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ClassDescriptionThis is a basic introduction to computers aimed at people who have little or no knowledge about them. The aim is to
give people sufficient familiarity with computers and the basic techniques of using them that they become comfortable
using and experimenting with them and have a foundation for acquiring additional computer skills.
Prerequisites:None.
ClassLengthOne and one‐half (1½) hours
IntroductionA computer is an electronic device that manipulates information, or data. Computers come in many forms, including
mainframes, desktops, laptops, tablets, ‘phablets’, and smart phones. Computers store, retrieve, and process data and
can be used to play games; to create, edit, print, and publish all sorts of things: documents, pictures, music, videos,
spreadsheets, databases, presentations, messages, and more. When connected to other computers, they can retrieve
information from those computers and send information to them. They can keep one connected to family and friends
who live far away.
Objectives Learn the basic parts of a computer
Learn some basic computer terminology
Learn the difference between hardware and software
Learn the basics of windows, icons, and menus
Learn about a computer keyboard
Learn about a (computer) mouse
Learn how to use CDs, DVDs, and thumb (flash) drives
Learn what an ‘app’ is
Learn how information is stored on a computer (handout only)
Thismanualisahandoutforyoutokeep.Pleasefeelfreetouseitfortakingnotes.
Computer Basics
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WhatisaComputer?At its most basic, a computer is something that takes INPUT — some common ways to input information are using a
keyboard, mouse, scanner, digital camera, or microphone and manipulates the information — you don’t have to
understand how —and produces OUTPUT — some common types of output devices are monitors, printers, and speakers.
If you know how to create Input to get the desired Output — whether playing Solitaire games; writing letters or a book;
organizing genealogy records or your personal library; surfing the Web for information, pictures, music, or videos;
listening to music or watching videos; or anything else — you are a successful computer user. You only need to learn
what you want to do. You can ignore everything else.
Since the most common INPUT DEVICES used with modern computers are the KEYBOARD and the MOUSE, we’ll look at those
more closely.
KeyboardA computer keyboard has much in common with the keyboard of a typewriter, but there are a more keys providing
functions which do not exist on a typewriter and some keys may seem the same as those on a typewriter, but behave
differently.
The most common keyboard layout is known as QWERTY. The name comes from the first six keys on the upper row of
letters. (Unfortunately, it is also used as a password — a very, very weak password — so please don’t use it as a
password.)
There are other keyboard layouts for English which are rarely used and other keyboard layouts for other languages. One
of the great things about a computer is how easily the keyboard can be changed.
The next two pages show the keyboard layout for both PCs and for Macs and the starting point for touch typing. (It isn’t
necessary to learn touch typing, but it is faster than ‘hunt and peck’.)
Input Keyboard Mouse
Scanner Digital Camera
Microphone
etc.
Output Monitors
Printers Speakers
Computer
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PC:
Mac:
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TouchTyping
The basics: ‘Home row’ or ‘Home keys’ is where the fingers are located when not moving to/from or typing a character.
HAND Left Hand Right Hand
FINGER Little finger Ring finger Middle finger Index finger Index finger Middle finger Ring finger Little finger
CHARACTER/KEY A S D F J K L ; (semicolon)
Keys in yellow are pressed with little fingers. Keys in green are pressed with ring fingers. Keys in blue are pressed with middle fingers. Keys in pink/magenta are
pressed with index fingers. There are many online tutorials for learning touch typing, including:
http://powertyping.com/qwerty.html and http://www.easytype.org/ and http://www.freetypinggame.net/free‐typing‐lesson.asp
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MouseWhen held by a right hand, the thumb lightly squeezes the left side of the mouse and the last one or
two fingers lightly squeezes the right side of the mouse, just tightly enough so you can slide the
mouse across the surface on which it rests.
The other fingers rest lightly on the mouse. The buttons are designed to support the weight of
most fingers. The index finger rests over the left or main button and is used to ‘click’ the mouse.
When you see instructions to click the mouse, double‐click, or even (rarely) triple‐click, it means
pressing this button once, twice, or thrice — whilst holding the mouse still.
The middle finger rests over the right or secondary button and is used to ‘right click’ the mouse.
