COMPUTER BASIC

What is a Computer?

A computer is an electronic device that manipulates information, or "data." It has the ability to store, retrieve, and process data. You can use a computer to type documents, send email, and browse the internet. You can also use it to handle spreadsheets, accounting, database management, presentations, games, and more.


Watch the video to learn about different types of computers


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cXEOWAStq4&feature=player_embedded

Computers Simplified

For beginning computer users, the computer aisles at an electronics store can be quite a mystery, not to mention overwhelming. However, computers really aren't that mysterious. All types of computers consist of two basic parts:

• Hardware is any part of your computer that has a physical structure, such as the computer monitor or keyboard.

• Software is any set of instructions that tells the hardware what to do. It is what guides the hardware and tells it how to accomplish each task. Some examples of software are web browsers, games, and word processors such as Microsoft Word.

Anything you buy for your computer can be classified as either hardware or software.

What are the Different Types of Computers?

When most people hear the word "computer" they think of a personal computer such as a desktop or laptop computer. However, computers come in many shapes and sizes, and they perform many different functions in our daily lives. When you withdraw cash from an ATM, scan groceries at the store, or use a calculator, you're using a type of computer.

Desktop Computers

Many people use desktop computers at work, home, school, or the library. They can be small, medium, or large in style, and usually sit on a desk. Once you add a monitor, mouse, and a keyboard, you have what is typically known as a desktop computer.

Most desktop computers are easy to upgrade and expand, or add new parts. Another benefit of desktop computers is the cost. If you compare a desktop and alaptop with the same features, you will most likely find that the desktop computer is priced lower.

Some desktop computers have a built-in monitor to save space. These are often called all-in-one desktop computers.

Laptop Computers

The second type of computer that you may be familiar with is a laptop computer, or laptops as they are often referred to. Laptops are battery or AC-powered personal computers that are more portable than desktop computers, allowing you to use them almost anywhere.

Since a laptop is smaller than a desktop, it's more difficult to access the internal components. That means you may not be able to upgrade them as much as a desktop. However, it's usually possible to add more RAM or a bigger hard drive.

A laptop computer is sometimes called a notebook computer because of its size.

Servers

A server room

A server is a computer that "serves up" information to other computers on a network. Many businesses have file servers that employees can use to store and share files. A server can look like a regular desktop computer, or it can be much larger.

Servers also play an important role in making the internet work: they are where web pages are stored. When you use your browser to click a link, a web server delivers the page you requested.














Other Types of Computers

Today, there lots of everyday devices that are basically specialized computers, even though we don't always think of them as computers. Here are a few common examples:

The iPad, a type of tablet computer

• Tablet Computers: These use a touch-sensitive screen for typing and navigation. Since they don't require a keyboard or mouse, tablet computers are even more portable than laptops. The iPad is an example of a tablet computer.
• Mobile Phones: Many mobile phones can do a lot of things a computer can do, such as browsing the internet or playing games. These phones are often called smartphones.
• Game Consoles: A game console is a specialized kind of computer that is used for playing video games. Although they are not as fully-featured as a desktop computer, many newer consoles, such as theNintendo Wii, allow you to do non-gaming tasks like browsing the internet.
• TVs: Many TVs now include applications (or apps) that let you access various types of online content. For example, you can view yourFacebook news feed or watch streaming movies on Netflix.

Challenge!

• Think about the activities you perform or want to perform using a computer (email, online shopping, etc.).
• Think about all the computers that are necessary for you to complete your day-to-day activities.
  • Is it a computer that controls the stoplights so you can drive to work?
  • How did the cashier scan and calculate your grocery items?
  • Does the coffee store you visit use a computer to order their inventory?
  • Is the weather map on television computer-generated?

Basic Parts of a Desktop Computer

The basic parts of a desktop computer are the computer case, monitor, keyboard,mouse, and power cord. Each part plays an important role whenever you use a computer.

Computer Case

The computer case is the metal and plastic box that contains the main components of the computer. It houses the motherboard, central processing unit (CPU), the power supply, and more.

