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HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, PORTS AND MEMORY
TURNING THE COMPUTER ON AND OFF
“TRULY, “thoughts are things,” and powerful things at that, when they are mixed with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a burning desire for their translation into riches, or other material objects.”
Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
There are many different styles and formats of computers you can use to express your thoughts: PC or Mac (hardware), Windows or Linux (software), Internet Explorer or Netscape (windows – internet browsers) are just a few. The future is awesome. We are mastering a thinking machine that uses pure logic. True or False, On or Off, Zero or One. We are limited only by our imaginations.
Any program worth its salt can be learned through the tutorial. Just be patient and ask for the keystrokes to accomplish what you want to do. Follow them like a recipe.
The computer discussed in this training is a personal computer (PC). The operating system is Windows by the Microsoft Corporation. The word processing program we will be discussing is Microsoft Word, part of the Microsoft Office product line. The websites where you will be setting up your e-mail accounts are on the World Wide Web (www) www.yahoo.com and www.hotmail.com. Use one for personal and one for business or promotional mail.
This training is not intended to replace a formal education in computers. It just covers the basics. Consider this a tool you and/or the people you love can use to get out of the bondage of computer illiteracy.
This conversation is about desktop computers.
Another style of computer is laptop computers. A good resource for laptops are About.com 's article. Though the hardware is different, the software remains basically the same. Laptops are wonderful because they are portable and take up less space. If you are using a laptop, use it on a table rather than your lap. You can find on line carts to help keep you safe when computing.
Here are a few things to consider when using a laptop.
1. People are getting sick because of anything electrical next to their vital organs for a long time. For more information read Currents of Death by Paul Broder or Electromagnetic Fields: A Consumer's Guide to the Issues and How to Protect Ourselves by B. Blake Levitt.
2. The temptation to use it on a lap is too great. When keying, you’re putting chronic pressure on your thighbones, which can gently push them out of their sockets over the years. This is noticeable in big folks who hit the keys hard.
Especially, be careful with those cell phones too. Do a web search on “cell phones” “cancer”. The cell phone industry is funding studies that say they are safe. Use a head set instead of putting the phone next to your head.
Back to traditional PC's. Like using any tool, let’s take a tour of its parts and what they are for.
Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the rectangular part of the computer, where the machine does its ‘thinking’ - Power On/Power Off. Ones and zeros.
Floppy Disk: A flat (round or square) disk that allows information transfer from one computer to another.
CD: Round disk that holds information, music, video, etc.
DVD: Digital movie and video disks that makes your computer look like a television screen.
Disk Drive: This is the part of the CPU that reads and displays what’s on your disks. Disk drives stand out as the little ‘doorways’ on the CPU where you slide in your disks and transfer information to your CPU.
Cables and Cords: Connecting pieces that provide power and connect equipment to the CPU (i.e. monitor, printer, and speakers.)
Monitor: Looks and works very much like a television set. It shows what’s going on inside the soul of the computer, the CPU. Monitors come in many different types of screens.
Keyboard: Combination typewriter and calculator with directional and shorthand keys included. It is the primary tool for data entry (entering data/information into a computer) today.
Wrist Rests, Natural Keyboard, etc.
Special Interests have recommended natural keyboards and wrist rests when computing. That’s probably, based on results, not the best strategy. Wrist rests have you putting most of your arm weight on the wrists that house nerves being pinched during data entry. Not even the U.S. government could come up with a recommendation for the Natural Keyboard. CompUrest, fully supports your arms from fingertips to shoulders to prevent computer induced repetitive stress injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome. The lowered keyboard eliminates the need to bend your wrists, preventing you from pinching nerves in your wrists when keying. CompUrest healed one of its inventor’s injuries within 30 days in 1990. Since then, the injuries never returned. Use a foot stool to make sure your legs are not stretched to prevent leg pain and a good chair that moves with you.
Mouse: Pointing device that allows you to move the computer’s attention quickly from one point to another.
Joystick: Like in video games, the joystick is used to get greater control with more options when playing games or flying planes (you gotta try Microsoft Flight Simulator if you’re into flying or want to be.)
Printer: Prints documents, letters, pictures, etc. There are different styles of printers including laser and ink jet. Laser printers are faster, and tend to cost more, but worth the price.
