Chromebook Help

A Chromebook is a powerful light-weight notebook computer that uses Google's operating system called Chrome OS. See the following resources to learn more about using Chromebooks.

Learning to Use a Chromebook

A Chromebook is different from a traditional laptop computer because its operating system, software programs, and storage system are all stored "in the cloud". To use a Chromebook, you will need access to Wi-Fi and your MATC email address and password. More information to help you get started is listed below.

Accessing Software

Although you cannot install traditional software programs for Windows or Mac on a Chromebook, there are usually web-based or app alternatives available.

Web-based Apps

  • Google Apps - When you are logged into your Chromebook or MATC Gmail, you may use Google Apps, such as Drive, Docs, Slides, Sheets, and more. You may share documents that you create in Google Drive as links or download documents as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, or PDF files.

  • Microsoft Office 365 for Education – Students may access full web-based versions of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel by connecting with an MATC Gmail address.

  • MATC's Virtual Desktop Interface (VDI)- To access a virtual Windows computer and campus-approved software, navigate to the MATC's VDI website in Google Chrome and log in with your MATC network account credentials. See these instructions for details.

Google Play Store Apps

If you have trouble installing an app when using your MATC Gmail account to access the Google Play Store, try creating a personal Gmail account to log into Google Play. This oftentimes resolves any issues with app installation.

Using a Chromebook with Blackboard

To access Blackboard on a Chromebook, launch the Google Chrome web browser, navigate to MATC's Blackboard website, and log into Blackboard. If you experience a technical problem with Google Chrome on Chrome OS, make sure that your Chromebook is up to date and review our Guide to Troubleshooting Common Browser Problems.

Viewing Content

In general, most types of course content is accessible through the Chrome web browser and Google Chrome's built-in document viewing tools. To view some types of digital publisher content or participate in web-based meetings, you may need to allow third-party cookies and allow pop-ups in the Google Chrome web browser.

Multimedia content that is dependent upon old browser-based plugins, such as Flash or Java, are no longer supported by modern web browsers including Google Chrome. If you experience inaccessible content, contact your instructor so that alternatives can be identified.

Submitting Assignments

The process for submitting assignments on a Chromebook is the same as what you would do on other computers, but there are some best practices to follow if you are working with Google Docs. See Using a Chromebook to Submit Assignments in Blackboard for tips and tricks.