great idea – computer “desktop what’s on your computer desktop? browser and email reader...

Great Idea – Computer “DesktopWhat’s on your Computer Desktop?

Browser and Email reader Office tools

Microsoft Office or some other product Adobe Reader

Games Media manipulators

Music, iTunes Movies, Quicktime Photos

Copyright © 2008 by Helene G. Kershner

Great Idea – Computer “DesktopWhat’s on your Computer Desktop?

“Business” Software Quicken Turbo Tax

Security software Symantec Antivirus “firewall” protection

Course specific software Karel the Robot

Recycle Bin File storage Todo list


Great Idea – Computer “DesktopWhat do you use your computer for?

Communication Email Virtual communities, facebook, myspace E-newsletters, blogs

Social calendar Virtual retail therapy Entertainment

Games Movies TV Art

Writing of all kinds Notes, letters, papers, etc.


Great Idea – Computer “DesktopWhat do you use your computer for?

Household record keeping On-line banking Bills Tax information General business correspondence

Source of news and information


What is the computer “desktop”?

“Metaphor” or a reflection of something in the physical world. Your computer “desktop” was supposed to reflect or perhaps substitute for the physical desktop you have at home or in your dorm.

To create this reflection, the computer uses a multimedia graphical user interface to create a way for you to interact with your machine.

This graphical interface is a software tool developed so that you can communicate through an operating system with your computer.



Great Ideas:1. “Desktop”2. Graphical user interface3. Operating system



Great Idea: “Desktop”

Let’s explore the desktop first. It is a virtual world, created by a program, on

your monitor. It is a collection of images that represent

different tasks. Little pictures, Icons, that represent these tasks Folders

We have learned to give meaning to these images

The idea, which came about with the original Macintosh in 1984 was to recreate on your monitor your desk at home.



My physical desk at home really does have a rather remarkable resemblance to my computer desktop only my computer desktop is neater.

Paper piles Some in file folders, some in boxes, some on the desk,

some on the floor, some actually filed Books Calculator Rubber-bands, sticky notes, paper-clips, eye drops,

cancy



Computer “desktop” was envisioned to simplify our world.

It was thought that the computer would replace all the stuff on our desks and we would somehow move into a paperless world were all our information was stored simply, efficiently and painlessly in our virtual world.

The computer HAS altered our physical desktop world, but it has certainly NOT eliminated it.



Has it made our physical desktop world simpler, easier to manage?



My computer desktop does help me Find my stuff, sometimes Make filing easier, sort of Make typing easier, especially spelling Has altered the way I do things

Household business Communication

Is it a help? I’m not sure!


What is the computer “desktop”? Our virtual desktop is a complex program that

manages the way people interact with computers. It’s not magic. It’s just a program.

Operating System All general purpose computers have operating

systems Supercomputers iPhone

Operating Systems have names Windows Mac OS X Linux Unix



http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/o/operating_system.html



Great Idea: Operating System

The program that that lets your computer communicate with you and with all the other software that runs on your machine.

“Performs basic tasks recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to the display screen, keeping track of files and directory on the disk, controlling the peripheral devices such as disk drives and

printers.” It manages wireless operations and controls all software Coordinates operations so that programs running at the

same time seem to have total access to the machine and not “bump” into each other

It manages resources Coordinates between users on multiuser systemshttp://www.webopedia.com/TERM/o/operating_system.html



Look and Feel of a Desktop – what we call WindowsA little history – First personal computer designed to be used by

“ordinary” folks was the Apple II released in 1977 It sold very well because it was bundled with a

program called VisiCalc the first ever electronic spreadsheet

Did not have a “desktop” “Command” line operation Black screen, white letters



Apple II

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_II



Macintosh

The first computer to have the “look and feel” of current systems was the Macintosh

The computer for the rest of us! Screen had icons to represent tasks Black characters on white background Designed for ease of use

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh



Great Idea: Graphical User Interface

The user interactive portion of the operating system that lets uses images, color and mouse clicks to make interacting with a computer more “user friendly.”

Multimedia Combines text, graphics, images, sound to

make interacting easier Tries to map virtual onto physical, easy to use


great idea – computer “desktop what’s on your computer desktop? browser and email reader...

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