What’s in this guide?

Signing into the Chromebook

Connecting at Home

Connect to a WiFi network

Connect to a wired Ethernet network

No network?

Start browsing the web

Use Apps and Extensions

Apps

Extensions

Find your apps

Create and manage files with Google Docs

Open Google Docs

Upload files to Google Docs

Understand the File Manager

Files Stored Temporarily on your Chromebook

Access Files from an External Device

Printing using Google Cloud Print

Glossary of Terms

What is a Chromebook?

Simply put, a Chromebook is a laptop that runs Google’s Chrome web browser only. With other computers, you run various applications from a desktop—one of which is probably a web browser. With a Chromebook, your computer is a web browser, and that’s where you run your apps. What’s more, your applications and files are stored in the cloud and not on the Chromebook itself. 

What’s different about using a Chromebook...

• You do all your work on the web using Google’s Chrome web browser
  Send e-mail, create calendar items, work on documents, edit graphics, use custom apps, and more—all in the Chrome web browser!
  
• Use any Chromebook to access your stuff
  Need to replace a Chromebook that was lost, damaged or stolen? No worries, your apps, documents, and settings are all stored safely in the cloud and not on your Chromebook. When you sign in with your PUSD Google Apps account on any loaner Chromebook you’ll find your personal workspace exactly as you left it.
  
• There’s no desktop!
  All you do is open and close browser tabs or windows—just as when browsing the web on other computers.

• No updates or maintenance
  Unlike a traditional computer, your Chromebook stays fast and up-to-date on its own. Each time you turn on the Chromebook it checks for software updates and then updates itself with the latest version of installed apps, features, and system updates.

• Fast boot, long battery life
  A Chromebook needs little processing power or local storage since all the heavy lifting happens in the cloud. As a result it starts up quickly —in 8 seconds—and the battery can last up to eight hours!
  
• Built-in security
  Each web page and application you visit runs in a restricted environment. So visiting one page that’s been infected with something malicious won't affect anything else on your computer.

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Signing into the Chromebook

1. Power up your Chromebook. Press the power button  at the top-right corner of the keyboard. Note: Plug your Chromebook into a power outlet if it does not startup.
   
2. Connect to a network. At school this network is already set up.  

3. Sign in with your PUSD Google Apps for Education account. 
   In the sign-in box, enter your PUSD username and password and click Sign in.
   
   Example: 12katnissev@piedmont.k12.ca.us | your password
   
    You can only sign into the Chromebooks with your PUSD Google Apps for Education account and not with your personal Gmail account (if you happen to have one).
   
    If you receive an error message, make a note of the exact message and email chromebookhelp@piedmont.k12.ca.us for assistance.
   
   
4. Explore your new Chromebook by following the brief tutorial that appears.

5. Open a new tab and begin browsing the web. Click the button next to the browser tab at the top of your screen.
   

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Connecting at Home

You can connect your Chromebook to any available WiFI network.  At school, your chromebook will automatically connect to the school's  Instructional network.

Connect to a WiFi network

1. Click the wifi  icon at the bottom-right corner of your screen to open the network menu.
2. If necessary, click Enable WiFi in the menu to enable WiFi.
   Note: If the command instead reads “Disable WiFi,” your WiFi is already enabled.
3. Select an available WiFi network and enter the password, if necessary
   

Connect to a wired Ethernet network

If you only have a wired network at home you can connect your Chromebook to it with a USB Ethernet adapter.

1. Connect your network’s Ethernet cable to a USB Ethernet adapter.
2. Plug the adapter into your Chromebook’s USB port.
3. Click the  icon at the top-right corner of your screen to open the network menu.
4. Select Ethernet from the menu that appears.

No network?

You can still use some of the features of the Chromebook offline.  Gmail, Docs and Calendar can be used offline and will sync once you have a network connection.

Chrome OS’s Gmail app doesn’t include offline capabilities natively, but that’s quickly fixed by downloading and activating Google’s Gmail Offline app, which mimics the look of the mobile Gmail apps. It will locally synchronize your messages and actions, which you’ll then be able to access while offline by opening the Gmail Offline app via an icon in Chrome’s New Tab page, or by selecting Gmail Offline in the Chrome App Launcher.

Enabling offline productivity is just as easy. Simply open Google Drive, then click the gear icon in the upper-right corner and select Settings. Open the General tab and check the box next to “Sync your work to this computer so that you can edit offline.”

The process is similar with Google Calendar. Open it in-browser, click the gear icon and select the Offline option, then click the Enable button in the pop-up that appears. Calendar’s pretty much only good for viewing your schedule while offline, though—you can’t create or edit events.