Computer cases come in different shapes and sizes. A desktop case lies flat on a desk, and the monitor usually sits on top of it. A tower case is tall and sits next to the monitor or on the floor. The front of the case usually has an on/off switch and one or more optical drives.

Most of the personal computers you can purchase today include tower cases, rather than desktop cases; however, some computers are being made with all of the internal components built into the monitor, which completely eliminates the tower.

Monitor

The monitor works with a video card, located inside the computer case, to display images and text on the screen. Newer monitors usually have LCD (liquid crystal display) or LED (light-emitting diode) displays. These can be made very thin, and they are often called flat panel displays. Older monitors use CRT (cathode ray tube) displays. CRT monitors are much bigger and heavier, and they take up more desk space.

Most monitors have control buttons that allow you to change your monitor's display settings, and some monitors also have built-in speakers.

LED displays are actually LCD displays that are backlit with light-emitting diodes. This allows for greater contrast than a traditional LCD display.

Power Cord

The power cord is the link between the power outlet and the power supply unit in the computer casing. If the power cord is not plugged in, the computer will not power on. To protect your computer from voltage spikes, you can plug the power cord into a surge protector. You can also use an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS), which acts as a surge protector and also provides temporary power if there is a blackout.

Keyboard

The keyboard is one of the primary ways we communicate with the computer and enter data. There are many different types of computer keyboards such as wired, wireless, ergonomic, multimedia, and more. Although there may be differences in the location of some keys or features, keyboards are very similar and allow you to accomplish basically the same tasks.

Mouse

The mouse is a peripheral that is known as a pointing device. It lets you point to objects on the screen, click on them, and move them.

There are two main types of mice: optical and mechanical. The optical mouse uses an electronic eye to detect movement and is easier to clean. The mechanical mouse uses a rolling ball to detect movement. Generally, a mechanical mouse is cheaper, although it may require regular cleaning to keep it working properly.

Traditionally, a mouse connects to the computer using a USB or PS/2 connection. However, you can also buy a wireless mouse, which can reduce clutter on your desktop.

Mouse Alternatives

There are other devices that can do the same thing a mouse can do, but with a different look and feel. Many people find them to be easier to use, and they also require less desk space than a mouse. The most common mouse alternatives include:

Trackball: A trackball has a ball on top that can rotate freely. Instead of moving the device like a mouse, you can simply roll the ball with your fingers to move the pointer. Some mobile devices have miniature trackballs that can be controlled with your thumb.

Touchpad: A touchpad (also called a trackpad) is a touch-sensitive pad that lets you control the pointer by making a "drawing" motion with your finger. Touchpads are very common on laptop computers.

Challenge!

Think about the desktop computers you've seen at work, school, the library, a store, or a friend's house. What did they look like? Were they all-in-one, or did they have a separate tower?

Review the Parts of the Keyboard interactive on page 3 of this lesson. Are there any keys that you haven't used before?

If you're using a mouse, flip it over to see whether it's optical or mechanical.

Is your monitor LCD, LED, or CRT?

If your monitor has control buttons, try adjusting the brightness and contrast.

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FRONT PAGE

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INTERNET

Introduction

 

It's no secret that more and more the Internet is becoming an integral part of our everyday lives. But if you are new to the online experience, it may be a bit overwhelming. You may be wondering, "What exactly is the Internet, and how does it work?"

In this lesson, we will give a brief overview of the Internet, and we will talk about some fundamental concepts such as networks, servers, and clients.

The Internet Today

In the early days, most people just used the Internet to search for information. Today's Internet is a constantly evolving tool, that not only contains an amazing variety of information, but also provides new ways of accessing, interacting and connecting with people and content.

As a result, new terms are constantly appearing as new technologies are introduced. The interactive below contains a few common terms that you might encounter online.

What is the Internet?

The Internet is the largest computer network in the world, connecting millions of computers. A network is a group of two or more computer systems linked together.

There are two main types of computer networks:

1. Local Area Network (LAN): A LAN is two or more connected computers sharing certain resources in a relatively small geographic location, often in the same building. Examples include home networks and office networks.
   