Some users prefer to rest the ring finger on top of the mouse; others prefer to keep it to the side
to hold and guide the mouse. It doesn’t matter: do what feels more comfortable or natural to you.
The mouse controls the mouse pointer, usually an arrow like the one at right, but it can
be changed to any shape or image and many applications will change it to a specific
shape reflecting a specific task.
To move the mouse up/higher on the screen, push the mouse away from you. If you have directions which tell you to
move the mouse ‘up’, this is what is meant. To move the mouse down/lower on the screen, pull it towards you. If you
have directions which tell you to move the mouse ‘down’, this is what is meant.
To move the mouse to the left or to the right, slide the mouse to the left or right. The mouse can be moved in any of
360°, always resting on whatever surface is being used.
Mouse settings can be changed.
Most left‐handers use their middle finger for the left or main button and the index
finger for the right button. Although most people have slightly less dexterity with
the middle finger than the index finger, this isn’t usually a problem — and it makes it easier to switch between
computers.
TheBasicMouseActionsThe four most common mouse actions are
1. Pointing — this means moving the mouse with your hand (and therefore, the mouse pointer) on the display.
Normally, you point to some sort of object (which could be something like an area of text).
2. Click — pushing a mouse button down and quickly releasing it. PCs typically have a left and right button and
often a middle button. Macs typically have a single button, but can be clicked on either the left or right side.
When instructions are to ‘click’, the left/main button or side is intended. If a ‘right click’ is intended, it will be
specified as such.
Clicking is an action you do on something, so it usually comes after you have pointed to something with the
mouse. With most mice, you can both hear the click and feel the click under your finger (actually, there are two
clicks: one as the mouse button goes down and another as the button comes back up, but the whole action is
considered one click). Clicking is done to select and to initiate commands. ‘Right clicks’ are usually performed to
bring up a ‘context menu’ (a special menu based on a condition).
3. Double‐click — clicking twice in rapid succession without moving the mouse. It is performed with the left button
or side. If the mouse is moved between clicks, a computer will interpret it as two separate clicks in two different
locations. If too much time elapses between the clicks, the computer will interpret as two separate clicks in the
same location. The time required to perform a second click in order to be interpreted by the computer as a
‘double‐click’ can vary between computers, but typically is about one‐half second.
Tip: The more you customize your computer system, the harder it will be to work on another computer.
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Double‐clicking on a touch screen (as is typically found with mobile phones and tablets) is difficult — you have to
touch the same place to make it work — so most of these devices avoid double‐clicks, instead using something
like touch and hold (not moving your finger off the screen) until something happens, like icons shaking.
When do you single click and when do you double‐click? Here are some guidelines, not rules:
a. Use a single click when using a web browser, except to select a word of text not part of a link
b. Use a single click when selecting something in a menu
c. Use a single click when starting something from the area at the bottom of the screen
d. Double‐click on a file name or its icon to open the file (all sorts of files)
e. Double‐click to select a word of text
4. Click and drag — pushing a mouse button down (usually the left/main button or side) without releasing it, and
then moving the mouse before releasing the left button. Clicking and dragging is used for things like drawing and
moving (‘dragging’) objects.
The easiest way to become familiar with the mouse is to practice: and the least painful way to practice using the mouse
is to play a game. Solitaire is widely recommended: you don’t have to learn the rules, all you need to do is play. The
game uses clicks (to turn over cards), double‐clicks (to move cards to the foundations), and click and drag (to move cards
in the tableau from one column to another). Many people will soon find they are playing the game without thinking
about the mouse actions. When you attain that level of proficiency, you’ve mastered the mouse.
ChangingMouseSettingsonaMacClick on the System Preferences icon on the Dock.
In the System Preferences window which opens, click the Mouse icon. This opens the Mouse settings:
Tracking speed’ is how quickly the mouse pointer moves across
the screen as the mouse is moved. At the slowest end, the
mouse has to be moved a great deal for the mouse pointer to
move; at the fastest end, a slight move of the mouse will move
the mouse pointer very easily.
‘Scrolling speed’ is how fast things move in response to using a Scroll Wheel.
