Welcome to An Introduction to Computer Basics

For attendees of the Web Institute for Teachers, hosted by the Univ. of Chicago, the Univ. of Chicago / Chicago Public Schools Internet Project and the Graham School of General Studies. Composed by Bill Geraci.

Curriculum Guide for this Workshop

Different Topics

Here are links to each part of this document. Scroll down the document to go through all parts or click on the particular topics you want help with.

Don't worry if you don't know what some of these terms mean! That's why you're here. We expect and welcome your not knowing what some of these terms mean!

Introduction to this document
How computers work
Macintosh vs. Windows
All about

Icons
The different kinds of files
How to use the mouse
Menus
What's in a window?
Getting more help: Macintosh
Getting more help: Windows 95 and later
How to make and use Folders
Opening and Saving documents

What We'll Do

Using this document as a guide we'll learn all about how computers work including:

The different kind of computers
Basic terminology
How to manage files on computers

and we'll begin looking at how to get computers to do work for you.

Is this how you feel?

Don't Panic! Everybody starts this way....

About This Class

No Question Too Stupid!
Now is the Time and This is the Place!

Why is this so hard?

Yes: computers are hard to understand. I, as a computing professional, give you permission to be

Mystified
Annoyed
Frustrated

Learning to use computers is like learning a language: it's a Way of Thinking...and you have to grasp it all at once in order to understand how to use them....

What We'll Cover

A bit about you and your use of computers.
What's wrong with computers?
What is a computer?
What can you do with a computer?
How do you use a computer?

Your Experiences

Ever touched one?
Done stuff but don't know what or why?

Have one around at work or home?

What kind?

Windows or DOS? (Also called "IBM or IBM Clone")
Macintosh?

Levels of Computer Use

Here are the different levels I've found:

Get away, leave me alone!
Monkey see, monkey do

"I've done this this way, don't show me more!"

"Hmmm, let's try this today.Ö"
"It should do this, so why can't it?"
Work-arounds

"Hmmm. So it won't do this. How about these steps to get this done?"

Technical Level

Do you really want to know? ;-)

What's Wrong with Computers?

Expensive
Hard to understand or get the hang of
They eat time
More expensive
Surrounded by a lot of excessive hype
What else?

What Can You Do with a Computer?

Computers are only good for repeated stuff

Inefficient at any other kinds of tasks

"Find" alone is worth the price of admission

Based on electricity, the *may* move at the speed of light

What else?

How Do You Use a Computer?

íTis very simple:

You give information in certain ways...
...The computer processes this input...
...And shows its results (output)

That's all they do!
And computers are very unforgiving:

They do what you tell them, not what you mean!

The Two Parts of Computers

Hardware

Unchanging and expensive
The physical pieces of the computer which
Collect and carry the input, process the input and "output" the results of that processing

Software

Changeable and cheap(er)
Files which you load onto a computer
Software allows the exploitation of the potential in the hardware

Mac/Win Diff: The overview of Macintosh vs. Windows

One set of software files is the Operating System (OS)

This system software allows your computer to do anything at all

What the user "sees", the underlying software of computers is called an Operating System

The most common Operating System (OS) for small computers is Microsoft Windows

Microsoft derived (read: stole) the Windows interface from Apple Macintosh

What you learn on a Macintosh will *mostly* work on a computer using Windows 95 or Windows 98

Some Basic Terminology

Here are a few terms you'll run into:

This term has two meanings (just to confound beginners, you understand)
1) Central Processor Unit--the main chip on the computer that makes everything go.
2) The box that holds the guts of the computer.
A faster CPU is always better than a slower one. You can never have too fast of a CPU.

This stands for Random Access Memory. You can think of this as the "space" where you computer does its processing. The more space you have the more processes you can run at the same time.
More RAM is always better than less. You can never have much RAM.

Disk Space

This is the place where your files live. The greater the disk space the more files you can keep. (See also Megabytes)
More disk space is always better than less. You can never have much disk space.

Megabytes

A Megabyte is a common unit of measure (often abbreviated Mb). "Mega" = million so a MB is 1,000,000 bytes. (A byte is the smallest piece of computer information you care about. It's enough information for the computer to store one character (e.g.: "h"). In theory, if you had a 1 mb text file there'd be 1,000,000 keystrokes in that file.
Just to confound the masses, although RAM and Disk Space do something completely different we measure both in megabytes. This leads to confusion.

K (Kilo)

This is a unit of measure, a thousand. So 1,000 bytes is a KiloByte. This means that 1,000 k = 1 mb = 1,000,000
And you thought you wanted to know this stuff, didn't you?!

This stands for MegaHertz. A hertz is an electronics term. 1 hz = one cycle (or wavelength) per second. 1 megahertz = 1,000,000 cycles per second.
In computer jargon, Mhz measures how *fast* your CPU runs. Although it's more important to know the chip than the speed, if you're comparing the same kind of CPU chip then a higher / faster CPU speed (measured in MHz) is better than a slower speed.