Wide Area Network (WAN): A WAN typically consists of two or more LANs. The computers are farther apart and are linked by telephone lines, dedicated telephone lines, or radio waves. The Internet is the largest Wide Area Network (WAN) in existence. 

Servers and Clients

A server with multiple clients

You may have heard someone say something like "The server is down" or "We're having problems with the e-mail server." A server is a computer that "serves" many different computers in a network by running specialized software and storing information. For example, web pages are stored on servers.

When you access a web page, your computer is acting as a client. A client runs familiar software such as web browsers or email software, and it communicates with the server to get the information it requires.

In order for your browser to display a web page, it requests the data from the server where the page is stored. The server processes the request, then sends the data to your browser, where it is displayed.

In peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, each computer acts as both a server and a client. Examples of P2P software include Skype and BitTorrent.

Did you know?

• The foundation of the Internet began in 1969, when the US Department of Defense created ARPAnet, a project to allow military personnel to communicate with each other in an emergency.
• By 2011, the number of Internet users worldwide reached 2 billion—over one quarter of the world's population.

PROGRAMMING IN C++

PROGRAMMING IN C

WINDOWS OS

D.O.S.

NOTEPAD

PAINT

COMPUTER HARDWARE

TALLY 9.0

TALLY 7.2

COREL DRAW

ADOBE PAGEMAKER

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP

MS ACCESS

MS POWER POINT

MS EXCEL

MS WORD 2003

MS WORD 2003

Identifying Parts of the Word Window

Introduction

Microsoft Word 2003 is the word processing application in the Microsoft Office Suite. Create professional-looking, formatted text documents with this powerful Word processing software.

By the end of this lesson, learners should be able to:

• Identify the parts of the Word 2003 Window
• Change the document view
• Operate the drop-down menus
• Identify the Task Pane

The Basics of the Word Window

Let's briefly review the basic parts of the Word 2003 window before we move onto word processing.

Shown below is the Microsoft Word default window. When Word is launched, a new blank document, or default window, opens in Print Layout view. Although window elements are fully explained in our Windows course, here is a brief explanation of the Word window.

Title Bar

Displays the document name followed by a program name.

Menu Bar

Contains a list of options to manage and customize documents.

Standard Toolbar

Contains shortcut buttons for the most popular commands.

Formatting Toolbar

Contains buttons used for formatting.

Ruler

Used to set margins, indents, and tabs.

Insertion Point

The location where the next character appears.

End-of-Document Marker

Indicates the end of the document.

Help

Provides quick access to Help topics.

Scroll bars

Used to view parts of the document.

Status Bar

Displays position of the insertion point and working mode buttons.

Task Pane

Provides easy access to commonly used menus, buttons and tools.

View Buttons

Changes the layout view of the document to Normal View, Web Layout View, Reading Layout View, Print Layout View, or Outline View.

Office Assistant

Links to the Microsoft Office Help feature.

Change in View

In an effort to provide various ways in which to view your work in progress and remain organized, Word 2003 offers six different views for your document. The six views are Normal View, Web Layout View, Reading Layout View, Print Layout View, Outline View, and Full Screen View.

Normal view is best used for typing, editing, formatting and proofreading. It provides a maximum amount of space without rulers or page numbers cluttering your view.

Web Layout view shows you what your text will look like on a web page.

Reading Layout view is best for documents that you do not need to edit. The goal of this view is to increase legibility so that the user can read the document easily.

Print Layout view shows you what your document will look like when it is printed. Under Print Layout view you can see all elements of the page. Print Preview shows you this as well.

Outline view is used to create and edit outlines. Outline view only shows the headings in a document. This view is particularly handy when making notes.

Full Screen view displays ONLY the document that you are working on. All the other pieces of the Word window are removed except for one button that allows you to Close View Screen.

Changing your Document View:

• Click View on the menu bar.
• Select the view of your choice.
  
  
  
  OR
• Click one of the five buttons at the bottom left of your Word window
  (View Full Screen is not available in this location).
  
