Tomax7 Basic Computer Tutorial

The Four Operations of a Computer System

Input
- is supplied via a keyboard, mouse, scanners. These input devices may be called peripheral devices.

Processing
- is done inside the computer by the central processing unit (CPU). Processing is the conversion of input to output.

Output

- is the result of a computer process. Monitors, speakers, printers, and so forth.

Storage

- Storage refers to storing information somewhere. Examples are RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read-Only-Memory).

Picture of a Motherboard

Back Panel of Onboard accessories

What is a Computer System?

A computer system refers to the computer AND all of its equipment. Keyboard, Mouse, Speakers, Printers, Scanner and so on are peripheral equipment, or "peripherals". The central processing unit (CPU) is considered to be "the brains".

What is an Operating System?

This is the software needed to “run” the computer.  It provides the Graphical User Interface (GUI) to which you can interact with your computer.  Various OS’s are provided by Microsoft, Apple, Novell, Linux, Unix and so on.

The OS needs something called “drivers” in order to have the software interact with the hardware. 

Example:  Microsoft Windows XP, Apple OS-X, Novell Netware, Linux/Suse.

What is an Application?

Sometimes confused with the Operating System, Applications sit on top, or need an OS in order to function.  Depending on the type of Application, most can only work with a certain type of Operation System.

Example: Microsoft Office XP, Microsoft Office for Apple, Open Office, Outlook Express.

Word Processing – Letter writing.  People can make changes such as spelling, margins, additions, deletions, and movement of text

Excel Spreadsheets – Budget spreadsheets.  People can store numeric data, add, subtract and manipulate numbers or text that can be used in calculations, address books, or listings in a table format.  Plus one can create charts and graphs using the spreadsheet application.

Access Databases - A database can sort the names, addresses, grades, classrooms for students in a school. From this, one can print professional looking reports, whereas in a Spreadsheet, it will only show the raw data.

PowerPoint, Publisher - Create a slide show presentation, or newsletter/brochure, and other similar types of publications. It is similar to word processing one can use text, graphics, lines, shapes, patterns, and borders.

When Buying a Computer

The first question you should ask yourself is, "What do I need if for?"  Do you need it for Emails, some homework or letter writing, or do you need it for image authoring and Web designing? Do you want to play heavy duty games like Flight Simulator, Doom, or SimCity?  Do you need it for number crunching like Accounting?

How does a computer hold data?

A computer stores data in units called bits and bytes. Computer chips (integrated circuits) exist in two states, on or off or 1 and 0. Liken it to a light switch. Each flick of the switch is called a bit. Eight of those are called a byte.

Example:  To a computer the number 10 would be 000001010  (using placeholders 128-64-32-16-8-4-2-1)

8 bits = 1 byte
1024 bytes = 1 Kilobyte (K) – important notice small “b” vs capital “B”
1024 Kilobytes = 1 Megabyte (MB) – A floppy holds 1.44 MB
1024 Megabytes = 1 Gigabyte (GB) – Normal Hard drives are now about 80GB’s

Keyboard Layout and Data Entry

ESC (ESCAPE) – Your “panic key” - stops a menu or dialog box, or jumps out of it.

Function Keys (F KEYS) – Runs special commands like F1-Help or combined ALT+F4 – closes program

Print Screen – when you want to capture something on your desktop and paste it into Word.

Scroll Lock – for DOS programs to stop the screen from scrolling

Pause/Break – on boot up you wish to halt the screen scroll or execution of DOS programs

Tab - Moves the cursor five spaces to the right or to the next field in a form or table (Shift-Tab opposite).

CAPS LOCK - Locks the keyboard to upper case (a light will go on when caps lock is on)

Shift Key - Use the shift keys create capital letters.

Cntl (Control) or Alt (Alternate) - Special commands or shortcuts. CNTL+ALT+DEL (Task Manager/Reboot)

Microsoft Key (Flag) – shortcuts to open Start Menu, Explorer(+E), Run+R), System Properties(+Pause)

Space bar - Moves the cursor one space at a time to the right or fills in check boxes in forms.

Arrow Keys - Moves the cursor around document or speadsheet

Enter (or Return) - Moves the cursor down one line and to the left margin.

Delete - Deletes the character to the RIGHT of the cursor and any highlighted text or images.

Home/End/PageUp/PageDown/Insert – Movement Commands within a program

Backspace - Deletes the character to the LEFT of cursor and highlighted text or images.

NumLock – What you become after a year…turns on or off the numerical key pad.  (Light will come on)

Files and Folders

On the disk are directories or collection of folders. The directories are called folders and could be compared to a filing cabinet. The drawer is the drive letter (C:\) and the  file folders inside the drawer are the directories.  Directories can have sub-directories and sub-sub-directories many levels down. The folder below the current directory is called the child directory and visa versa the folder immediately above the current one is called the parent directory. The very top of the whole structure is called the root.

When a user adds or installs a new program on the computer the installation process will usually create a new directory or folder to store the application's files.

You can easily move files from one folder or directory to another using menu commands, drag & drop using the mouse or a file utility. It is important to understand your computer's directory structure as a file can be misplaced if it is saved in the wrong directory.

Menus
- Menus are the textual way of interacting with your application.

File controls things like Opening, Saving and printing your file and Exiting the program.

Edit contains the main editing commands like Cut, Copy and Paste.