Concept #1: The Desktop Metaphor

The "desktop" in Windows or Mac is built to be used like the top of your desk

File Cabinet = Hard Drive icon
Folders = Folders
Documents = Documents
Trash = Trash

Concept #2: Icons

Icons are pictures that represent something. There are four main kinds of icons:

Icons that represent volumes (places where files live) Where files live

These can be hard disk(s), CDs, floppy disks, folders / directories you gain access to over the network, etc.

Folder icons

We use folders (also known as Directories or Sub Directories) to sort and order files.

Application icons

Application (also known as programs) allow us to create and edit documents.

Document icons The stuff we care about!

These icons represent the information we create and edit within application programs: letters to mom, that annual report, etc.

The three types of Files

All software is a file to a computer.
Computers keep three basic kinds of files:

Application files

(Synonyms: Programs)

When you "open", "run" or "launch" (more confusing synonyms) an application program kind of file you create an environment where you can create and edit the kind of document which that application makes.

Document files

These are the files we care about: memos to the boss, pictures we create, etc.

System files

These are all the files that allow our computers to work at all. When these work right we don't care about them....

In Macintoshes you can think of System Files as all that stuff in the System folder.

What Is a Mouse?

A "Pointing device"

Keep the tail pointed away from your body! Then it will move as you expect.

ëTis a very simple device: a ball rolling against rollers...
As you roll it around the arrow on the screen tracks your movement
They do get dirty

Pointing devices allow you to tell the computer

What you want to do and
Where you want to do it

At first it's tough to get used to using a mouse

It's eye-hand coordination
This has nothing to do with dedication or smarts!

Roll it around, get a feel for it

Mouse Tactic #1: Clicking

It's the very point of the arrow that counts!

To select an icon, put the pointer over an picture part of an icon and "click" by depressing and then letting up on the mouse button.

To select an icon always put the point over the picture part of the icon, not over the text under the icon
Don't move the mouse while you have the button depressed--that does something else. (See Press and Drag, below.)

You have selected the item

This may be called "Highlighting"; it "inverts" the icon.

An unselected icon (of the trash)
A selected icon (highlighted or inverted)

Try this out by clicking on the Trash Icon.

Mac/Win Diff: All clicks are not the same!

Mice for Macintoshes have one button. Mice for Windows computers have two buttons. (Yes, I know, some different manufacturers have different designs. But I speak generally, here....)

On Windows mice the right button does something different than the left button. In general, a "right-click" brings up a menu of options.

Mouse Tactic #2: Press & Drag

In the Finder, the move the mouse so that the pointer is within the picture part of an icon

Clicking over the text underneath an icon does something else

Press and continue to hold the mouse button
While holding the mouse button down, roll the mouse

The selected icon will move in outline with the pointer

Release the mouse button

The selected icon will move to where you released the mouse button

Mouse Tactic #3: Double-Clicking

To double-click, click the mouse button twice, rapidly, while the pointer is over the picture part of the icon

Don't move the mouse between clicks or the Mac "thinks" you're dragging that icon
If you click over the name part of the icon the system will think you're trying to edit the name, not open the icon

Double-Click in order to "open" that icon

Opening an Icon means:

If it's a volume or a folder you get a directory Window that shows the contents of that volume or folder.
If it's a document you launch the application that created the document and then open that document in a window
If it's an application you launch (or open) that application

One Click or Two?

One Click

Selects

Use one Click in

Menus and Menu Items
Buttons and check boxes in dialog boxes
Selecting icon(s) for some action other than opening them

Use Two Clicks

To Open
To launch or open files, folders, HD icons, etc.

If you use two where one is right odd / scary things might happen

Concept #3: The Menu Bar

The area across the top of the screen

Menu sample A Mac OS v8.6 menu
This menu has the Edit menu pulled down and the Select All menu item highlighted.

Menu names change as you change programs

To use a menu

Pull it down and highlight the item you want
Let go of the mouse button

You've told the computer what to do!

Keyboard Shortcuts

"Modifier keys" are keys that change the *meaning* of what you type. You're used to the shift key, it changes lower chase letters into UPPERCASE ones. But computers introduce additional modifier keys. And these keys differ between Windows and Macintosh computers.

Macintosh Modifier Keys

The modern Macintosh keyboard has a ctrl, option and Command key. To Command key does *not* say "Command" on it. It has a little propeller-y or four-leaf clover looking item on it.

In general, the Command key is the one you use to issue commands to the Mac. (Example: Command-A will usually Select All.) The option key allows you alternative command (it will often copy something you drag with the pointer, for example). Depending on the version of the Mac OS you're using, if you hold down the control key while clicking the mouse you may generate menu of commonly used commands.

Windows Modifier Keys

Windows computers have three or four modifier keys depending on the vintage of the keyboard. They will at least have keys labeled ALT (for ALTernative) and CTRL (for ConTRoL). Later keyboards may have keys with things that look like a menu and / or the icon for Windows.

