Can i use my Chromebook without an internet connection? What are the limitations for users accustomed to Mac and PC? We will help owners of exotic laptops quickly deal with an unusual OS and show its capabilities using the example of popular software.
On the Internet, you can now read a huge number of critical reviews of laptops with operating systems from Google. Many people think that the Chromebook is a computer for housewives and grandmothers who only use a browser and applications to communicate. Is it so?
Initially, it should be noted that the chromobook as a class of devices on this moment should not be considered a complete replacement for a desktop PC or a traditional laptop. Moreover, if you are an advanced user who needs specific professional software, then a computer with Chrome OS will probably not work for you either. However, this does not mean that the Chromebook is not good for anything at all. In fact, for a large number of home and corporate users, these devices can become handy tool for work and play. What will we see when we open the lid of the device for the first time? How to get started?
First start
The first time you turn on your Chrome OS computer, it will let you choose your language and keyboard layout, and prompt you to connect to wi-Fi networks... Connecting to the Internet at such an early stage is not at all accidental, since at next step you will see an authorization window in which you will need to enter your username and password from your Gmail email. Due to the fact that Chrome OS uses as account Google account, immediately after logging in, you will have access to email, calendar and other Google services. If you are away from home, do not forget to lock the system when you leave your computer, or use two-step authentication for those Google services that you want to close from prying eyes (https://www.google.com/ settings / personalinfo). If you need to share your computer with other users, select guest mode that doesn't use your personal Google account.
The operating system updates itself without user intervention, so you don't have to think about which OS version you have - that's it stable versions updates will be downloaded and installed automatically. Experimental developer OS updates can be installed only in the special Developer Mode (see the Advanced Users tab).
If after the first login under your account your input language does not switch, go to the system settings by entering in address bar browser chrome: // settings, select , open the section Language and input settings and make sure that the languages \u200b\u200byou need are present in the left column of the window, and at least one layout model is activated on the right side opposite each language mode (when it is selected in the left column).
Also note that Chrome OS has a handy feature that simulates mouse clicks by tapping the touchpad hard (without actually pressing). To enable this option, open chrome browser, enter in the address bar chrome: // settings and press Enter ... In the settings window that opens, in the Device section, click Touchpad and Mouse Settings , activate the item Enable tap-to-click function .
Reset and restore. To create an emergency flash drive for system recovery, just insert any drive or memory card with a capacity of at least 4 GB, open the Chrome browser, enter in the address bar chrome: // imageburner and follow the instructions on the screen.
The system also has a built-in ability to reset all settings to default values, deleting all personal files in local storage. To carry out the operation, just click on the clock in the lower right corner of the Desktop, enter the section Settings , click on Show advanced settings and, scrolling down the page, press the button Powerwash .
How to solve the problem with WI-FI on Chrome OS?
Users of some models report abnormally low speed or unstable Wi-Fi connection. If you are also experiencing this issue, try the steps below to fix the situation.
Work with documents
Many users wonder how it is possible to work normally with documents if the Chromebook does not have Microsoft Office, which is still widely used in the post-Soviet space even when most of its capabilities are not in demand. In fact, working with text, spreadsheets and presentations in Chrome OS is as easy as shelling pears, and you can do this without an Internet connection. By default, Chrome OS uses QuickOffice to open office documents. For full-fledged creation of various documents from scratch, it is convenient to use the Google Docs service, which works without any problems offline in a browser window, just as if it were a full-fledged office suite.
Despite the fact that third-party services support opening documents of all popular formats (including DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX), you need to keep in mind that when opening Microsoft files with complex formulas and diagrams, you may encounter incorrect formatting interpretation documents, and sometimes even get the "moved out" document. True, similar problems arise with really complex text files, tables with many formulas, and some types of PowerPoint charts. Most of the files open in the cloud services properly. Of course, all documents newly created on a Chromebook can be saved not only to the cloud, but also to local disk in familiar Microsoft Office formats.
If you nevertheless come across a complex Microsoft Office document, in which formatting errors are unacceptable, or you just want to play it safe by checking the correctness of the display of the files, then for this you should use Microsoft cloud services: Word Online, Excel Online, PowerPoint Online. "Cloud" office from Microsoft, in contrast to Google docs and QuickOffice does not work offline, so it can hardly be recommended as the main tool, but in urgent cases it can help out a lot.
Another point that affects the interests of users is the inability to directly connect the printer to the chromo-book in order to print documents. However, any file can be printed through the "cloud" service Google Cloud Print (http://www.google.ru/cloudprint/learn), if you have a modern printer that supports this technology. If the MFP is incompatible with cloud printing, you can use another PC with a printer connected to it and use the Google Cloud Print service to redirect print jobs to it.
Installing programs on Chrome OS
In Chrome OS, the list of programs is hidden in the Chrome browser settings in the section Extensions. It is there that you can see the full list of installed applications, disable or remove unnecessary ones. To install new programs, just go to the application launcher, click on the shortcut Score and on the page that opens, select and install the products you like by simply clicking on the button Is free .
If you downloaded the program for Chrome OS not from the official store and want to install it, click on the clock in the lower right corner of the Desktop, click the button Settings , go to the tab Extensions , check the box Developer Mode , click Load unpacked extension , and then select the folder with the program files and press Open b. If the downloaded program was archived, then before the procedure, you must first extract the files from the archive.
