Basic computers

1. ScaredyCat Computer Series
Session 1: Getting
Started with
Personal
Computers

4. • Born and raised and currently reside in Kikino,AB
• Bachelor of Arts in Native
Studies/Athropology, University of Alberta (1994)
• Currently Portage College PLE Coordinator
• Co-owner of Creative Spark Consulting
• Business partner (and cousin) is Laurie
Thompson, B Ed, MA and Principal at Kikino
School
• We work with Aboriginal groups in various
capacity building projects (Land Use
Framework, Diabetes programming, websites)
• My work background has primarily been in
community based, non-profit settings
• Have a personal affinity with Portage College- it
has made a real difference in my life, my family
member’s lives and with my home community.
• My interest in social media and web technologies
has been growing steadily over the years... I got
my own PC (a 486 processor with 6 GB!) in 1998
and have been a geek since.
• To keep sane, and recharge, I garden, landscape
and play with my nieces and nephews.

6. Session 1: Getting Started with Personal • Start your computer
Computers • Log in to your computer
• Explore the computer
Desktop, Icon, Taskbar and the Start Menu
• Identify uses of personal computers
"My Computer"
• Identify types of personal computers "My Documents"
• Identify the common components of a "Internet Explorer"
personal computer "Network Places"
• Identify how personal computers work "Recycle Bin"
• Learn common terms “USB devices”

7. You don't have to know everything to be comfortable with using computers…. But there
is a lot of information that will help you understand why things are the way they are...
and how disaster can strike!
"Knowledge is power!" So it's to your advantage to gather all the knowledge that you
can. Besides which, computers are lots of fun, – and can be addicting!

8. The modern electronic computer is certainly one
of the most influential inventions of the
twentieth century.

9. • Computers are showing up everywhere you look, and even in places
you can't see.
• They operate in our homes, our workplaces, and our schools.
• Computers check out your groceries, pump your gas, dispense money
at the ATM, turn the heat on and off, control the way your car runs.

10. • In fact, the computer is rapidly becoming, if it hasn't already gotten
there, as tightly woven into the fabric of our lives as the automobile.
• Many of the world's societies depend heavily on computers in the
operation of their transportation systems, commerce, utilities, law
enforcement, governance, and more

11. • The growth of computer network access has happened at such a rate
and to such an extent that the phrase "anytime, anywhere
computing" has become a commonplace.

12. What makes a computer powerful?
• Speed - A computer can
do billions of actions per
second.
• Reliability - Failures are
usually due to human
error, one way or
another.
• Storage - A computer can
keep huge amounts of
data.

13. • There is a computer
for every type of user
• Computers for
personal use come in
all shapes and
sizes, from tiny smart
phones to hefty PC
(personal computer)
towers.
• To make things even
more
interesting, categories
are blending together.
Phones are getting
really, really smart.

14. What is a
computer?
A computer is an
electronic device that
executes the instructions
in a program.
A computer has four functions:
a. accepts data Input
b. processes data Processing
c. produces output Output
d. stores results Storage

15. Some Beginning
Terms
• Hardware -the physical parts of the
computer.
• Software -the programs (instructions)
that tell the computer what to do
• Data - individual facts like first name,
price, quantity ordered
• Information - data which has been
massaged into a useful form, like a
complete mailing address
• Default - the original settings; what will
happen if you don't change anything.

16. ISP – Internet Service Provider is a company that offers its
customers access to the Internet. The ISP connects to its
customers using a data transmission technology appropriate
for delivering Internet Protocol packets or frames, such as
dial-up, DSL, cable modem, wireless or dedicated high-
speed interconnects.

17. Other Important Terms
Server
• The term server actually refers to a
computer's function rather than to a
specific kind of computer.
• A server runs a network of computers.
• It handles the sharing of equipment like
printers and the communication between
computers on the network.
• For such tasks a computer would need to
be somewhat more capable than a desktop
computer.
• It would need:
* more power
* larger memory
* larger storage capacity
* high speed communications

18. Operating An operating system (OS) is software, consisting
of programs and data, that runs on computers
System and manages computer hardware resources
and provides common services for efficient
execution of various application software.
For hardware functions such as input and
output and memory allocation, the operating
system acts as an intermediary between
application programs and the computer
hardware.
Operating systems are found on almost any
device that contains a computer—from cellular
phones and video game consoles to
supercomputers and web servers.
Examples of popular modern operating systems
for personal computers are Microsoft
Windows, Mac OS X, and GNU/Linux.