Once you’ve configured Google’s various services to work offline, take a second to unplug that Internet connection and ensure that they’re truly working.

Chrome OS includes tools for working with local files, and those tools work just fine offline. You can view PDFs, view or edit Office files, play music and movies, and both view and lightly edit images offline using local files. You’ll find your local files in the Files app. Just double-click on one to open it in the appropriate file viewer.

One more thing: To access a webpage while offline, use the Save as PDF option, found under the Chrome menu’s print section. It’ll save the page to your Chromebook’s local storage.

Literary fans will want to check out Amazon’s Kindle Cloud reader. This app automatically downloads the book you’re currently reading so it’s available offline. You can also manually save books for offline reading.

Start browsing the web

At the core of your Chromebook is the Google Chrome web browser. If you haven't used Chrome before, here's a quick overview of its main features.

To browse or search the web. Type a web address or search term in the omnibox (address bar).

To switch between web pages you’ve opened. Click a browser tab.  

To open a menu with Settings, the Bookmark Manager, and tools. Click the  icon at the right of the omnibox.

To bookmark the current page. Click its star in the search box. 

Use Apps and Extensions

There are "apps" that you can run and install on your Chromebook.  These "apps" link to web-based applications.  There are also "extensions" that add functionality to the Chrome browser.  Your Piedmont Chromebook comes with several apps and extensions pre-installed.

Apps

• Easybib
• Khan Academy
• Pixton Comics
• Typing Club
• LucidChart
• Stupeflix Video
• Sumo Paint
• GeoGebra
• Desmos Graphing Calculator

Extensions

• Clearly from Evernote
• PicMonkey photo editor

You can use any app on your Chromebook that also runs in a web browser. These include the Google Apps productivity suite, apps from the Chrome Web Store, and custom-built tools installed by PUSD.   You can add more apps and extensions from the Chrome Web Store. Here you’ll find apps for doing pretty much anything you’re used to doing from a traditional computer—editing graphics, playing music, managing projects, and much more. Many apps are free. Careful to not install too many!  THey can slow down the performance of your device!

• Browse the Chrome Web Store. Click the  icon on a New Tab page to go to the store.
  Browse or search for apps and extension by category. Install an app to add it to your New Tab page.

Find your apps

• Click the  in the lower left corner to access your app icons.  Click an icon to open the app.
• Open a New Tab page. Click the new tab button   at the right of your tabs.
• Click on the  in the upper right to access your app icons. Click an icon to open the app.

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Create and manage files with Google Docs

Google Docs lets you create, edit, and share many types of documents, including richly formatted text documents (like this one), spreadsheets, presentations, drawings, and even web forms. You can store all your files in Docs, including ones uploaded from Microsoft Word. You can easily organize and search for docs. And since your docs are in the cloud, you can access them from a web browser on any computer, not just from your Chromebook.

Open Google Docs

Upload files to Google Docs

You can upload files from other computers to Google Docs. Upload a file in its native format to view in Docs. Or convert it to Google Docs format so you can edit it, as well. You can do this with dozens of file types, including Word, PDF, PowerPoint, Excel, PhotoShop, Open Office, and many more.

 To upload files from another computer, perform these steps on that computer. To upload from an external storage device like a USB drive, connect the device to your Chromebook and perform these steps on the Chromebook.

1. Open any tab on your Chromebook (or web browser if you’re using another computer).
2. Open Google Docs by selecting the from the .
3. If you’re doing this from another computer (not your Chromebook), sign in to Google Docs with your PUSD Google Apps for Education address and password (the same as when you sign into your Chromebook or on to any computer on campus).
4. Click Upload (noted by the blue arrow above). Then choose File or Folder to upload a single file or entire folder.
5. Choose whether to convert the file to an equivalent Google Docs format, or leave the file in its native format. In most cases you will want to convert the file to Google Docs format.

 Learn more about using Google Docs at docs.google.com/support.

Understand the File Manager

Your Chromebook has a File Manager for temporarily storing files you download from the web. In addition, when you connect an external device to your Chromebook such as a USB storage device or SD card, you can browse the device’s files in the File Manager.

Open your File Manager:  Choose Apps  > Files .

Files Stored Temporarily on your Chromebook

Ok, so we’ve been saying that everything you use on your Chromebook is stored in the cloud or on a server behind your firewall, not on your Chromebook. However, a few files might reside on your Chromebook temporarily in its File Manager. These include:

• Web pages you save while browsing websites (by pressing CTRL + S).