Chromebook offline
Google laptops are, of course, focused on the Internet, but they can be useful without Internet access. Specifically, without an internet connection on a Chromebook, you can:
- Work with documents in Google Docs and QuickOffice in the browser
- Work with Gmail mail (requires installing the Gmail Offline app)
- Work with google files Drive (marked for offline access)
- Work with local storage
- View photos, videos, listen to music
- Use offline software from the Chrome store
File storage
To work with files in Chrome OS, the Files file browser is preinstalled. It is difficult to compare the program with Windows Explorer, since it is extremely minimalistic and has only basic capabilitiesand its design is more like Finder in OS X or file managers in Linux systems. Of course, assuming that Chromebooks are focused on working with cloud services, a shortcut to Google Drive virtual storage is displayed in the left column at the beginning (by the way, owners of Chromebooks can get additional storage space in this service for free). Next on the list is the folder Downloads , which can be considered an analogue My documents on Windows, as it is the default main working folder on Chrome OS. In the upper right part of the Files window, you can find an icon with a gear image, behind which there are options for switching the file display type (available modes: list, thumbnails), there is also a free space counter.
In Files, you can copy, move, create and rename folders and files, view thumbnails of images (RAW files are partially supported, at the moment there is support for Canon CK2 files), visually see the main types of files, focusing on icons, etc. The context menu also has a built-in function for archiving and unpacking archives (ZIP, RAR, TAR, TGZ, TBZ2 formats are supported). For example, if you double-click on the ZIP archive, the unpacked folder will be mounted and displayed in the left column in Files, from where, after checking the contents, you can safely copy the files to your personal folder. When working with important data in Files, you need to be careful, as in Chrome OS there is no analogue of the Windows Recycle Bin, so operations to delete files cannot be canceled.
When connecting external hard drives and flash drives, shortcuts to access new devices appear in the left column of the Files browser (you can also “safely remove them” there by clicking on the triangle to the right of the media name).
If Chrome OS has multiple apps that can open the same file type, this is usually shown in the action button list in the lower-right corner of Files. True, some third-party applications do not integrate into the file manager interface, so they will have to be opened through the main launcher.
Internet browsing
You can feel truly confident in Chrome OS only if you have a fast connection to the Network, since in this case you can use more applications and services, which for the most part make up the functionality of the device (many programs in the Chrome store are in fact not them , but are only shortcuts-links to online services). Even when changing the desktop wallpaper, you will face the need to connect to the Internet, since the collection of pictures is downloaded from the Internet.
To surf the web, of course, you need to use the Google Chrome browser (you cannot install another one). And in general, in Chrome OS, the Internet browser is central, since it is he who is the basis of the entire system (despite the fact that the OS is built on the Linux kernel). Unlike the PC and Mac versions of the Chrome browser, here we see that even the Settings is not only the settings of the web browser, but the entire computer. In addition, under Extensions available at chrome: // extensions , there is not only a list of additional browser modules, but also a complete list of all installed programs, which in turn can be browser extensions, standalone applications, and even just links to cloud services.
Thus, in Chrome OS, you can use all the delights of the Chrome browser with its many extensions, as well as access a large number of different applications written exclusively for Chrome OS.
Since the system uses Google user accounts as accounts, all bookmarks and the list of extensions will be synchronized partially or completely with other devices with the Chrome browser (depending on their settings and OS type). To check what data is being synced, open the Chrome web viewer, in the address bar, type chrome: // settings and press Enter , in section Users press the button Additional sync settings and mark the items of interest.
Torrent on Chrome OS
BitTorrent clients on Chrome OS have always had some rough edges. If in the first models of chromebooks torrent clients refused to function at all, which forced users to change the system configuration through developer mode or use various tricks with connecting external servers, then in new versions of the operating system from Google command line not needed, but there is still no convenient client.
At the moment, there are many browser add-ons in the Chrome store that are designed to work with torrent trackers, but most of them either do not work at all or make it unstable.
There are only two not very ergonomic, but successfully working programs - JSTorrent (paid) and Bitford (free).
The JSTorrent client handles modern magnet links and is quite stable. Bitford can be used to open simple torrent links, although it doesn't work with some trackers.
Photos and graphics
Considering that there are no full-fledged packages of the level of Photoshop or Lightroom for Chrome OS, there is no need to talk about professional work with photos or graphics here. However, a chromebook can be useful even for pros, for example, on the road: to transfer files from a DSLR camera to external hard disks or for preview footage. For amateur photographers shooting in JPEG, the standard capabilities of Chrome OS may be enough. In addition, it is known that it is planned to support RAW from different camera manufacturers in later versions of the operating system. The standard features for working with images in the Files file manager include adjusting brightness and contrast, as well as an auto-correction option.
You can get more tools by installing the Pixlr Touch Up app from the Chrome store. This product is a self-contained photo editor for Chrome OS that opens in a separate window (not in the browser) and supports working offline. The program allows you to crop images, adjust brightness and contrast, apply retro effects, textures and text on photos, and retouch portraits.
On chromebook you can also use the online version photoshop programs, but use it even with fast connection the Internet is extremely inconvenient. Plus, among the add-on apps for Chrome OS, there are many simple tools for creating creative effects. For example, the doubled program allows you to very qualitatively simulate the effect of multiple exposure (in film photography: shooting twice on the same film frame) by combining several photograph files.