Speakers & Microphone: Allows you to record or hear what’s going on while surfing on the Internet. A microphone is necessary for modern computing.
Digital Camera and Scanner: A digital camera is designed to take pictures and place those pictures on your computer screen. Some cameras record the pictures on floppy disks or CD’s. Some others plug the camera into your computer; the pictures download (taken from one source and placed on another) onto your computer for reviewing, editing, sending or printing.
All major camera makers either have or will have digital cameras including Sony, Kodak, Polaroid, Cannon, Olympus, Nikon, Samsung, Fuji and Toshiba. Does a web search on each company.
A Scanner is like a copy machine. You put the material on the scanner screen and import the information. Different scanners work in different ways.
Modem: Either inside or outside of the computer, a modem connects your computer with the internet either through a phone line, a cable line or wirelessly. There are phone modems, digital modems, wireless modems and Lord knows what’s coming next.
Please note that the technology is changing radically from when this material is written and when you read it. Do a web search to be up to date on each of the items, and what’s new.
Hardware - Physical parts of a computer. If a piece of equipment is hard, the monitor, CPU, keyboard, mouse, printer, floppy disks, DVD, it’s hardware.
Software- If it’s soft, like the electronic, digital or laser instruction transmitted in power-on, power-off format, it’s software. i.e. Programs (Microsoft Word, Corel WordPerfect).
Computer Ports - Located in the back (and sometimes in the front) of the computer, ports are where all aspects of the computer are plugged into the main brain, central processing unit. Think of a ship coming into port.
DRIVES
Different machines have different set ups, but generally speaking:
A Drive – 3 ˝” Floppy Disk
C Drive – Hard Disk
D Drive – CD Rom – Read Only Memory
B, E or F Drive – Writable CD –
Recording CD, DVD (movies), music
To find out how your machine is set up click on START, MY COMPUTER. In the frame on the right hand side is a list of the drives, what type of drive and the folders on each one that is active. Double click on the drive and see the list of files.
To be up to date do a web search on “computer disks.”
There’s a question running around the Internet that asks what does your past and Jimmy Hoffa have in common. You know the answer is neither are here. The technology available changes daily and it’s good not to make today’s decisions based on yesterday. As of 2005 the best way to stay up to date on what’s going on by being on the Internet.
When you get on the web, do a web search for the latest technology and how it is being used.
Additional software is required for you to be on the web. AOL, Juno and others will send you a disk with their software or you can bring it down onto your computer from the web, called downloading.
If at any point in this training you feel overwhelmed, relax, make a cup of tea or hug someone you love who loves you back. Then return to the task at hand. You are at the beginning of learning how to use a computer. When you’re feeling lost, just acknowledge where you are and go forward from there. There is a book called The Original Handbook for the Recently Deceased. In it is an exercise to help get to defining the real issues at hand called YOU ARE HERE. Whenever you feel lost, remember YOU ARE HERE (with this hardware, in this software, in this room, whatever), really thinking about how to get to your next HERE, nothing to fear.
Computer memory - the ability of the computer to recall correct keystrokes, images and sounds broken down to bits and bytes. Memory is measured in bytes. A byte is one keystroke. Every time you press a key on the keyboard, the part that looks like a typewriter, you create one series of power on power off signals (bits) in the computer. The system is much like Morse Code’s dots and dashes, only with computers it’s on and off. A bit is 1/8th of a keystroke, one power-on - power-off signal.
Memory comes in two forms; ROM that is read only memory and RAM which is random access memory. Your thoughts that you key into the computer will be taking up memory, programs, which are thought systems in the computer, take up memory and information that you get off the Internet and disks takes up memory. So the higher the number the better off you are.
Hard Disk - Inside the computer is a part called the hard disk, the computer’s soul. Think of it like a pie that has the computer’s memory. The pie is cut into slices, called folders. One folder is called Programs, another called Windows. Sometimes when you install programs the program names a folder on your machine. Other times, you will create your own folders to keep a project easy to cross reference, like a folder for an account named Jones, another folder for Smith, another for Politics, etc.
The hard disk works in power on / power off logic. Everything is broken down into bits of information, which, like drops of water in a sea, can become words, pictures and sounds.