• Attachments you download from messages you receive.
• Screenshots you take from your Chromebook by pressing CTRL + .
  

To save these files permanently, upload them to Google Docs, Picasa, or whatever Google Apps service can store them. They’ll be deleted from the File Manager after five days (or sooner if your Chromebook runs low on memory).

Access Files from an External Device

You can also use the File Manager to browse files from an external storage device that’s connected to your Chromebook, such as a supported USB storage device or SD card. Just connect the device to the Chromebook. The External Storage folder in the File Manager then opens to show any files found on the device.

You can open the file on your Chromebook if it can be viewed in a web browser. Or upload it to a one of your web services, such as Google Docs.

 Learn more about file management at google.com/support/chromeos (or choose  > Get Help ).  

Printing using Google Cloud Print

Printing from a Chromebook is different in that we don't install printers on the device- they are managed in the Cloud.  To print from a Chromebook you will use a service called "Google Cloud Print."  It can be set up on any home printer.  If you want to get started with Google Cloud Print, here's what you'll need:

1. Chrome installed on a mac/pc
2. a regular or internet-enabled printer (virtually any printer is fine, but the setup process differed depending on the type of printer you have)
3. If computer connected to your printer, if it is a regular (non-internet capable) printer.

There are two ways to set up your printers with Google Cloud Print. A handful of newer printers have internet connectivity built in and so you can connect them to Google directly. This process varies by printer, so visit this page to learn if your printer is compatible and, if so, how to set it up.

If you have a traditional printer that's connected to your computer, however, the setup process is always the same. Just follow these steps: First, make sure everything is in place. You'll need Google Chrome installed on your computer. Also, ensure that your printer is connected to your computer, it's currently on, and you can print from it normally. (Note: You'll only be able to send print jobs to this printer when it is connected to your computer, so it's best to set this up on a desktop machine where the printer will always remain connected and powered on.)

Once you have everything in place,

1. open up Google Chrome and click the wrench icon in the upper right corner,
2. choose "Options" ("Preferences" on a Mac), and then
3. click the "Under the Hood" tab.
4. Now scroll down to the Google Cloud Print section towards the bottom and click "Sign in to Google Cloud Print."
5. In the resulting window, sign in with your Google Account. This will enable the Cloud Print Connector on your computer.
6. When a new message appears with a button labeled "Finish printer registration," click it. You'll receive a confirmation if everything worked properly, and it'll offer a link called "Manage your printers." Click on it to verify all the printers on your computer are now listed.
7. To test out your new setup, try printing something from within Google Chrome (such as a web page).
8. When the printing options appear, choose "Print with Google Cloud Print" from the Destination menu.
9. Click the "Print" button and you'll be asked to choose one of your cloud printers. Pick the one you want and, assuming everything is working correctly, your printer should print out a document

Please see below for more specific directions on how to set this up...

Video Clip: What is Google Cloud Print ?

Step-by-Step Directions: Setting Up Google Cloud Print

Video Clip:  How to Set Up Google Cloud Print on Home Printer

What is "Cloud Computing" Anyway?

Further Information from Google: Google Cloud Print

Glossary of Terms

Cloud or “The Cloud”

A metaphor for a global network, the cloud is most commonly used to represent or refer to the Internet. For example, Google Docs are stored in the cloud, which means that the documents are stored on hard drives out in the internet and not on your computer.

Cloud Operating System

A computer operating system that is specially designed to run and be delivered to the user over the Internet. The term is used to refer to cloud-based client operating systems such as Google’s Chrome OS.

Cloud Storage

A service that allows users to save data by transferring it over the Internet to an offsite storage system maintained. Files stored in Google’s Apps for Education are stored in cloud storage.

Google Apps

Google’s SaaS (“software as a service”) offering that includes an office productivity suite including Google Docs (docs, spreadsheets, and presentations), Google Calendar, Google Talk for instant messaging, and document sharing for collaboration.

SaaS

Software as a service — Cloud application services, where applications are delivered over the Internet by the provider, so that the applications don’t have to be purchased, installed, and run on the customer’s computers. SaaS providers were previously referred to as ASP (application service providers). Google Apps for Education is a SaaS.

Web Browser

Software, like Google’s Chrome, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Apple’s Safari, or Mozilla’s Firefox, a web browser is used to retrieve, present, or traverse information on the World Wide Web, also referred to as the Internet.

WiFi

Equipment that allows computers, smart phones, and video game systems to connect to the internet without wires. WiFi is not mobile and is usually constrained to locations such as homes, schools, and businesses.