Useful hotkeys in CHROME OS
- "Ctrl + Shift + L" - computer lock
- "Ctrl + Shift + Q" - end of session
- "Shift + Alt" - switching input language
- Alt + Search - Caps Lock activation
- F4 (fourth key with display icon to the right of Esc) - full screen mode
- F5 (the fifth key with the display icon to the right of Esc) - switching between working windows (similar to the Expose function in OS X)
- "Shift + F5" - take a screenshot of the entire screen
- Ctrl + Shift + F5 - take a screenshot of the selected area
- "Shift + Esc" - open the process manager
- Alt + 1-8 - launching an account-specific application pinned to the shelf (0 - Chrome shortcut, 1 - first application to the right of the Chrome icon, etc.)
- "Ctrl + Enter" - rename the file to Files
- "Ctrl + E" - new folder in Files
- "Ctrl + Alt +?" - call a hint for all keyboard shortcuts
Chrome OS for advanced users
If you don't want to put up with the limitations of Chrome OS, you can install as a second OS linux system - for example, Ubuntu. There are even special Linux builds optimized for Chromebooks: ChrUbuntu (installed as an independent second OS and requires a reboot to run) and Crouton (can run in parallel with Chrome OS without rebooting, switching between the two OS is done using hotkeys). To be able to modify the bootloader and experiment with installing different operating systems, you need to put your Chromebook in Developer Mode. In older notebook models, the mode switch was located under the battery, so you had to remove the back cover to activate it. In modern chromebooks, entering Developer Mode is very simple: press the keyboard shortcut Esc + Refresh + Enable
... If after that you see a message on the screen stating that the system is missing or damaged, press "Ctrl + D"
, and then Enter
in the window with a proposal to disable the scan. After rebooting, a warning will appear on the screen stating that OS check is disabled. Ignore this message and do not press any keys, wait sound signals and reboot the computer automatically. After the second reboot, the device will enter Developer Mode. Further steps
and OS installation methods may differ for specific notebook models. To find detailed instructions on the Chrome OS Wiki. Another approach to expanding the capabilities of a Chromebook is to use it as a terminal for remote access to a desktop PC or other laptop with a more functional OS. To do this, you can use the default application in the system. Chrome Remote Desktop
or choose an alternative from the many similar solutions from other developers available in the Chrome store.
Multimedia
Music... In Chrome OS, you can use the "cloud" service Google music, which allows you to bring together your entire collection from iTunes, Windows Media and other services in such a way that once compiled music library is synchronized with all your iOS and Android devices, and would also be accessible through a browser.
If you do not use music services, and independently download music from other sources, then listening to it on your Chromebook will not be a big problem either. In the Files browser on Chrome OS, double-clicking any sound file will automatically launch the built-in player. You can listen to music without an Internet connection. It is very convenient that opening one song from the album folder automatically creates a new playlist with all the tracks in the same folder.
Keep in mind that the built-in player only has basic functions: play, rewind, repeat, shuffle. Unfortunately, in Chrome OS at the moment you will not be able to connect DSP processing of sound to the player or open files with labels for splitting large mixes into songs in CUE format, as well as playlists in M3U format in a standard player. Despite all the limitations, if you are at least a little audiophile at heart, then you will certainly be pleased that the built-in addition, more or less decent third-party music players are gradually starting to appear in the Chrome store, which, of course, are still lagging behind in terms of capabilities from iTunes on Mac, AIMP on PC, and even PowerAMP on Android. However, they play music successfully, and some even know how to load album art.
Video. A built-in video player is available when you open files in the Files program. It can play most videos in popular formats AVI, MP4, MOV, MKV, 3GP and more.
You can use the FLV Player to play Flash videos, available as a free download from the Chrome store. To watch movies with subtitles connected from external files in SRT format, you need to download and install a third-party player; however, you can launch the player through the application menu and open the desired file directly inside the program. Subtitle files are connected in the menu to the right of the player's time counter. In the same menu, you need to switch the encoding mode from "UTF-8" to "Windows 1251" if there is a problem with incorrect display of Russian fonts. This player also supports downloading subtitles in different languages \u200b\u200bwithin its interface, setting font size and other basic functions. Of course, there is no need to compare the player's capabilities with the same KM Player on Windows and even VLC on OS X (it is clear that the set of options is very poor). However, you won't be left without a movie on your Chromebook. In addition, it is possible that it is precisely thanks to such software limitations that the developers managed to achieve longer battery life of devices with Chrome OS, which in some cases is more important than the number of options.
Of course, we must mention that at the time of this writing, there were problems with the playback of some video files using the ASZ or DTS codecs: such videos were played without sound. It should also be borne in mind that most chromebook models do not use the most powerful hardware, so you should not rely on flawless playback of heavy 1080p high-definition video.
Small digression
This post is exactly the impression of use, thoughts on how you can use this machine. Post about delivery, where he ordered, how he placed the order, etc. (in photos) will be later. Now I want to express my thoughts in a somewhat dry form.What came before ...
Before talking about the acquisition, it is necessary to mention the tasks I perform:- work with e-mail (five mailboxes on average);
- work with documents of all conceivable formats (.doc, .rtf, .txt, .docx, .odt ,. xsl, etc.);
- business process modeling, drafting and project management;
- work with the regulatory framework, search for regulatory documents;
- negotiations by means of various messengers (icq, jabber, gtalk, skype, irc, etc.);
- work with tools for analyzing website traffic (Yandex.metrica, google.analytics, etc.);
- editing graphics;
- work with company websites, website engines;
- software testing.
It turns out a fairly extensive list of tasks that need to be grouped in one convenient workplace. Initially, I tried to cram all this on Windows 7, it became inconvenient to use, if something needed to be collected from the source, Hell began. So I switched to Linux as working system (I used to pick for myself). Tried Arch, Gentoo, Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, CentOS. As a result, I settled on OpenSuse as a more stable and less ancient distribution kit (IMHO!).
