designed specifically for life on the web. The result is an accessible, user-friendly computer with a much lower price point, making it an excellent option for schools, students, companies, and budget-conscious people in need of modern computing power.

It’s paying off. Chromebooks make up almost two-thirds of all computers sold to K–12 schools in the U.S., and they’re gaining traction worldwide. This market share means that the future of Chromebooks is bright. What students use in school today, they’ll use at home and at work tomorrow.

Similarly, more corporations are offering Chromebooks to employees for their corporate workstations. Chromebooks have a lower price point, are easier to manage, and don’t have the security problems experienced by Windows (mostly), and Macs (a little, and growing).

Although Chromebooks use Google’s Chrome OS operating system, by no means are Chromebooks “Google only” computers. Tools from Microsoft (Office 365, Word, Excel, and Skype), Apple, and Amazon work on Chromebooks, too. And because Chromebooks are browser-centric, the entire world of the Internet is your oyster!

About This Book

Sometimes the greatest obstacle with new technology is the fear that you won’t be able to learn it fast enough for it to be of use. The good news is that this book is designed to remove all the guesswork. Chromebook For Dummies, 2nd Edition is designed to give you all the tips and tools you need to excel with your Chromebook.

You don’t need to have any preexisting experience with Chromebooks, Chrome OS, Android, or the Chrome browser to be able to use Chromebook For Dummies, 2nd Edition. You don’t even have to own a Chromebook: This book can help you choose the Chromebook that’s right for you! (See Chapter 1 for an overview of features and Chapter 20 for details on selecting the right Chromebook for your needs.) If you do have a Chromebook, this book guides you from the initial setup phase to the features that make Chromebooks unique and easy to use. Later sections of the book give you step-by-step instructions on installing popular apps that can make you productive (or entertained) on day one. By the time you hit the advanced settings and features section of the book, you’ll probably consider yourself an advanced Chromebook user.

Many computer books get bogged down with technical jargon and mumbo jumbo. This book, however, isn’t written for the technical elite; it’s written for the 99.9 percent of the population who just want a no-nonsense approach to using an easy-to-use computer.

Currently, several hardware manufacturers make Chromebooks. You’ve probably heard of many of them: HP, Samsung, Lenovo, Dell, Acer, and Asus, to name a few. Google even has its own branded Chromebook, known as the Chromebook Pixel and the Pixelbook. The only difference between these different devices is the hardware — not the operating system. For that reason, Chromebook For Dummies, 2nd Edition doesn’t reference any specific device or manufacturer.

Chromebooks are great devices, and their intuitive design makes for a very short learning curve. This book can help ensure that you have all the info you need to use your Chromebook like a rock star.

Foolish Assumptions

Chromebook For Dummies, 2nd Edition requires no prior computer knowledge or experience. Of course, if you do have experience using PCs or Macs, you’ll already be very familiar with many of the Chromebook’s features. If you’ve never used a laptop before but have used smartphones, you’ll find that many of the concepts carry over. You’ll be fine!

This book makes no assumptions about your skill level. Although this book is primarily an introductory guide to the Chromebook and Chrome OS, you can also consider it to be an introductory guide on personal computing.

Icons Used in This Book

As you read this book, you see icons in the margins that indicate material of interest (or not, as the case may be). This section briefly describes each icon in this book.

Tips are nice because they help you save time or perform some task without a lot of extra work. The tips in this book are timesaving techniques or pointers to resources that you should try so that you can get the maximum benefit from your Chromebook.

At the risk of sounding like an alarmist, I use a warning icon to point out something you should pay close attention to. Proceed with caution if you must proceed at all.

Whenever you see this icon, think advanced tip or technique. You might find these tidbits of useful information to be just too boring for words, or they could contain the solution you need to get your Chromebook working just the way you want. Skip these bits of information whenever you like.

If you don’t get anything else out of a particular chapter or section, remember the material marked by this icon. This text reminds you of meaningful content that you should file away. This icon might also draw your attention to something I already covered that’s useful again.

Beyond the Book

A lot of extra content that you won’t find in this book is available at www.dummies.com. There, search this book’s title and then click More on This Book on the page that appears. You can find the Cheat Sheet for this book, which contains quick-reference information that might come in handy when you’re in a pinch. You can also find updates to this book, if we have any.

Where to Go from Here

The time has come to dive into the world of Chromebooks and Chrome OS. If you’re entirely new to computers or maybe just a little timid with new computers, start with Chapter 1. The first chapters of the book are designed to guide you through the process of powering on your device, logging in, navigating your new computing environment, and even getting familiar with some keyboard and touchpad features unique to the Chromebook.

If you’re a little more daring than others, you may consider skipping the first few chapters of the book and heading directly to the chapter on the Chrome browser. If you already have a Chromebook, you can read this book from cover to cover to pick up knowledge here and there, or go to the Table of Contents or the Index to look up specific information you need. Regardless of how you fancy yourself, this book can serve as an excellent primer for life with a Chromebook. And what a great life it can be!