‘Double‐Click speed’ is the amount of time between mouse clicks which the computer will recognize as a double‐click
instead of two separate clicks. At the slowest end, the clicks can be a few seconds apart; at the fastest end, clicks
separated by one‐quarter of a second are considered as two single clicks.
The ‘Primary mouse button’ is used, usually by left‐handed people who do not want to use their middle finger for the
main mouse button, to switch the primary button from the left side to the right side.
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ChangingMouseSettingsonaWindows‐basedPCClick on the Start Button, then in the area ‘Search programs and files’ type mouse. Windows will automatically search
and a list of possible matches will appear.
You should see an item for
‘Mouse’ in the Control Panel
section Move the mouse to
the item and (left) click.
This will open the Mouse
Properties dialog box.
Under ‘Button configuration’, selecting ‘Switch primary and
secondary buttons’ is usually used by left‐handed people who do not
want to use their middle finger for the main mouse button.
‘Double‐Click speed’ is the amount of time between mouse clicks
which the computer will recognize as a double‐click instead of two
separate clicks. At the slowest end, the clicks can be about one‐half
second apart; at the fastest end, clicks separated by one‐quarter of a
second are considered as two single clicks. The double‐click speed
can be tested by attempting a double‐click on the folder icon to the
right. It toggles between an open folder and a closed folder when a
successful double‐click is done.
The ClickLock
feature allows
you to hold the
mouse button for
a few seconds,
move the mouse to the new location, and then click it again. The
effect is the same as a drag and drop but without having to hold the
mouse button. It can be especially helpful when using a touch pad on
a laptop computer.
There are other tabs. The ‘Pointer’ tab is for changing the
picture/shape of mouse pointers; the ‘Pointer Options’ tab (shown at
right) has several options which may be of use.
‘Select a pointer speed’ controls how quickly the mouse pointer
moves across the screen as the mouse is moved. At the slowest end,
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the mouse has to be moved a great deal for the mouse pointer to move; at the fastest end, a slight move of the mouse
will move the mouse pointer very easily.
‘Enhance pointer precision’ causes the pointer to accelerate when the mouse is moved more quickly.
‘Snap To’ automatically moves the mouse pointer as described, but only if the application checks this setting (e.g. recent
versions of Microsoft Office do not).
‘Display pointer trails’ shows a ghosting of pointers trailing behind the movement of a mouse. Some people find it useful
for finding the mouse pointer; others find the additional pointers scattered across the screen an annoyance.
‘Hide pointer while typing’ is self‐explanatory.
‘Show location of pointer when I press the CTRL key’ causes an animation of concentric circles closing towards the
mouse pointer. It can be useful for those who find it difficult to find the mouse pointer.
The ‘Wheel’ tab (not shown) has options for changing the effect of using the Mouse Wheel (if you have one). The
‘Hardware’ tab is for highly technical users. Depending on type of mouse installed (especially with laptops with touch
pads), there may additional tabs besides the five shown here.
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Hard Drives
Thumb Drives
Optical Drives (CD / DVD / Blu‐ray)
Tape Drives
ExtrasADeeperLookInsideaComputer
Data Program Files ‣Writings
‣Spreadsheets
‣Music
‣Pictures
‣Movies
‣Genealogy databases
‣more…
Operating
System
Applications ‣Web Browsers
‣Word Processing
‣Spreadsheets
‣Graphics Editor
‣Music Editor
‣Video Editor
‣Games
‣Hobbies, etc.
At the heart of a computer is the MOTHERBOARD (also known as a mainboard). Everything plugs into it: INPUT devices,
OUTPUT devices, PIGGYBACK cards, the CPU (the ‘brains’), MEMORY (RAM), STORAGE devices which store COMPUTER FILES.
Most of this isn’t important to the typical computer user, but there are two items which can be extremely important:
the amount of memory and the storage of computer files. There are two basic types of computer files: (1) DATA, which is
what you or someone else has created; and (2) PROGRAM FILES, of which there are two types: (a) the OPERATING SYSTEM,
and (b) APPLICATIONS. There are various applications for almost anything you can imagine.