  

Pull-Down Menus

Each Office 2003 program features a menu bar. The menu bar is made up of many different menus. Each menu contains commands that enable you to work within the program.


If you have used a previous version of Microsoft Word, you may notice the menu bar in Word 2003 operates a little differently than before.


Word 2003 uses pull-down menus that initially display commands that users most often need.

Operating the new Pull-Down Menus

To Open a Menu:

• Click on a menu name on the menu bar.
• View the commands listed under the pull-down menu.
• With the menu open, drag the mouse pointer to a command and click on it to select the command. (As you drag your mouse pointer over the commands, each command is highlighted in blue.)
  
  
• If there is a small black triangle next to a command, hover the mouse pointer over the command with the triangle and a cascading menu with additional options will appear. Point and click to make a selection from the cascading menu.
  
  
• Commands that are not used often in 2003 are initially hidden from the viewer. If you do not see all the commands on a menu, click on the double arrows at the bottom of the pull-down menu. You can also double-click the menu to expand it.
  
  

Using the Task Pane

When opened, the task pane will appear on the right side of the Word window. The task pane provides easy access to commonly used menus, buttons and tools. By default, the Task Pane will appear when Word 2003 is first launched.


If you do not see your task pane, you can view it by either selecting certain commands or by manually opening it.


To Open the Task Pane:

• Click on View in the menu bar.
• Select Task Pane.
  
  

Along the top bar of the task pane you should see small backwards and forwards buttons on the left as well as a down arrow on the right. To view different task panes available to you, click on the down arrow. Once you have opened different task panes, you can navigate through them by clicking on the left and right arrow button on the left. To close your task pane, click the x symbol on the far right of the bar.

       

Challenge!

• Download and save the Personal Letter Word document to complete challenges 1 through 6. Need help? How to Download a file.
• After opening the document, change the view to Normal View.
• Practice using the pull-down menus on the menu bar.
• Find the Task Pane and become familiar with it.
• Type today's date at the beginning of the document.
• Save the document by selecting File >> Save from the main menu.
• Close the document.

Save and Save As

Introduction

By the end of this lesson, learners should be able to:

• Use Save
• Use Save As

Saving a New File

When Saving a File for the First Time:

• Click File on the Menu Bar.
• Select Save - Ctrl+S.
  
  

Using the Standard Toolbar to Save:

Choose the Save button  on the Standard Toolbar.

Save As Dialog Box

After selecting Save from the Menu Bar or the Standard Toolbar, the Save As Dialog Box appears.

To Specify a File Location:

• Open the Save In: drop down list box.
• Choose 31/2 floppy (A:) if saving to a floppy disk.
• Choose (C:) if saving to your hard disk.
• Name your file in the File name: box.
• Click Save.

If you do not choose a file name, Microsoft Word will assign a file name for you. It assigns the first line of text in you document, unless you give it a different name when prompted in the File name box.

If you do not specify a file location, Office uses the My Documents folder as the default location. So, if you can't find a file, check My Documents.

After Naming and Saving a File Once:

• Click the Save button  on the Standard toolbar.

OR

• Go to the File menu and choose Save.
  You will not get a Save As dialog box again.

Saving a File Under a New Name

If you wish to create an exact copy of an original document for editing or revising purposes, you should perform a Save As on the file and save it under a new name. This will guarantee that you always have a saved, original copy.

Follow these steps to perform a Save As:

• Click File from the menu bar.
• Select Save As. The Save As Dialog Box appears.
• Type a new name for your file in the File name: box.
• Click Save.

Choose Save As to rename a document. Be careful not to overwrite your original file.

Did you Know?

Save periodically when you are working in an application. Losing information is never fun! You can quickly save by using the quick-key combination Ctrl + S.

If Word encounters a problem, it may automatically shut down without giving you the chance to Save. The Document Recovery Task Pane will appear the next time you open Word. This pane allows you to view files that were recovered when Word discontinued working properly. Select the best version of your document and make sure to save it.

