Past the Alphabet
Past the Alphabet is a weekly column that focuses on the tech world each in and out of the confines of Mountain View.
I’ve had my fair proportion of Chromebooks come throughout my desk, and Google has finished a fairly nice job at making my life simple. Every time I register with my Google account, nearly every little thing is synced from one Chromebook to the subsequent.
Even nonetheless, there are some things that I’m going by means of and arrange with a purpose to give myself entry to all the apps and options I care about. There is a good probability that you just won’t care about a few of these, however I hope that you just check out others simply to see what’s attainable.
Verify for updates
Whether or not it is a evaluation unit or a Chromebook I’ve bought for myself, the very first thing I do after signing in is to ensure ChromeOS is updated. Your Chromebook ought to mechanically do that every time it is linked to Wi-Fi, making periodic checks and downloading out there updates so you do not have to. However while you first get a ChromeOS machine, you need to be sure to have entry to all the most recent options from the get-go.
Actually, it is one thing that I like to recommend doing, it doesn’t matter what form of machine you simply picked up.
This manner, I haven’t got to fret about making an attempt to make use of a function that I used to be utilizing earlier than, solely to search out that it isn’t there as a result of the software program is outdated. This additionally goes for any Android apps, so I hearth up the Play Retailer and set up any potential updates which can be in ready.
Evaluate my apps and extensions
If there’s one factor you may need discovered about me through the years, it is that I like putting in and messing round with completely different apps. The identical goes for Chrome extensions, albeit to a lesser extent.
I imply, Chrome already eats up all of my RAM as it’s, and I do not want it getting worse. That being mentioned, I’m going by means of my app drawer and uninstall any apps that I not want. What is the level of taking over area if it is one thing I am going to by no means use? Nevertheless, you also needs to make sure to take away or set up Chrome extensions so as to get essentially the most out of your looking expertise.
Once more, reviewing put in apps is one thing it’s best to do on any machine, particularly Android telephones, which regularly come preinstalled with loads of bloatware.
Linux is a should have
Due to the truth that a Chromebook is admittedly only a Linux laptop computer, Google makes it extremely simple to put in and run Linux apps. In doing so, this offers me entry to extra highly effective purposes than what I’d discover on the Play Retailer or on the net. One such instance is having the ability to set up GIMP for enhancing pictures or Obsidian for writing articles and taking notes.
And don’t fret, it is truly a lot simpler than it sounds.
Swap to a distinct channel
In contrast to the subsequent part, switching from the Secure channel in your Chromebook is not one thing that I like to recommend everybody else do. And by this, I imply the Beta or Dev channel, which offers entry to new or upcoming options or people who would possibly nonetheless be early in improvement. A part of why I do it may be blamed on my masochistic mentality with regards to being on the “bleeding edge” of apps and software program.
On the identical time, doing so opens the doorways for me to see and fiddle with new options that may find yourself trickling down into the Secure construct of ChromeOS. However once more, it isn’t for the faint of coronary heart, and one dangerous replace may depart you with a mountain of frustration.
Tinker with flags
Admittedly, this one takes a little bit of trial and error, however I love wanting by means of the endless checklist of ChromeOS flags, which are sometimes the ways in which you entry lots of the hidden, in-development options earlier than they turn into extra publicly out there. It is positively a “your mileage could differ” form of state of affairs, as some options may work whereas others won’t.
Plus, relying on what Channel you are on, flags would possibly seem that give us a glimpse at future ChromeOS options. On the identical time, a very cool function may present up solely to be taken away with the subsequent replace, so it’s best to all the time take what you see with a grain of salt.
Arrange Telephone Hub
I cycle by means of nearly as many Android telephones as I do Chromebooks. Due to that, it is a fairly good assumption that I am utilizing a distinct telephone by the point a brand new Chromebook arrives. Telephone Hub is a necessary a part of my day by day workflow, and I would like to ensure it is able to go when I’m.
Having the ability to view something that comes by means of my telephone from my Chromebook saves me time and helps me keep targeted on no matter I am doing. To not point out, current updates to Fast Share make it extremely simple to switch recordsdata and pictures forwards and backwards with out ready for them to be uploaded to Drive or Photographs.
All of the cloud storage
One among my greatest complaints about Chromebooks, even Chromebook Plus fashions, is that there simply is not sufficient built-in storage. Clearly, these are speculated to be cloud-first computer systems, however after organising Linux and putting in Steam, it is simply not sufficient. Possibly it is principally a “me” drawback, and that is tremendous, however there are certain to be different Chromebook house owners who really feel my ache.
Nevertheless, I am additionally very grateful that Google makes it attainable to make use of OneDrive along with Google Drive. Between these two cloud storage options, I primarily have entry to 4TB of storage on high of no matter measurement onerous drive the Chromebook has. It is not an ideal resolution, but it surely’s nonetheless one thing.
Verify for perks
More often than not, your new and glossy Chromebook comes with fairly a bit greater than no matter’s within the field. By the Discover app, there is a good probability you will discover a couple of freebies which can be included. More often than not, there can be a perk for 3 months of YouTube Premium or an extra 100GB of cloud storage by means of Google One.
However sometimes, one thing even higher will come by means of the pipeline, akin to a free GeForce Now trial or a reduction code for a brand new app. On the very least, it by no means hurts to no less than examine and see what you possibly can get at no cost.
Set up Steam
I do know that this does not actually make a lot sense, provided that I can simply hearth up GeForce Now or Xbox Recreation Move to play plenty of my favourite video games. Nevertheless, much more than a yr after being formally launched, I nonetheless cannot recover from the truth that I’ve Steam on my Chromebook, which is an effective way to play video games on a machine that clearly wasn’t constructed for it.
No, I nonetheless cannot play video games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Helldivers II. Fortunately, there are nonetheless sufficient nice video games that will run on lots of the greatest Chromebooks. And for people who do not, nicely, that is the place cloud gaming companies come into play.
Your Chromebook is not only a net browser anymore
All of us may need our personal gripes about Chromebooks and ChromeOS as a platform. However, there is no denying that it is continued to develop in each type and performance. In case you had advised me 5 years in the past that there could be a Chromebook with interchangeable elements, I in all probability would have laughed at you.
What makes this evolution much more unimaginable is that it was finished with out Google releasing an up to date model of the Pixelbook. As a substitute, Google is placing the {hardware} improvement into the palms of various laptop computer makers. Nevertheless, at its core, Google remains to be steering the ship with ChromeOS.
In case you simply bought your personal Chromebook, hopefully my first steps may help information you in organising your machine simply the way you prefer it.