Over time, it became necessary to transfer large files to people geographically located several thousand kilometers away. Started using git, dropbox, box, etc.
Due to the fact that often our compatriots make crooked layout of documents (you should have seen some reports - this is horror), and correct display was needed, I started using Microsoft Skydrive and their cloud office. And Evernote, which I got used to during my time at university.
Dry summary: a large number of programs, many cloud services, a heap of software, a large number of constantly transferred files.
Let me explain right away - I work on my own machine, because I need access to working documents 24 hours a day.
Acer C7 & Google Chrome OS
When the laptop came to me, the first thing I did was scolded myself for not immediately ordering an adapter from an American plug to a domestic one for 1 dollar. Fortunately, the Packarge Bell multimedia laptop had a similar charge (now bought by Acer). Therefore, the problem can be considered temporarily solved (I completely solved it when I bought this adapter at the nearest home appliance store).
The operating system booted up quickly, asked for a login and password from Google Mail, as well as a WiFi network key and language. The first activation took a couple of minutes, after which I immediately got to the desktop, on which there were no shortcuts or the familiar start button. Only the panel at the bottom of the screen (transparent) with buttons - Google Chrome, Gmail, YouTube, Google and the application menu (from which Google Office, the file manager and a couple of other applications are installed).
The rest had to be installed from the app store ...
The clouds
The first thing you had to get used to and understand - in the system, most applications are "cloud". The first thing I decided was office applications. Google Office and Microsift SkyDrive have completely resolved this issue.
Evernote - As a web client, no need to explain.
Messenger - IM +. Previously sat on IMO, but I liked IM + more.
For e-mail - Gmail Offline (I have Gulov mailboxes, not Google mailboxes - they send mails to them).
For simple calculations (on the knee) - Numerics Calculator (programmable, cloud-based).
For SSH - Secure Shell.
Sometimes I need to write something quickly that does not fit into a note book or calendar. A note that will take a couple of hours. I liked the Writer for these purposes - simple text editor like a notepad, which is tied to a Google account and saves everything written to files.
Editing graphics? I had enough written in flash - Pixlr Editor. This is not Photoshop or even Gimp. But for the purposes of cropping the background, embedding it on the site, it will do just fine.
Viewing graphics from a car, video and audio, in principle, too.
Modeling? The draw.io service I liked the most.
Next came the hobby that I do during my rare leisure hours ^ _ ^.
Choosing an IDE still in progress. Main candidates:
- Cloud9 is a powerful IDE, supports one closed project and three open projects, can sync with GitHub and DropBox. Supports the syntax of many languages, has a terminal emulator (with the ability to call the main scripting languages).
- Koding is a fresh product, currently in open beta by invite. I registered, a month later an invite came (if anyone needs it, write in a personal, there are 2 free ones). While in a semi-working state. It is attractive by the possibility of immediately loading frameworks like Ruby on Rails and a faster terminal emulator (from which I mostly need tclsh). The impressions from work in it are more pleasant, more responsive in work, more convenient in the interface (a hybrid of IDE and social networks).
- FriendCode is an IDE for teamwork, that says it all. I don’t know how convenient it is yet, I didn’t have time to try it. Later I will tell you what I chose and why, then I will add the description of this environment.
Well, as a last resort - there is an excellent service that can compile 40 programming languages.
Music? Here, too, everything is very interesting.
First, there is the excellent Grooveshark service that allows you to listen to music in the cloud and create your own playlists. In this case, the missing one can always be loaded from the local machine and the music will always be available.
The second is the absolutely freaky Achshar Player, which is even worse than tkabber. An offline music player written in HTML5 + JS with playlists, libraries and more. At the same time, when you open a folder, it immediately copies the contents of this folder to the hard disk (i.e., you opened the folder from the hard disk, all the contents were copied to the media library, tired of it - they were deleted from the player and from the media library immediately).
Extensions
Since Google Chrome OS is primarily an OS browser, it is especially important for ease of use - "appendages" to the browser. So I have a simple clock (so that I don't even have to look at the stump), a save button in Google Drive and a plugin for Gmail that allows me to read and write without going to the service page. The rest has not yet been used.Native Client
The most delicious and interesting. Google has provided technology that allows "offline" applications to run in a browser window. These are Google Docs, GFort, Gmail Offline and a remake of the great StarControl 2 - The Ur-Quan Masters. Everything works “with a bang”, without an Internet connection.So far, there are very few applications written in this way, but I think everything is ahead. Technology, as far as I know, is not yet a year old.
