Find out how to make your low-cost Chromebook feel and appear like a high-priced MacBook
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Whether or not you’re searching for an inexpensive companion or simply don’t wish to pay sky-high costs for a brand new Apple laptop computer proper now, a Chromebook is a wonderful possibility. With a speedy, touch-friendly UI and a breezy, get-things-done perspective, a Chromebook is a wonderful addition to any Apple fan’s gear bag, whether or not it’s their major gadget or not.
The one downside: Chromebooks are a lot nearer to a Home windows PC than a Mac. From the expertise to the interface, Chrome OS is clearly impressed by Home windows nevertheless it doesn’t have to remain that approach. Google presents loads of customization choices to rid your Chromebook of all of its Home windows influences.
Embrace the shelf
One of many principal issues that separates macOS from Home windows OS is the Dock. However Chromebooks have one thing related referred to as the shelf, which is the place to retailer incessantly used apps and web sites for simple launching. The shelf can maintain a vast variety of apps—should you add greater than you possibly can see, you’ll be capable to swipe to see the remainder—and similar to macOS, you possibly can preserve it seen or transfer it to the perimeters of the display. Good-click on an empty spot on the dock and also you’ll see choices for autohiding and place.
IDGChrome OS’s shelf is rather like the macOS Dock.
So as to add apps to the shelf, merely right-click on an icon and choose Pin to shelf. You are able to do the identical to take away an app (Unpin) or you possibly can drag it out and drop it someplace on the desktop.
It’s barely completely different for net apps. Whenever you’re in Chrome and discover a website you wish to recurrently return to (like iCloud beneath), head over to the menu within the prime proper and choose Create shortcut. Then rename it to no matter you need and test the “Open as window” field if you’d like it to appear like an app reasonably than a tab in Chrome.
Change your keys
They won’t have a Home windows key, however Chromebook keyboards are decidedly PC-like, with Alt and Ctrl keys as a substitute of Command and Choice. However when you received’t be capable to get the Bowen knot in your keyboard, you possibly can remap your keys so your fingers assume it’s there. Simply head over to the Gadget setting and click on the Keyboard tab to swap the Alt and Ctrl keys and produce again some semblance of normalcy.
Add iCloud to your Dock
In the event you’re searching for an extension or Play Retailer app that permits you to entry your iCloud account, you’re not going to search out one. However that doesn’t imply your iCloud account is locked out of your Chromebook. By logging into iCloud.com by means of a browser, you’ll get entry to Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Photographs, Notes, Reminders, and iCloud Drive, in addition to Pages, Numbers, Keynote and the Discover My apps. It’s not fairly as seamless as it’s on a Mac—you’ll must repeatedly log in and recurrently confirm your 2FA credentials—nevertheless it’s definitely higher than not having it. And if you’d like it out there at a click on, simply observe the directions above for including an internet site to your Dock.
IDGYou may get entry to most of your iCloud stuff in your Chromebook.
Swap your scrolling
There are many variations between PCs and Macs, however the greatest is trackpad scrolling. Ever since MacOS X Lion, Apple has switching scrolling to match iOS—swipe up and the content material on the web page strikes in the identical path. It’s completely different on PCs and in case your Chromebook is utilizing “pure” scrolling, you possibly can change it the Mac approach by enabling Reverse scrolling within the trackpad settings.
Get a macOS Wallpaper
The best wallpaper could make or break a desktop. The Chromebook comes with loads of cool choices, however should you actually wish to get the texture of a Mac, you’ll want considered one of OS X’s iconic backgrounds. Fortunately you could find all of them at 512 Pixels in wonderful 5K decision—as much as and together with Large Sur. Simply obtain the one you need, reserve it to your Recordsdata app, discover it, right-click, and choose Set as wallpaper.
Strive a brand new theme
If the Chrome browser reminds you an excessive amount of of a PC, there are limitless prospects to vary it. Simply head over to the Chrome Net Retailer and choose Themes within the sidebar to browse the quite a few choices out there for the Chrome browser. We like Mac OS theme and Mac OS X Easy Theme for a slick fashionable look, however you possibly can go all the way in which again to Aqua if you wish to get nostalgic.
IDGWith the fitting theme Chrome can look similar to it could on a Macbook.
Obtain QuicKey
Mac veterans all know the way nice Startly’s QuicKeys was for Mac OS X, and QuicKey for Chrome is a little bit piece of that nostalgia. You’ll get an utility switcher, real-time search, and customizable keyboard, all with out ever taking your fingers off the keyboard.
Michael Simon/IDGYou possibly can put iCloud and Apple Music in your Chromebook.
Use Apple Music and Apple TV+
Simply since you’re not utilizing a Mac doesn’t imply you might want to surrender the one that you love Apple Providers. Effectively, not all of them anyway. Whereas Apple doesn’t have a approach to make use of Information+ and Arcade outdoors on a PC but, you possibly can preserve your Apple Music and Apple TV+ subscriptions and nonetheless get pleasure from them in your Chromebook. You’ll simply must entry them on the net. You possibly can go to music.apple.com (or beta.music.apple.com to check out the iOS 14-styled model) or television.apple.com and sign up to start out listening and watching. And the very best half is, because you’re not utilizing the app, it received’t even depend towards your gadget restrict.
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