View allows you to customize how your application appears to you.  Caution, this is only on your machine.

Tools/Options is a common area to set up your application parameters.

Help is where you can find Help, Updates, and About the program version.

Menus can also be controlled through the keyboard. The most common way of accessing the menu through the keyboard is by pressing the Alt or CNTL key and pressing a corresponding letter like CNTL+C is to copy.

NOTE: The Toolbar directly below the menu bar supplies a graphical or icon version of the textual options.
Standard Toolbar:

New-Open-Email-Save-Print-Preview-SpellCheck-

                                         -Cut-Copy-Paste-Format Painter-

                                                                 -Undo-Redo-Hyperlink-Tables-Spread-Columns-...Reveal Code-View-Help

Format Toolbar:

Font Style - Font Type - Size                 Bold-Italize-Underline-Justify-Bullets-Indent-Table-Background-FontColour

Internet

– Web pages are public domain on a huge mesh of a network.  Public domain means anyone can see and possibly use it.  Copyright notices are as good as the country they are issued in.  When visiting a website you do not need to type the http:// any more, or on some servers the www isn’t needed either.  If you do online banking or any site that requires your personal information make sure it is secure or starts with a https:// and has the little yellow lock showing in the bottom right of your browser.

Email

- Email is the electronic equivalent of sending a letter through the mail. There are many different mail programs but the basic functions are the same. An email address directs a message to the recipient.

Email addresses are done this way... accountname@domain.com

You need to know your login information (account name) in order to retrieve the email.  Also you need to know what your Email servers are.

POP3 is the INCOMING server address – ‘pop3.telus.net’ or ‘mail.tomax7.com’ for example.

SMTP is the OUTGOING server address – ‘smtp.telus.net’ or mail.tomax7.com

- You may have to tell Outlook Express that you need Secure Login (check box)

- Do not have “RETURN READ RECEIPTS” allowed, you’re asking for Spam.

SPAM - unsolicited e-mail that you get usually from online contests, or signing up for a free program. About 55-65% of traffic on the Internet is made up of spam.

COOKIES – are small text files that record your visit to a website for future reference.  Non-harmful, but they can reveal some information, like your login name and IP address to hackers.  Clean these out often.

VIRUS - is a proactive program designed by a dweeb or hacker with no life to do unwanted functions on your computer. The virus program can be simply annoying like displaying a happy face on the user's screen at a certain time and date. It can also be very destructive and damage your computer's programs and files causing the computer to stop working.  There are two types of viruses - Trojan Horses or Worms.  Trojan Horses come attached to a ‘legitimate’ program like a card game or email attachment.  They usually only infect the computer it was opened on.  Whereas a WORM will spread itself and self mutate to other machines on the network.  Get AntiVirus programs like Trend Micro PC-Cillin, or Avast.  AVG is decent also.

SPYWARE is almost as bad as a Virus.  It tracks and watches passively your actions on the Internet, or even watches your keystrokes then emails the results to the author.  Get Anti-Spyware programs like Ad Aware or Counter Spy.

File Transfer Protocol (ftp) allows a user to transfer files and documents from one computer to another.

Instant Messaging (im) such as ICQ and MSN allows users to find friends and contacts through the Internet and communicate with them in real time. Users maintain a list of contacts which the software will notify when they are online and contact is available.

Internet Relay Chat (irc) is another program that allows users to participate in real-time discussions with other users through the Internet.

WINDOWS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Windows System Key Combinations
• CTRL+ESC: Open Start menu
• ALT+TAB: Switch between open programs
• ALT+F4: Quit program

Windows Program Key Combinations
CTRL+ B = Bold
CTRL+ C = Copy
CTRL+ I = Italic
CTRL+ A = Select All
CTRL+ X = Cut
CTRL+ V = Paste
CTRL+ Z = Undo

Mouse Click/Keyboard Modifier Combinations for Shell Objects
• CTRL+ESC: Opens the Start menu
• ALT+ underlined letter: Opens the menu
• ALT+F4: Closes the current window
• CTRL+F4: Closes the current Multiple Document Interface (MDI)

To Copy a File
Press and hold down the CTRL key while you drag the file to another folder.

General Folder/Shortcut Control
• F4: Selects the Go To A Different Folder box and moves down the entries in the box (if the toolbar is active in Windows Explorer)
• F5: Refreshes the current window.
• F6: Moves among panes in Windows Explorer
• CTRL+G: Opens the Go To Folder tool (in Windows 95 Windows Explorer only)
• CTRL+Z: Undo the last command
• CTRL+A: Select all the items in the current window
• BACKSPACE: Switch to the parent folder
• SHIFT+click+ Close button: For folders, close the current folder plus all parent folders

Accessibility Shortcuts
• Press SHIFT five times: Toggles StickyKeys on and off
• Press down and hold the right SHIFT key for eight seconds: Toggles FilterKeys on and off
• Press down and hold the NUM LOCK key for five seconds: Toggles ToggleKeys on and off
• Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK: Toggles MouseKeys on and off
• Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN: Toggles high contrast on and off

HOME – to beginning of line or far left of field or screen.
END – to end of line, or far right of field or screen.
CTRL+HOME – to the top
CTRL+END – to the bottom
PAGE UP – moves you up in your document or dialogue box by one page
PAGE DOWN – moves you down in your document or dialogue list by one page.
CNTL + ENTER – New Page