Cut, Copy, Paste and Drag and Drop

Introduction

By the end of this lesson, learners should be able to:

• Cut, copy and paste
• Drag and drop

Cut, Copy, Paste

Often in word processing, you will need to transfer information from one document to another. Instead of having to re-type or replace this information, Word allows you to move a block of text (a word, sentence, paragraph, page, document, or graphic). Cut, Copy and Paste are extremely time-saving features. The Cut, Copy and Paste buttons are located on the Standard toolbar.

Cut and Paste:

• The Cut feature allows you to remove selected text from the document and temporarily place it on the Office Clipboard.
• The Clipboard is a temporary storage file in your computer's memory. Items placed on the Clipboard will remain there until you exit Word.
• The Paste feature allows you to get text from the Clipboard and place it in the same or even another document.

Copy and Paste:

• The Copy feature allows you to copy selected text from the document and temporarily place it on the Clipboard.
• The Clipboard is a temporary storage file in your computer's memory.
• The Clipboard can hold up to twenty-four items. Once you copy the 25th item, the first copied item is deleted.
• The Paste feature allows you to select any of the collected items on the Clipboard place it in the same or even another document.

You can Copy information from many different sources including Websites, Emails, and other Office applications like Excel and PowerPoint.

Working with Blocks of Text

To Cut and Paste a Block of Text:

• Select the text you want to move.
• Click the Cut button on the Standard Toolbar.
• Place the insertion point where you want the text inserted.
• Click the Paste button.

To Copy and Paste a Block of Text:

• Select the text you want to move.
• Click the Copy button on the Standard Toolbar. 
• Place the insertion point where you want the text inserted.
• Click the Paste button. 
• Once the item has been pasted, you can determine the formatting by clicking on the Paste Options button that appears just below your pasted selection. Check or de-select any of the following options:
  • Keep Source Formatting - maintains the text formatting of the original document.
  • Match Destination Formatting - formats the pasted text to match the text formatting in the document in which it was pasted.
  • Keep Text Only - removes any graphics that you may have copied along with the copied text.
  • Apply Style or Formatting - allows you to choose a specific format from the Styles and Formatting menu.

Viewing the Clipboard items:

• Click Edit on the Menu Bar.
• Select Office Clipboard.
• The Clipboard will appear on the right side of the Word window in the Task Pane.
• The Clipboard will display any of the 24 items you have copied.

 Menu Commands:

• Edit  cut
• Edit  copy
• Edit  paste

Keyboard Shortcuts:

• Ctrl+C = copy
• Ctrl+X = cut
• Ctrl+V = paste

Become comfortable using the keyboard shortcuts to increase your speed in word processing.

If you cut, copy, or paste something you didn't mean to, use the Undo button or choose not to save changes to your document when you close your document.

Drag and Drop

The drag and drop method of moving text allows you to move selected text using your mouse.

This method is convenient for moving text when:

• Moving text from one location to another within a document.
• Moving text to another document.

To Drag and Drop Selected Text:

Drag:

• Select the text you wish to move.
• Place the mouse pointer anywhere on the selected text without clicking.
• Click and hold the right mouse button until the insertion point changes into a white arrow pointing up to the left.
• Right click and drag the selected text to the new location.

Drop:

• During this process, the mouse pointer changes to a box with a small white arrow over it, indicating you are dragging text.
• When you reach the new location, release the mouse button to drop the text into place.
• Once you release the mouse button a menu list will appear that offers you the following options:
  • Move Here
  • Copy Here
  • Link Here
  • Create Hyperlink Here
  • Cancel

(Be sure to remove the selection highlight before pressing any key, so that you do not delete your newly moved text. If you do accidentally delete, simply press the Undo button).

Challenge!

• Download and save the Personal Letter Word document to complete challenges 1 through 6. Need help? How to Download a file.
• Open the personal letter document.
• Use the Drag and Drop feature to move the first sentence of the letter (“My daughter just got…”) to the end of the final paragraph of the letter.
• Use the mouse to select the paragraph you wrote (3rd paragraph).
• Use the Copy, Paste, and Cut features to move the 3rd paragraph so it is the second paragraph of the letter.
• Save and close the document.