19. Windows OS
Windows 7
Win95
Win98
WinXP
Windows Vista

20. Mac OS X

21. More common • bit - the smallest piece of information
used by the computer. Derived from
terms… "binary digit". In computer
language, either a one (1) or a zero (0).
• byte - a piece of computer information
made up of eight bits.
• bandwidth - is a bit rate measure of
available or consumed data
communication resources expressed in
bits/second or multiples of it
(kilobits/s, megabits/s etc.)
• boot - to start up a
computer
• backup - a copy of a file
or disk you make for
archiving purposes.

22. • CD-ROM - an acronym for Compact
Disc Read-Only Memory.
• control panel - a program that
allows you to change settings in a program
or change the way a Mac looks and/or
behaves.
• CPU - the Central Processing Unit. The
processing chip that is the "brains" of a
computer.
• desktop – your computer workspace.
You use it to find your tools, applications
and to do your work.
• start up disk - the disk containing system software and is
designated to be used to start the computer.

23. • USB - Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a set of
connectivity specifications allows high-
speed, easy connection of peripherals to a
PC. When plugged in, everything configures
automatically. USB is the most successful
interconnect in the history of personal
computing and has migrated into consumer
electronics (CE) and mobile products.
• Jump Drive – AKA –USB Drive, memory
stick, thumb drive... Probably the best thing
since slice bread, USB Drives have become
"the portable computer".
• What used to be a device for just storing
files, USB drives have become a must have
computer accessory. E.g. creating bootable
drives .

24. An exe file (pronounced as letters E-X-E) is
a computer file that ends with the extension
".exe" otherwise known as an executable
file. When one clicks on an exe file, a built-in
routine automatically executes code that can
set several functions into motion. Exe files are
used to install and run programs and
routines.

25. Computer Security
The home computer is a popular target for
intruders. Why? Because intruders want
what you’ve stored there. They look for
credit card numbers, bank account
information, and anything else they can find.
By stealing that information, intruders can
use your money to buy themselves goods
and services.
Why are intruders paying attention to home
computers? Home computers are typically
not very secure and are easy to break into.
Many home computer owners don’t realize
that they need to pay attention to computer
security. In the same way that you are
responsible for having insurance when you
drive a car, you need to also be responsible
for your home computer’s security.

26. So, what can you do with the
computer?
• Word processing
• Accounting
• Graphic design
• E-mail
• Internet
• Organizing
• Games
Find software that is
designed for the activities you are
interested in.

27. Graphical User Interface
A graphical user interface (GUI - sometimes pronounced GOO-ee)
uses pictures to make it easier for the user.
It makes your computer more user friendly.
<-icons The use of drop-down menus, windows, buttons, and icons was first
successfully marketed by Apple on the Macintosh computer.
These ideas are now as standard for graphical interfaces as door
knobs are for doors.
This is whole space is called the
desktop and forms your workspace…

28.  My Documents
 Start Menu
 My Computer and Network Places
Applications that are
Start Button currently running…
Task bar of window (pane)

29. Applications
An application is another word for a
program running on the computer.
Whether or not it is a good
application depends on how well it
performs the tasks it is designed to
do and how easy it is for the user to
use.
That involves the user interface - the
way the user tells the software what
to do and how the computer displays
information and options to the user.

30. Ok future Geeks,
It’s time to start
your engines…
BOOT UP!

31. Power Button

33. Log-in Screen on personal computer

34. Log-on screen on Portage College network

35. Type in username and password.
Put your hand up if you need help...

36. A web browser is a software application for
retrieving, presenting, and traversing
information resources on the World Wide
Web.
An information resource is identified by a
Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) and may be
a web page, image, video, or other piece of
content.
Hyperlinks present in resources enable users
easily to navigate their browsers to related
resources.
The major web browsers are Firefox, Google
Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera, and
Safari.

38. Tab button
Open Tab
Control + T on
keyboard
or right click once
on tab button

39. Close tab by
right clicking on
X or by Control
W on keyboard

40.  TYPE
 CLICK

41. Good Job!

43. Logging off the network:
Go to START button
LEFT Click and use mouse to scroll
up to log off and LEFT click once

44. LEFT click once on the log off button

45. Next time....
Session 2: Basic Keyboarding and Mouse Skills
Right click, left click, double clicks, space bar
and return key, what’s it all about?
Learn how to maneuver the keyboard and
mouse doing fun drills and games