BASIC COMPUTER CLASS

 

1. What is a computer/PC?

Most computers are called PC’s. You can think of a PC as a large calculator with a better display, more buttons and many more functions.

PCs let you work with words, numbers, or graphics. PCs can work separately, in a group (known as a network), or across the world on the internet.

PCs are classified as desktops, towers, notebooks or laptops. (We are using towers for this class.) They all do the same functions, they are just packaged differently.

 

2. Components of a PC
  • Software - The brains of the PC. Software tells the PC what to do and controls what it can do. Without software the PC will do nothing. (We interact with software by clicking icons and choosing menu options.)
  • Hardware - The parts of a PC that you can see and/or touch.

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    3. Software

        Windows, the operating system, controls the flow of information from the hardware, software and      you then displays the results on the monitor and/or the printer.

        To start a software package you can click the icon (picture) on the desktop, or choose it from the
        start menu.

    4. Hardware

        Computer - Box that contains the guts and brains of the PC. This includes storage devices,
                the CPU (Central Processing Unit), and connections for the input and output devices.

  • Hard Drive – usually C: Where your software is installed. Holds up to 500 gigabytes. (500,000 megabytes)
     
  • Diskette Drive – usually A: Used to hold our files. Diskettes hold approximately 1.44 megabytes

  • Diskette Tips:


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  • Keep diskettes away from magnets, including telephone handsets, radio and TV speakers, paper-clip holders, desk fans and photocopiers

    • Avoid extreme hot or cold temperatures

    Do not touch the disk surface, only its’ protective cover

    Diskette are extremely unreliable, in fact, the more you use a diskette the higher the chance that you will lose information stored on them. Have a backup or two of your diskette.


  • Zip Drive – The Zip Disks can hold 100 to 750 megabytes.


  • CD Drive –CDs can hold 700 megabytes.

    •     Data can be saved onto a hard drive or diskette as bytes.

            1 byte equals 1 character

            1 kilobyte equals 1,000 bytes or about 1 page of typewritten text

            1 megabyte equals 1,000,000 bytes (million)

            1 gigabyte equals 1,000,000,000 bytes (billion)

            1 terabyte equals 1 trillion bytes

     

        Monitor - The screen that displays the information from the PC.

  • Desktop – the entire screen
  • Icons – small pictures on the desktop that when clicked with a mouse will start a program such as Word, Internet Explorer, etc.
    •

        Keyboard - This is what you type on. Almost like a typewriter, except it has function keys added.

        Mouse - This moves the pointer around the screen to select icons, and to move the curser location.

        Printer - Used to get the computer’s output or hard copy of what is on the screen.

     

    5. Using the Mouse

        Moving the mouse around on your desktop moves the mouse pointer around on the desktop.

            Left Button – Used to select things, move the curser and to choose icons, commands, etc.

            Right Button – Displays a shortcut menu for the item the curser is over.

    Scroll Wheel – Allows you to move up and down the page, by rolling the wheel.

            Click – Quickly press and release the right mouse button.

            Double click – Quickly press and release the right mouse button twice.

            Right Click – Quickly press and release the right button.

        (Use the Mouse Tutorial, on the library’s PCs to practice mouse skills at the end of this class.)

     

    THE KEYBOARD

  • There are four main areas on your keyboard.


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  • Function Keys – Positioned on the top row of the keyboard.


  • Typewriter Keys – These keys are the same type of keys you would find on an old typewriter: Letters, numbers, and punctuation symbols.


  • Cursor-control keys – Often called arrow keys, these four keys move the text cursor in the direction of their arrows. Above them are other cursor control keys.

    • The cursor-control keys are used to move the text cursor around, which typically looks like a blinking toothpick when you type or edit text in Windows.


  • Numeric Keypad -The numeric keypad contain calculator-like keys or if the NumLock key is off then these keys perform like the cursor-control keys.

    •             (Do not confuse #1 & l, small L or #0 & O, capital o.)

                (Sometimes, you may see the message "press any key to continue". That really
                means any key on the keyboard!)

     

  • Special keys:

    • Enter Key – Pressing the Enter Key is the same as clicking OK, or in Microsoft Word you press Enter at the end of a paragraph.

    Tab Key – Usually means indent in word editing software.

    Shift Key – Hold down the Shift key to make capital letters.

    Caps Lock – This key works like holding down the Shift key, but it produces only capital letters. Press Caps Lock again and the letters return to lowercase.

    Num Lock – Pressing this key makes the numeric keypad on the right side of the keyboard produce numbers.

    Ctrl and Alt – You press it in combination with another key to perform a function. You must hold down the Ctrl or Alt key and press the other key(s).

     

    WINDOWS

    About menus and toolbars

    A menu displays a list of commands. Some of these commands have images next to them so you can quickly associate the command with the image. Most menus are located on the menu bar which is the toolbar at the top of the screen. Toolbars can contain buttons, menus, or a combination of both.

    Microsoft, in general, automatically customizes menus and toolbars based on how often you use the commands. When you first start a program, only the most basic commands appear. Then, as you work, the menus and toolbars adjust so that only the commands and toolbar buttons you use most often appear.

    To look for a command that you don't use often or have never used before, click the arrows at the end of the menu to show all the commands.

    Title Bar     Menu Bar     Button Bars                             Minimize    Maximize    Close

     

    Start Button     Open Files     Tool Bar     Status Bar     Task Bar     Icons    Scroll Bars
                                                                                                                    System Time

    Title Bar – Bar at top of the window, lists file name and program currently displayed.

    Menu Bar – Standard menus for the software running.

    Button Bars – Common shortcuts to items from the menus on the menu bar.

    Minimize – Reduces the window to the Task Bar.

    Maximize – Enlarges the window to fill the screen.

    Close – Closes the file and software. (The small x below closes just the file.)

    Start Button – Opens the Start Menu, containing lists of programs available, and shortcuts to documents and system utilities.

    Open Files – Files that are open or that have been minimized.

    Tool Bar – Icons for more shortcuts.

    Status Bar – Shows location of the curser or status of a web page opening.

    Task Bar – Bottom of the window, holds start button, open files, etc.

    Icons – Programs running in the background.

    Scroll Bar – Allow you to move up & down and left & right to see the rest of the file. (Click on the arrows or drag the colored rectangles to change the view.)

    System Time – Time the computer thinks it is – usually not the correct time!