Collaboration
This is where the fun begins. Firstly - Google donated 100 GB on their Google Drive to everyone who bought a Chromebook "and. In total we have 420 GB of space (if you count the hard drive of the machine itself). Plus all cloud services. As a result, we have space - 320 on the local machine yes more than 130 GB in the clouds. It is necessary to somehow link everything up. Copying to Google Drive is done simply through the built-in file file manager... But what to do when you need to upload something with Box or DropBox, say to GitHub? For this there is an excellent service - openera, which can, through a google account, link all the above clouds into a single interface and help prescribe the rules for "sending" files (for example, use only Box for pictures). Need to transfer a file to a colleague? I share it in google disk or upload it to GitHub (depending on what kind of file).OS impressions
Simply gorgeous. Loads quickly, works smartly, never freezes. Updated more or less regularly, but not constantly like Windows. The first OS in which I just working, a i don't play OS setup before work. At first it was "breaking" from the lack of a terminal, but now I understand that I actually don't need it for the tasks I perform.Ergonomics Acer C7
Photos - later, in another article. Now it is only an impression - I did not have a more comfortable car (and I worked for HP, Acer, Fujitsu SImens, Dell, Sony, Asus). I hardly touch the stationary Packarge Bell with Win7 and the working HP Pavilion dm3 with OpenSuse. 60% is the merit of the OS, but 40% is ergonomics. A comfortable keyboard, a large touchpad that understands gestures, nothing more.What's left behind
In fact, a lot. For example, Google Chrome OS is a full-fledged Linux. Yes, initially it doesn't have make, gcc, mc, etc. But there is almost all the GNU environment, including tar and full bash. True, for this you need to switch to developer mode (which my friend did on the third day of use), after which the crosh terminal (called in the browser tab) can be hit with the "shell" command, which really cuts full-fledged bash in the browser tab. This means we can improve the system to infinity. It turns out that we have a system that is equally suitable for both the user and the geek: from a housewife to an economist-analyst and a programmer. I found the perfect Unix for myself. Which is what I wish for you. Thanks to everyone who read this heap of thoughts!Typing these lines on a laptop, I can spill tea on it, throw it off the table, or just throw it out the window. But if we leave aside purely material losses, my information will not be lost. She's just not here. It is in the cloud and is not tied to any device. Today, all modern operating systems are somehow connected with data clouds in which users can easily save their files. But Chrome OS has it in its very foundation, and not acquired through a long evolution. That is why Google OS raises so many questions, because we are used to one model of using computers, and then suddenly a completely different one appears. And how it appears. If you look at the market, over the past year the number of Chromebooks has been increasing, new models have been shown by Acer and HP, is preparing samsung updatewhile LG and ASUS are ready to support competitors. Previously, we asked ourselves whether there will be Chrome OS or not, and if so, why is it so necessary? Today we can already say for sure what will happen, but why it is needed, I will try to answer below in this experience of use, in which I used the Chromebook Pixel, Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 for almost three weeks.
Not only Google
After the first start-up, Chrome OS asks you to enter your username and password for your Google account, which ends the initial setup stage. If you used a Chromebook before, the system will pull up all the applications you installed, if not, then only the browser settings. Big Brother is watching. But this can be said about any modern operating system, each of them tries to save user information. You can only blame Chrome OS for being Google-centric, but this is the company's business model, if it makes an operating system, its services should be there.
There are enough applications, or rather Google sites, in Chrome OS right out of the box. A person who actively uses the company's products will be pleased to find icons for Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar and other services in the program menu. But all of them can be safely removed by making a choice in favor of other, even competing solutions.
And although they, in some cases, will not be so well sharpened to work with Chrome OS, there is an alternative. Even the built-in search, Google's holy of holies, can be changed to something else. The only thing that Google cannot concede in its OS is the browser. Chrome is essentially the backbone of the Chrome OS interface, so it can't be replaced by Firefox or Opera. As a result, when Chrome OS is first launched, it is pure Google, but the user is free to decide which services suit him best.
Chrome in every line of code
Chrome OS interface mostly consists of Chrome browser windows, but unlike the first versions, today it looks almost like a full-fledged OS.
It has its own "Start" button, which contains installed applicationsas well as the search bar.
For the latter, there is a separate key on the keyboard, and is looking for a search not only on the Internet, but also files and programs on the computer itself, as well as in the application store.
There is also a kind of "Taskbar" on which you can pin icons of frequently used applications. All of them run in Chrome, but the user can choose options for opening, for example, in a separate tab or in a separate window. In the latter case, an open site most closely resembles a real program.
Windows open applications can be controlled, for this there is a special set of functions that allows you to maximize the window to full screen, place it on the right or left, and minimize it to the "Taskbar".
To view all open windows, press the designated key on the keyboard.
The only program that does not run in a browser on Chrome OS is the file manager, which has only two folders: Downloads and Google drive”.
Actually, all files downloaded from the Internet are saved in “Downloads”, after which they can be dragged to “Google Drive”. You cannot create new top-level folders, only add them to existing ones. In addition, you can open various files in the file manager, for example, photos, music and videos, I will discuss this in more detail below.
It is worth noting that downloaded documents in Chrome OS are not opened in Google Docs, but locally, on the computer itself, in the beta version of the Quickoffice application, which also allows them to be edited and saved to Google Drive.
It is possible that Quickoffice may soon become the standard office suite in Chrome OS, at least it does a better job of formatting Microsoft Office.
Not just a browser
People who claim that Chrome OS is just a browser are actually disingenuous. After its launch, the OS really looked more like an exotic version of Chrome, but today it is almost a self-contained system, with offline programs and other features.
Despite the image of a cloud OS that must always be connected to the Internet, Chrome OS is gradually transforming into something more than just a browser. With the internet, there are certainly more possibilities with any operating system than without it. And with Chrome OS offline today, you can do almost the same thing as with a regular computer. You can watch movies, listen to music, edit photos and documents, read mail. You can't really play games. But in general, the number of offline programs for Chrome is increasing all the time; a separate section for them has even appeared in the Google store. Therefore, there is progress and it is obvious. Chrome OS is no longer just a browser.
Setting up
There are not many options in Chrome OS, and they are mixed with the settings of the system itself, in addition, they are all pretty basic. User can customize wireless connection, touch pad, touchpad and mouse, set date and time, input languages, and Google Cloud Print.
