Computer Basics

Welcome Sessions 1 to 5: Computer Basics

◦ Session 1 - Hardware and Software◦ Session 2 – Inside a Computer and Word

Processing◦ Session 3 – Operating Systems and Multimedia◦ Session 4 – Networks and Peripherals ◦ Session 5 – Recap and Test

Are You Sitting Comfortably…?

Hardware Hardware is anything to do with computers

that you can actually touch

Hardware In front of you right now you should find…

Hardware Turn on your computer by pressing the

power button on the base unit…

It will probably take a few minutes to start up – be patient…

Hardware After a few minutes of booting, the monitor

should display something like this:

Hardware: Keyboard Let’s look at the keyboard…

Keyboard

Command KeysFunction Keys

Navigation KeysSpecial Keys

Logging On You need to press the Ctrl, Alt and Delete

keys together…

Hardware You should then see this screen:

The Shift Key A computer keyboard has all the letters of

the alphabet and the numbers 0 to 9

It also has special keys including the Shift key…

The Shift Key The Shift key will change any letters you

type on the keyboard to capital letters (sometimes called upper case):

Without Shift: With Shift:

a, b, c ,d…. A, B, C, D…

Logging In To use a computer you will have to log in

This usually involves typing in:◦ a user name◦ …and a password

These need to be carefully typed in using upper case (capitals) and lower case letters

Logging In You should have already have a use name

Type it on the keyboard, it should appear in the top box on your screen:

Logging In – the Tab Key The next special key you are going to use is

the Tab key

It can be found two keys above the Shift key: Press the Tab key

once…

Logging In The Tab key moves the cursor (the flashing

line where your typing appears) to the next box…

Now type your password into the lower box.

Logging In Press the Enter key (sometimes called the

Return key)…

If All Goes Well…

Any Questions So Far?

Using a mouse The mouse is used to point at things on the

screen

Using a mouse A mouse also lets you select things on the

screen

The LEFT mouse button

The Start Menu Everything that your particular computer

can do is found in the Start Menu

The Start Menu Using the mouse, click on the Start Menu

button

Any Questions Yet?

Calculator You are now going to use the Start Menu to

start the Calculator program

Calculator

/ means divide by

* means multiply or ‘times’

C clears or resets

Work out:

◦ 7 * 5◦ 197 – 28◦ 12 + 32 + 17◦ 78 + 33 – 14◦ 77 / 11

Calculator

/*C

Work out:

◦ 7 * 5 = 35◦ 197 – 28 = 169◦ 12 + 32 + 17 = 61◦ 78 + 33 – 14 = 97◦ 77 / 11 = 11

Paint You are now going to use the Start Menu to

start a program called Paint

Paint

Paint

For a blank canvas:

File >>>New >>>Save >>>Type in a name >>> Save

BREAK Take 15 minutes

It’s good (and healthy) to get away from the computer every so often

Software

Software

Software

Software – What is it? It’s the stuff you can’t physically touch

Instructions that make hardware work

Sometimes called:◦ Programs◦ Applications (or Apps for short)

Video on next slide…

More Types of Software

Word Processor Spreadsheet Database – used to store your data PowerPoint – what your watching now

…and many, many, many more!

Closing Programs When you’ve finished using a program

(such as Paint) you need to put it away or close it

Closing Programs

Saving Work As You Go

More on this in future sessions…

Shutting Down a Computer When you’ve finished working on a

computer you need to turn it off

Oddly this is done on the Start Menu…

Any Questions? Next Week:

◦ Laptops vs Desktops◦ What goes on inside the base unit◦ Using the keyboard◦ Intro to word processing

>>>End<<<