Getting Started
Just got a chumby and you're not sure what to do? Let's get started with these chumbasics:
1. Plug it in.
Peel off the clear protective film from the front and back of the chumby. Connect the power cord to your chumby and plug it into a wall outlet. Press the power button on the back of the chumby to turn it on.
2. Enjoy the chumby tour.
The chumby animated tour introduces you to many of the features on the chumby. You can exit the tour at any time by pressing the button in the upper right corner. You can choose to see the tour again the next time you power up your chumby or to never see it again. (Even if you choose , you can go to the control panel and select at any time to play it.)
Touchscreen Tip: Tap the screen to make selections, using the very tip of your finger (or your fingernail) and not the full pad of your fingertip. Tapping the screen — as opposed to pressing hard on the screen — works the best. You can also use a stylus on the touchscreen.
3. Calibrate the touchscreen.
If this is the first time you've ever turned on your chumby, you automatically get the touchscreen calibration screen. Follow the onscreen instructions. This process helps ensure that the screen and your finger are in sync. If you make a mistake during the calibration and the screen isn't registering your touches, just wait until it goes back to the start of the calibration process so you can try again.
4. Get connected.
Follow the steps on the screen to get your chumby working with your wireless network. If your network is protected by a password, you'll be asked to enter it. (If the password contains letters, capitalization does matter!)
If your chumby can't find a wireless connection, press to go to step 8. (If you know your router's SSID and it isn't broadcasted, press to enter it.)
For complete details, see Connecting to the Internet.
5. Choose a timezone.
The default city is San Diego, CA (Pacific Time). To choose a city that's in your timezone, tap on the map; the map will zoom in each time you tap the screen. (Note: The cities may be slightly off on the map. When you're zoomed in all the way, touching the red dot will display the city's name on the screen.)
6. Activate the chumby.
To activate the chumby you'll need to be a registered user and logged in. Go to Activate a Chumby for step-by-step details.
If you don't plan to register right now, press to bypass registration and go to the clock mode.
7. Install updates if asked.
If you're asked to install updates, tap so your chumby gets the latest software and stays in tip-top shape. If you choose you'll be reminded later on.
The normal update installation process occurs via your wi-fi connection ("over the air") during which your chumby will automatically reboot twice. The update process will take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on your bandwidth. We recommend that you not do bandwidth-intensive activities on your computer (like downloading large files) during the update.
8. Set the date and time (no network available).
If you're not connected to a network, you can manually set the date and time by tapping the up or down arrows on the touchscreen and then tapping .
9. Chumbify.
Once you've activated your chumby, you're ready to have some personalized fun! Create a new channel and start adding widgets to it. When you've created the channel, go to My Chumby Dashboard and select it next to "channel playing:".