Separately, it is worth noting the "Accessibility" options, which allow you to increase the size of the cursor, use high contrast, voice prompts, zoom in different areas of the screen, drag with a touch, and also make an automatic click with the cursor when it stops.
In general, these are all important settings. Except what else can be noted that it is possible to change the desktop wallpaper.
Localization
Despite the fact that Chromebooks are not officially delivered to Ukraine, the system already has Ukrainian and Russian localizations.
Documents
To work with documents in Chrome OS, preinstalled google apps Docs, which allow you to create word processing documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
Separately in the app store, you can download programs for creating drawings and shapes in Google Docs.
For undemanding users, this will be more than enough. Problems can only arise when opening complex Office documents, and also when such documents need to be created. On Chrome OS, this is still, in principle, an unsolvable problem, so users with high requests for an office suite, unfortunately, have nothing to do on Chrome OS. But for the rest, Google Docs should be enough, which can be supplemented with Microsoft Office Web Apps, or by installing the Zoho office suite.
To check if these applications are right for you or not, you can open Google Docs, Office Web Apps and Zoho Docs right now in your browser. It should be noted that a pleasant difference office suites Google and Zoho is the ability to work offline in Chrome OS. Thus, documents can be opened and edited without an internet connection.
Photo
There are already quite a few photo applications on Chrome OS, but they are also more suitable for the undemanding user and cannot replace either Photoshop or Lightroom. What can you do with photos on Chrome OS? First, the system has a built-in Google+ Photos application that allows you to import, catalog and store images in the Google cloud.
At the same time, the user can also edit the photo, apply different filters to it. If the Google+ app on your Android smartphone has automatic loading photos on Google+, all of them will also appear in Chrome OS. Other applications that can be used to edit photos on Google's operating system include Autodesk's Pixlr Touch Up.
It has a fairly simple set of features, but it allows you to work with images without an Internet connection. For more serious editing, Pixlr Editor is better suited.
It is an online service, but it is most similar to Photoshop, although it lacks its capabilities. However, for not very complex tasks, Pixlr Editor is perfect.
Music
You can listen to music on Chrome OS even without an Internet connection, the system can easily play mp3 files.
However, the built-in player is very basic and not well suited for a large media library. Alternatively, you can use the Google Music service, you can place 25 thousand tracks in it for free, which in most cases will be enough.
But unfortunately, you cannot upload music to Google Music servers with Chrome OS, the company has not yet released the corresponding application, which has long been available for Windows and Mac. As a result, it turns out that you can only transfer your media library to the cloud from a third-party computer, which somewhat undermines the independence of Chrome OS. However, the developers soon promise to release the Google Music manager for Chrome OS, which will solve the problem.
Alternative ways to listen to music on the Google operating system can be online services, of which there are now a large number.
These can be projects like “Yandex.Music”, which allow you to listen to entire albums and create playlists, or online radio stations, like Earbits, in which the ability to switch tracks is limited.
Video
Another myth that haunts Chrome OS is the information that the system is not designed to watch videos, except from YouTube. In fact, this is not the case, at the moment the Google operating system is able to play popular video formats, including .avi and.mkv. In the latter case, however, not all sound containers are supported.
However, it is possible to watch movies on your Chromebook without having to be online all the time. By the way, there are no problems with YouTube either, it's a pity that this service does not have an offline mode.
Games
There shouldn't be games in Chrome OS either, but they are.
At the same time, there are both online and offline versions. Unfortunately, the browser cannot handle complex graphics yet, so games for the Google operating system are most often casual.
Angry Bird was also involved.
However, there are also more complex projects, such as Bastion.
Considering that all games run in a browser, this is a great achievement. So far, Google is not even close to considering the possibility of making Chrome OS a competitive gaming platform. The browser is not yet suitable for this.
The biggest problem with Chrome OS is the lack of popular programs for it. As a result, they have to look for either existing third party applications, or look for substitutes. With Skype on Chrome OS, this is exactly the situation. Officially, Microsoft has not done and is unlikely to make the program for the operating system Google.
The IM + program in which there is support for the Skype protocol can help out in this situation, but only within the framework of transferring text messages, it does not support voice and video calls. In the latter case, the Skype mobile application for Android can help out, or a complete switch to the Hangouts service from Google.
Chrome OS and Android
It would be an extreme manifestation of “Captain Obvious” to write that Chrome OS is ideal for use with Android, but you can't get the words out of the song.
Systems that are built on the same services complement each other perfectly. The transition from a computer to a smartphone / tablet is very easy, all programs within the Google ecosystem are similar both in appearance and in terms of functionality. The company is trying to teach users that there are no desktop programs or mobile applications, there is Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Music, Chrome and so on.
This is a very correct approach. Reading an article in the Chrome OS browser, you can easily switch to your smartphone with Chrome installed and finish reading it.
Likewise, you can edit documents, listen to music, plan your day, search for an address on a map, and much more. Of course, in order to fully immerse yourself in the Google ecosystem, you do not need to use Chrome OS, but for this you already need an Android smartphone. It is thanks to the mobile operating system that the company can popularize Chrome OS.
Chrome OS on every computer
Interestingly, today Google is leading the offensive on all fronts, and Chrome OS appears not only on Chromebooks, but also on computers that have Chrome installed. In fact, the company is creating a single ecosystem around its browser, which is supported by the growing popularity of the mobile operating system. android systems... As a result, in order to get yourself almost an analogue of Chrome OS, it is enough to install on your chrome computer.
