About The ChromeOS Guide
Welcome to the ChromeOS Guide
Thank you for visiting the Web-Based Version of the ChromeOS Guide and congratulations on purchasing your ChromeOS-Powered Device. This guide will help you understand the basics of using your ChromeOS powered device. I designed this book for users of all skill levels and most use cases.
There is a common misconception that ChromeOS is a limited operating system that is only useful for browsing the web, posting on social media, and browsing YouTube. While ChromeOS shines when you are connected to the internet, it can definitely compete with other laptops and tablets on the market when offline. Many of the books on various on-line bookstores that cover ChromeOS also help cement this misconception by not showcasing the potential of the platform. This book was designed to pick up where these others leave off and help you make use of your ChromeOS device by being the most complete guide on the market.
If you are just starting out on your ChromeOS journey, then it is highly advised that you start from the beginning of this web-based guide and progress through the various chapters until you are at your desired comfort level. You can then jump directly to the sections that cover any material you wish to learn more about at any point in the future. If you are a seasoned ChromeOS user, you are encouraged to jump around this book to access the materials that you wish to learn more about, as you may not get a lot of value from the first few chapters. Additionally, this website will contain tutorials and other resources that will eventually grow to cover all ChromeOS topics.
There will be several sections in this book that will venture into some of the more advanced features of ChromeOS, including device troubleshooting and even hacking your ChromeOS to perform actions that are not normally exposed to users.
ChromeOS is an operating system that is in active development, and there will be ongoing efforts to ensure this website is continuously updated with new content.
How ChromeOS.Guide Started
I have purchased and read countless books on ChromeOS and was not satisfied with the content that are contained in other books. Many of the books are stuck in the past and highlight the limits of ChromeOS instead of focusing on the benefits. Several of the books on the market encourage users to undertake tasks that could introduce security risks to users without informing the users of the risks.
Furthermore, most of the books on the market also focus on using web applications that can be used on any platform, essentially turning the books into a publication of using Google Docs and Microsoft Office 365. ChromeOS has far more potential than most publications give it credit for.
I started writing a book in late 2019 to help users get to know ChromeOS after seeing how popular many of my articles on my personal website have gotten, with hundreds of unique visits a day. There was clearly a market for ChromeOS content, and many of my articles and tutorials were being referenced by several large websites (or often stolen). 2020 was a strange year for everyone and Chromebooks quickly gained a larger market hare in a matter of a few months with many schools and businesses issuing Chromebooks for use with remote learning and remote work. It seems that trend will continue through 2021 and the foreseeable future. Many Employers and Schools provided Chromebooks to their users, often with minimal instruction on how to use them. ChromeOS is designed to be an easy to learn platform for most users, but there are countless tips to allow users to get the most out of their ChromeOS powered devices that this guide will fill in the gaps.
About the Author - Keith I Myers
I have been a technology enthusiast for much of my life, and tend to be an early adopter of new and interesting products. I purchased my first Chromebook in 2012, when the operating system was little more than a browser. ChromeOS has come a long way over the past few years to become an operating system that can easily be a daily driver for most. I started to get deep into ChromeOS a few years ago when Google released the Pixelbook, which showed off the potential of what the operating system was capable of.
I quickly learned the inner workings of ChromeOS and started writing some of the very first tutorials on how to extend the feature set of ChromeOS and make it do things that would have been unthinkable a few years earlier. My articles and tutorials quickly gained the attention of many reputable tech sites, who have either re-published the content or referenced my content in their publications.
You are always free to contact me at Keith@KMyers.me with any questions, comments or feedback regarding this guide.
Document Information
A lot of research has gone into each of the ChromeOS Guides to ensure they contain accurate information, however mistakes are always a possibility, please get in contact with me at Keith@KMyers.me if you spot a mistake, and it will be corrected.
Note To Readers - Hardware Variants
It is not uncommon for manufacturers to have several variants of each device, which are often sold at different prices. Lower cost units are often sold with less disk space, less RAM and a lower end processor. At times, these models may differ in screen resolution or other features such as a touchscreen. This book will try to cover all ChromeOS devices, however it is important to note that your specific variant may not have all the features described in this book. Furthermore, there may also be hardware variants assigned to several geographic regions.
The ChromeOS.Guide Website includes a growing list of all ChromeOS Devices that have ever been released on the market along with documentation covering what features are available for each of the devices.
Note To Readers - Software Geographic Restrictions
Chrome OS is an operating system that is using in several countries around the world and generally speaking, ChromeOS offers the same features regardless of where your device was purchased. There are, however, some occasions where some features not be available in various geographic locations. This could be for legal/compliance reasons or as part of a staged roll-out of a. upcoming ChromeOS feature. These specific restrictions are not common and as such, this book will cover the feature as if it were available in your specific location.
Note to Readers - Screenshot Resolution
This guide will often downscale the resolution of all screenshots to 720p, or lower, to allow the screenshots to be viewed clearly on e-book readers and PDFs. This may not reflect the maximum resolution of your device.
Notice to System Administrators and IT professionals
The content of these guides can be customized and licensed to businesses and organizations who wish to have their own custom documentation. Services include branding, adding custom content and removal of content that your organization restricts. Please reach out to Keith@KMyers.me if you wish to discuss requirements and details.
Important Note For Users of Managed Devices
If your device was issued by an employer or educational institution, it may be set up as a "Managed Device". Managed devices are under the control of the network administrator and may have some functions described in this guide restricted or disabled. This guide will not provide any steps or tutorials to bypass these restrictions, please consult a member of your organization's IT staff if you need to request access to these features.
Notice to System Administrators and IT professionals
The content of these guides can be customized and licensed to businesses and organizations who wish to have their own custom documentation. Services include branding, adding custom content and removal of content that your organization restricts. Please reach out to Keith@KMyers.me if you wish to discuss requirements and details.