When a modern computer is turned off, it usually supplies a little bit of electricity to the network connector. If properly
configured, the computer can respond to a special message from the network telling it to ‘wake’ and start booting,
without anyone pushing the power button. (This is useful in business settings.) But even if the computer is completely
unplugged, there is a small amount of power (supplied by a small battery) which stores some basic start‐up settings and
the date & time.1
When the computer starts, the motherboard gives some very basic instructions from its BIOS (Basic Input / Output
System) to the CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (the CPU) with instructions for how to search for devices allowed to participate
in booting (such as a keyboard) and what to do if something happens (like a special key is pressed). The BIOS also tells
the Central Processing Unit what order to search Storage Devices for more detailed boot instructions.
1 PCs are notoriously bad at keeping time; many are configured to regularly check an electronic timekeeping service and reset their time. (A dollar discount store wristwatch is usually more accurate.)
(Mainboard)
(Central
Processing Unit)
(Random
Access
Memory)
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The Central Processing Unit will query a STORAGE DEVICE to learn whether a special portion of the device has been
marked as a ‘boot sector’. If it lacks a boot sector, the Central Processing Unit will query the next storage device. When
it finds a storage device with a boot sector, it asks for a small program known as the bootstrap loader which gives more
detailed instructions to the Central Processing Unit. These instructions tell the Central Processing Unit how to get the
OPERATING SYSTEM running. This requires multiple programs running concurrently. These instructions are copied from the
storage device with the boot sector and loaded into memory.
The operating system is the interface between user(s) and the computer. A user gives commands through input devices;
the operating system translates these commands into something the CPU can ‘understand’. Because the boot process is
a chain of events which gradually provide the computer with more information, the entire process is known as a
‘bootstrap’, as in ‘pulling oneself up by one’s own bootstraps’, or ‘boot’ for short.
The most common type of Storage Device is a
hard drive with one or more spinning, circular
platters inside. At right is a photo of the inside
of a hard drive with four platters. On the top
and bottom of each platter — so one more
than the number of platters — is an Actuator
Arm. At the end of each arm is a Read/Write
head (the bottommost head is hidden by the
platter in this picture).
Basically, the platters are spinning like an old LP
(but up to 450 times faster) and the Actuator
Arm moves the Read/Write heads in and out so
they can pass over the miniscule area of a
platter containing data to either read it to the CPU or to save what the CPU tells it to write to the drive.
The ‘catch’ is that for the Central Processing Unit to get instructions from a device like this, it has to (1) request a file
from the drive, (2) the drive has to physically move a read/write head to the area of the drive which works like a Table of
Contents, (3) the drive has to look up the physical locations where the file is located on a platter — and files can be
widely scattered in many pieces, (4) the drive has to move a read/write head to the physical locations, (5) the drive has
to read the information stored there, and (5) the drive has to send the information to the Central Processing Unit. This
happens quickly, in milliseconds, but it is a relatively slow process.
When the CPU needs instructions — and it can do nothing without instructions — it can either retrieve the information
from a storage device (usually, a hard drive) or it can, after retrieving the information from a storage device the first
time and copying the instructions to memory, retrieve the instructions from memory.
The CPU is able to keep track of what information is stored at a particular location in
memory. As a result, it can retrieve instructions from memory in about 1/200th of the time
needed to get something from a disk drive. The result? A lot faster performance from the
computer.
The Central Processing Unit will attempt to store in memory instructions from the
Operating System AND instructions from the applications which have been started AND the content of files which are
opened (which can be a few words of text [very small] to a long video in Ultra High Definition [huge]). But if there isn’t
sufficient memory to do this, the Central Processing Unit determines which files are more likely to be needed and keeps
these in memory. Anything else will has to stay on the storage device and be obtained from it, when needed.
When the hard drive was introduced in 1956, it stored two thousand bits (a zero or a one) per square inch. Now, hard drives store one hundred billion bits per square inch!
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The bottom line? The most important thing you can do to improve your computer’s performance is to have enough
memory.