More recently, Google has added a launcher to its browser like Chrome OS, which allows web applications to open in Windows and OS X operating systems, allowing them to appear individual programs... This approach fully justifies itself, Google creates the operating system gradually, without huge investments, and by the time it is fully ready, if the popularity of Chrome continues to grow, a large number of users will already be ready for it.
Eventually
Already today, Chrome OS may well become the main operating system for undemanding users who spend most of their time at the computer in the browser. Another question is, why buy a Chromebook if you can get the same and much more from a Windows laptop? The answer lies in the cost, Google sells Chromebooks in the US for $ 200, and for the same amount of money, you simply cannot buy a laptop with the same characteristics. And for not very advanced users or those who are just getting started with a computer, Chrome OS will be a very good option. The system is safe and easy to use, there are not many settings in it and there is nothing that could be broken to such an extent that the intervention of a specialist was required. At the same time, I was frankly amazed at the speed of its development, in three weeks the system was updated five times and each update brought some minor improvements. At the same time, if Google does not change the concept, it is unlikely that Chrome OS will be able to seriously compete with Windows. The inertia of this market is very high and even low price on Chromebooks won't be able to help popularize Chrome OS. Users will prefer to pay extra, but be able to install complex programs that they don't even always need. However, Google is betting that the focus will gradually shift towards smartphones and tablets, and computers will fade into the background, competing for the attention of users with TVs. If so, Chrome OS really does stand a chance, especially given the fact that the system offers the same experience with Google services as Android.
The idea to create a new operating system Chrome OS created specifically for mobile computers based on an already created web browser, it looks at least strange. Although, if you look from the other side, it becomes obvious that the owners of netbooks spend most of their time reading websites, and the popular cloud services are already able to replace many desktop programs such as Microsoft Office and even Adobe Photoshop.
A good help in such an endeavor can be a huge number of created for the Google browser, which can be found in the online store chrome apps... Putting all these components together, it turns out that the Chrome operating system has at least a good chance of getting into your laptop as a full-fledged operating system.
Race against time
There is information that Google specialists began developing Chrome OS back in 2009. In those years, a huge number of experts were critical of the concept of a cloud operating system, created on the basis of only. The constant need to be connected to the Internet significantly limited the scope of such an operating system. It must be said that the Chrome browser itself did not shine very much and only "built up muscles" to fight such competitors as Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.
In 2010, a year after the start of work on the OS, a prototype laptop, codenamed Cr-48, which was running Chrome OS, was demonstrated to the general public. It was this device that became the first in the so far not numerous line of "Chromebooks".
Already today, the range of laptops with Chrome OS installed has become much wider and can boast of such manufacturers as Acer and Samsung. They create chromebooks on meringues intel processor Atom and even more powerful Intel Celeron chips.
To try the new operating system Chrome OS right now, it is not at all necessary to buy a brand new Chromebook, especially since the prices are still at fairly high levels. You can simply run the company's operating system on your old computer. Although with obsolete hardware, problems may arise at startup.
Rational approach
Google's operating system is currently under development and correct work on all devices is not guaranteed by the manufacturer. The only exceptions are a few computer models created specifically for this OS. That is why we do not recommend that you install this raw operating system on your work computer. If you want to conduct trial testing of the OS, then write it down on external storage or to a memory card or use run from there.
You will learn about the start of Google Chrome OS loading from the Chromium logo that appears on the screen.
This inscription on the screen should not be surprising, because the Chromium web browser is taken as the basis for our version of Chrome OS, it is also created by Google and its only difference from the original Chrome is the open source code. On our device, the operating system started quite quickly - less than 15 seconds passed from choosing a boot device to displaying an authorization window.
However, on different computers, the boot time may be different, it all depends on the power of the processor and the speed of reading data from the internal drive.
If this is the first time you launched the Chrome OS operating system, then first select the localized version of the system (the Russian version is in the list) and install the desired one (in addition to the language system you have installed, English is sure to be added, which comes by default), after that you can connect to one of wireless networks Wi-Fi.
After that, the operating system Chrome OS will familiarize you with the entire set of supported gestures. Unfortunately, our touch field of the laptop, unlike the original Chromebooks created specifically for this, could not recognize them. This completes the Google Chrome OS initial setup process, and you do not need to repeat it on subsequent boot of the operating system. In the future, to log in to the OS, you will only have to enter the password for your Gmail account.
Setting up the Chrome OS
To open the quick settings menu of the operating system, click on the special system tray.
In the menu that appears, you can change the brightness of the screen backlight and the volume of the sound, although instead of the menu, you can use the function keys of the computer. There are three buttons a little higher: shutdown the computer, change the session, and lock the screen. We are more interested in the "Settings" item, where you can get access to the most advanced operating system settings.
The extended settings menu opens in the form of a regular tab of the Google Chrome web browser.
Here you should pay attention to the individual parameters responsible for the visual component of the entire operating system and the browser separately.
As it turns out, setting your own image as your desktop background isn't possible. There are several to choose from available optionsprovided by Google.
You may also need settings that change the speed of movement of the mouse cursor. Personally, we needed them, because at first the cursor, before connecting the mouse, moved around the screen too slowly, and after connecting a wired mouse, on the contrary, it began to move too fast.
To display additional settings for Chrome OS, click on the "Show advanced settings" button. IN additional settings you can change the localization of the computer, time zone, font size and scale of displayed pages.