In general, the CTRL key allows you to execute commands from the keyboard while the ALT key allows you to exercise options like different characters (eg: ü--a U with an umlaut). (Example: CTRL-A will usually Select All.)

What Do You Do with Modifier Keys?

Mac/Win Diff: Menus different in Mac or Windows

Menus are a convention adopted by Windows. There are two major differences you should know about.

Where do menus live?

In the Macintosh OS, menus are always, only across the top of the screen. The menus change as you switch between open program applications. In Windows, you can change the dimensions of the window that contains the application and the menus *for that application* are always at the top of that window. So it's possible to see several different sets of menus on one screen within different windows.

Windows 95 different apps windows In Windows 95 each of these windows is an app and has menus.

That Pull down Click

In all versions of Windows a single click will pull down a menu and keep it down until a) you click on an item in that menu (executing that command), b) you click somewhere off that menu to cancel that pull down or c) the menu pull down "times out" on its own and it goes away.

The Mac treats clicking within menus the same way beginning with Mac OS version 8.0. If you happen to be using a Mac with system version 7.6 or earlier, you need to press and hold and continue to hold the mouse button down in order to pull down a menu.

Specialized menus in the Macintosh

The Apple menu

The Apple menu has stuff that's readily available in any program. You can get to it

from the upper left--the sign of the Apple Macintosh OS.

The Application menu

The Application menu is at the far right of menu bar. You use this menu to see what application programs you have open and to switch between these open apps. It looks like this:

The application menu.

Specialized Menus in Windows 95 & 98

Windows has a Start button in the lower left of the screen. This is similar to the Apple menu on a Macintosh: certain common features that are always available.

Win95 Start Button From the lower left--the sign of Windows 95 or 98 OS.

Concept #3: Windows

Windows are views into ó whatever!

Note: Microsoft chose to name their Operating System Windows (with a capital "W") but most all OSes have windows (small "w"). Sorry for this confusion.

There are different kinds of windows. Some windows display the contents of documents; others show the contents of volumes (ie: hard drives, floppy disks, etc.). Folder or sub-directories windows show what's in folders.

All windows have common elements (title bars, resize boxes, close boxes, etc.) On the Mac you can invoke Balloon Help to learn what these parts of a window are and how you may use them.

Getting more help

To get help on a Mac:

On modern Macs there's either a question mark icon in the menu bar at the right (system version 7) or a menu named Help (system version 8). Call down either and go to Show Balloons. As you move the pointer around the screen you'll get balloons what explain stuff. Many (but not all) applications make use of balloon help; that help is available throughout the desktop (also known as the Finder). Try this first.

As a second level of help, call down that help menu again and look further down the menu. Depending on the version of the system you have, there'll be something like Mac OS Help. Invoke that and poke around.

To get help on a Windows computer:

In Windows there's a Help menu at the end of every windows application menu. Pull this down for online (ie: in the computer) help.

Folders and Why You Care

Folders allow you to store files and more folders

You could keep everything in one place but...that would be a bad thing.... You can

Move files between folders
Store folders inside of other folders

To Create a Folder

On Macintoshes, the first item under the File menu in the finder is New Folder (or Cmd-N). If you execute this command an Untitled Folder will show up in the active Finder window or on the desktop. You may then give it a name and move it where you like.

On Windows computers, the easiest way to get a new folder on the desktop is to do a right-click and go to New Folder. This will create a folder. You name it as you will and there you go!

Dialog Boxes and how you talk to them

A Dialog Box is a thing that takes over your screen and allows you to "dialog" with the computer.

There are different kinds of dialog boxes. Some just tell you something (usually called an "alert" dialog box). An alert dialog box might say: "Your print job is done now." and offer you one option: OK.

Other dialog boxes give you more options to choose from, like an Print dialog box. Such a dialog box might ask you how many copies you want printed, etc.

The thing to remember about dialog boxes

If you get a dialog box that you don't like or don't understand, remember that Cancel and OK are your friends. And in that order....

Saving a Document

To "Save" a document means that you tell the computer to put the information you've put into the document (usually typing) onto a disk for later use.

You want to save and save often. Even if you intend the document you create as only a temporary document, computers sometimes don't work right. When that happens (sometimes called a "crash" or "freeze") you will *loose* all the work you've done since the last time you saved, whether that was one minute or four hours ago.

Save vs. Save As...

The Save As... command (under the File menu) allows you to do at least two things:

Give the file a name and
Store the file in a certain place

Some Save As... dialog boxes also give you the option of changing file formats or other options. This varies depending on the particular programs you use.

If you have given a document a name and a place to live and you're happy with that you don't need to call up the Save As... dialog in order to save a document. If you execute the Save command (also under the File menu) the system will save the changes to the document while leaving where the file lives and its name alone.

Last updated: 990602
Prepared by Bill Geraci for the Web Institute for Teachers
708-988-1936, billg@mcs.net