Computer performance can be improved by adding memory or by decreasing the memory load (the amount of memory
being used). Because memory has to be matched to a motherboard’s capacities (and there are many types of memory),
adding memory should be left to a professional. But you can decrease the memory load several ways: (1) close
applications you aren’t using and won’t be using soon;2 (2) close data files you aren’t using, especially large ones; (3) be
aware that ‘eye candy’ such as background pictures, changing backgrounds, interesting mouse pointers, etc. consume
more memory; (4) more complex applications (i.e. a video editor compared to a text editor) use more memory; (5) some
applications tend to use more and more memory the longer they run (it is called a ‘memory leak’ and is considered a
‘bug’), especially web browsers; (6) the more applications installed on a computer, the more likely they will install
programs which run constantly, checking for updates and/or helping the application start more quickly so it appears
quicker to users; (7) some applications fail to completely shut down and continue to consume memory (another form of
‘memory leak’).
The only solution for a ‘memory leak’ is to reboot the computer. If your computer is behaving erratically, more sluggish
than usual, or otherwise misbehaving, a reboot is the most important thing you can do to fix problems. A reboot should
always be done before asking someone for help.
ConnectorsThere are a lot of internal connectors on a motherboard, but only the external connectors are of concern. Motherboards
have a back panel which protrude out the back of the computer case. Here’s a close‐up of one model of motherboard.
There are many variations (selecting a motherboard might be the most important decision a computer enthusiast
makes). Many of the connectors will be color‐coded, and connectors are shaped so only the correct item can be placed
in them as long as you follow one simple rule: NEVER FORCE ANYTHING.
2 Most computer users switch back and forth between applications. Constantly closing an application before opening another is inconvenient and inefficient.
Mouse/keyboard
Video: DisplayPort
Video: HDMI Video: DVI
Video: VGAUSB
USB
Wired network
Audio
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Mouse&KeyboardIf your mouse and keyboard have wires which end like the ones
on the left, they plug into sockets like those on the right.
These kind of connectors are only used for mice and
keyboards.
The usual colors are green for the mouse and
purple for the keyboard. On the plugs of the
keyboard and mouse there will usually be a
symbol of a mouse and keyboard respectively.
If you have a connector like the one at left with two colors, you can connect either a
keyboard or a mouse into it. Normally, computers will have only one of these sockets.
USBConnectorsThis is the symbol for USB connectors. They are often engraved without highlighting, making the
symbol difficult to see. They use an
overlapping connector, so if the plug
doesn’t fit into the socket,
flip the plug over and try
again. (A very new mini‐USB
connector will plug either way.)
There are numerous devices which use USB connectors: mice, keyboards, printers,
scanners, external hard drives and USB thumb drives, and much more.
There are three generations of USB: an original USB, a second, and a third. They are
physically interchangeable; however, the third generation sockets are normally blue
and may have the logo at right or a written‐out label
beside the socket. If connecting a device for transferring
files, you will get better performance connecting it to one of these sockets. Neither a keyboard
nor a mouse will work any faster in a third generation USB socket. Most computers with the third
generation USB mix them with older USB technology to reduce cost. Don’t waste a high‐speed USB connection.
MonitorConnectionsThis kind of connector (VGA) is usually blue. There
are three rows of five pins (plug) or openings
(socket). The plugs have two knurled screws
for screwing into the standoff nuts on either
side of the socket. They only need to be
finger‐tight: the plug isn’t a moving part.
The connection is symmetrical. Look for the difference in the width at top and bottom.
13 August 2017
This kind of connector (DVI) is usually white. Although there are different types of
plugs and different kinds of sockets (right), most computers use the second from
the top (DVI‐I Dual Link) which accepts all the different types of plugs.
Like the previous connector, this is symmetrical and has a different
width between top and bottom. Look for the side which has the
horizontal (non‐pin) connector.
This is the HDMI connector which you may have seen in large‐
screen televisions and other video equipment. Like the
previous connectors, this is symmetrical with a
significant difference in the width of the plug’s top
and bottom.
The HDMI is similar in appearance to the next
connector (DisplayPort), but this next
connector has (1) an asymmetrical shape: a rectangle with a corner cut off, and (2) it has a release
button on one side which pushes two hook‐shaped latches used to lock the plug into the
socket.
Here is a close‐up of an HDMI plug (left) and DisplayPort plug (right).
Questions? Feel free to contact Ross Valentine at [email protected] or call the library at 630.232.0780