If you want to disable the display of the Google Drive cloud service in the file manager, then select the checkbox next to this option.
Google Chrome OS standard apps
The popular Google Chrome browser, like its free copy of Chromium, is known to the vast majority of computer users. It works without any complaints, if you really exclude the problem with the plugin Adobe Flash... When going to the page http://get.adobe.com/ru/flashplayer, the user is told that the Adobe Flash plugin is installed and does not require updating.
At the same time, nothing can be viewed on pages of sites with active content. Saves only that on the popular video hosting YouTube, videos are played using HTML5 technology and you can watch them without using the Adobe Flash plugin.
Now let's stop and take a closer look at the file manager of the Chrome OS system. It is launched by clicking on the icon located on the desktop of the operating system. Like the settings menu, it opens as a separate tab in the web browser. The left side of the tab lists the available drives, and the right side shows the entire contents of the selected disc.
In the directory tree, the Chrome OS system is represented as a folder for downloading files, cloud service Google Drive for file storage and system partition disk.
Also in the file manager you can see all sections hard disk, even those on which the operating room is installed windows system... All operations with files and folders, such as copying, moving, renaming and deleting, are performed using the corresponding buttons in the context menu.
All photos in the operating system Chrome OS can not only be viewed, but also edited in the editor.
With audio and video files, things are not as good as with. The operating system, of course, has a built-in media player, however in our testing it refused to play any files.
Chrome OS desktop is possible by pressing the familiar "PrintScm" button located on the keyboard. All captured images are automatically saved to the folder where the downloaded files from the Internet are saved.
Installing additional applications
Traditional programs as in operating systems or Ubuntu Linux, in Chrome OS, no. They have been replaced by a myriad of gadgets and browser plugins. Some of these applications are capable of working even without an active internet connection.
To launch the Chrome Web Store in the operating system, you must click on the icon on the desktop. Once on home page Chrome Web Store, the user will immediately see various categories of programs, and the most popular applications on the right.
Our first candidate for installation was the "Chrome Remote Desktop" plugin used to manage multiple computers over the Internet. This plugin can be found easily at search bar applications. To add it to your operating system, click the blue "Install" button, then click on the "Add" button, wait until the installation is complete. After successful installation, the application icon will appear on the Chrome OS desktop.
To uninstall this application, click on the application icon right click mouse and select "Remove from Chromium" from the context menu. The rest of the add-ons are installed and removed in the same way.
Additional applications:
- Google Mail Offline. Convenient application for offline access to your Gmail inbox - IMO Instant Messenger. Quite a powerful instant messaging client with built-in support for various services such as ICQ. Skypc, Google Talk. Jabber and Others - Cut The Rope. A fun game that is sure to please users of all ages.
Information about the new operating system from Google surfaced rather unexpectedly - a repository (set of files) with the source code with the mysterious name "Fuchsia" appeared on the GitHub resource. That being said, the authors from Google, for some reason, decided to point out that fuchsia is a mixture of pink and purple.
The full name of the repository reads: "Pink + Purple \u003d Fuchsia (new operating system)".
An interesting fact caught the attention of connoisseurs of the origin of Google's products: the corporation, apparently, decided to move away from its center, on which most products are based - Linux. In particular, the most popular developments of the company such as Chrome OS, Android and Chromecast are based on this core, but not the mysterious "Fuchsia".
According to the documentation, which is also in the public domain, the new OS should receive two completely different kernels - LK and Magenta. LK, or Little Kerne, serves as the basis for small embedded devices, while Magenta, on the contrary, is more suitable for modern smartphones and computers with powerful processors and an impressive amount of RAM.
Clearly Google is working hard to create a hybrid system that builds on two distinct platforms.
The serious intentions of the corporation can also be judged by the fact that engineers who have made a name for themselves in the development world are involved in the work: Travis Geiselbreth and Brian Sweetland have previously worked on NewOS, BeOS, Danger, Palm webOS and even iOS.
The name of the repository, namely the addition of two colors, immediately gave rise to speculation that the developers are trying to "combine" Chrome OS and Android into a single operating system. Indeed, in October 2015 edition The The Wall Street Journal reported that Android and Chrome OS are preparing to merge. According to the publication, the dominant position of the Android mobile operating system prompted Google to think that it could be adapted to work on laptops and desktop computers... In fact, the company was expected to transform Chrome OS into something more reminiscent of a popular operating system with support Google play Store.
But, judging by the information that the company decided to post in open access, this hardly has anything to do with a hybrid of previous OS.
According to most experts, Google either intends to create a qualitatively new universal axis that can replace the same popular Android, or is preparing for the future introduction of devices from the "Internet of things".
In addition, some speculate that Google is preparing to occupy the niche in which Android has proved unsuitable - in other words, in devices that run something like Tizen.
In addition, enthusiasts who researched the Google repository managed to find out the following characteristics: "Fuchsia" externally may well be made within the framework of the Material Design concept, as evidenced by user interface Flutter and Escher renderer. In addition, the mysterious OS supports 32-bit and 64-bit ARM processors as well as 64-bit PC processors.
At present, Google representatives refuse to comment on any information regarding Fuchsia.
It is obvious that the development of a new OS is at an early stage and will take a long time before the corporation is ready to present it to the public.
It is likely that the development may remain within the technical tests. Nevertheless, there is every reason to believe that conducting such a large-scale experiment, which requires a lot of resources and time, will be crowned with success and Google will be able to present a better product than the popular, but rather vulnerable Android.