Think of (or look at) a digital number 8 with it's on and off lines.
Bit - One of eight units of information that makes up a letter, number, etc. The number 8 in digital format has seven segments (bits) that display the letter or number, plus one invisible bit called the controller bit, which tells the others what to do. Each line plus the controller bit is one bit of information, totaling eight bits. Eight bits equals one byte.
Byte: Eight bits, eight sequence combinations of power on-power off signals, equals one byte. A byte is a keystroke (letter-number-space between words).
Kilobyte - 1,000 keystrokes (thousand)
Megabyte - 1,000,000 keystrokes (million)
Gigabyte - 1,000,000,000 keystrokes (billion)
Terabyte - 1,000,000,000,000 keystrokes (trillion)
ASCII - (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) the language that resembles Morse Code for the computer. Power on/power off combinations.
When assembling a computer, it is wise to let common sense be your guide. Everything that the computer uses gets plugged into the back of the Central Processing Unit (CPU). The different 'plug in sockets' are called ports. Ports are part of the Motherboard, the key board inside the computer.
Most new computers have good connection diagrams. Use it like a map. The monitor, printer, speakers, etc., have at least two cords. They attach to the central processing unit and a power source.
The ends of the cords are male or female and in the case of computers, opposites attract. Male plugs into female. A way to tell what gets plugged in where is by the shape of the plug. The phone cord will not fit into the printer port, nor will the printer fit into the port where the monitor is plugged into. A good guideline to follow when plugging in your computer is “if it don’t fit, don’t force it.” In new computers, the ports have an icon of the item to be plugged into the appropriate slot. Most are also color coordinated so the purple keyboard cord plugs into the purple port.
As in your wardrobe, you want to make your computer environment reflect who you are. Must have accessories these days include speakers, microphone, disk holders, and a comfortable chair. For extra protection, use a computer armrest and footstool.
Be careful of the environment you create. Millions of people are suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, back problems and exposure to electro-magnetic frequencies that could be causing tumors. A guideline to follow is to make sure to provide adequate support wherever there is stress when on a computer. If you’re on a computer you regularly use, dress up the area to reflect who you are with a stone, a piece of wood, a toy or pictures of people or things you love.
If you are into games, consider a joystick, which is an accessory for the keyboard. It looks like the shift in a standard car.
Power surge protectors are used to keep the current running smoothly in your machine. Do a computer web search for “computer accessories” to see current options.
Different computers turn on and off in different ways. When turning a computer on, there are at least two items, the monitor and CPU that you have to look and find the switch or button for. When the computer is in the off position, it is a safe guideline to follow that you should try the largest switch or button on each piece of equipment. If that one doesn’t work, try another. Turn on the Central Processing Unit first because sometimes the monitor is already hooked into its power supply.
1. Central Processing Unit. Switches on the front, side and back of various CPU’s. When you flip the correct one, a light appears on the front of the computer and you hear a sound, usually a mild hum. As A Course In Miracles says “There Is Nothing To Fear.”
2. Monitor - Same as the CPU except there is not a humming sound...just a light up front.
3. Printer - This switch is generally on the side and again, when the light is on, the printer is on.
4. Speakers - The on-off button is the largest here too, generally. The volume and treble on the front. Yes, you can play musical CD’s and movie DVD’s on modern computer. Many computer users have had epiphany experiences at the machine with Marvin Gaye or Billie Holiday crooning through the computer.
5. Internet – There are many different ways to turn the Internet on. If you are using someone else’s computer, ask them to show you how to connect. If it’s your computer, get the Internet turn on instructions from your Internet Service Provider (ISP). It’s usually START – INTERNET EXPLORER or NETSCAPE.
To be on the Internet you will need an Internet Service Provider, an ISP. An ISP is a booster from your computer onto the web. The information is delivered in many ways including, but not limited to over phone and cable lines, wirelessly, paid for and free.
When you get on the web, you begin on a Home Page on the Internet. Your Home Page is a designated place where you want to start your Internet experience. Some keyboards have an Internet key on them that you push and it brings up the Internet for you.
One of the ways you talk to your computer is through the keyboard. Some call it typing, others, keying, makes it feel more like a piano. If you can’t type, don’t sweat it. There are a lot of good typing tutorials. Or consider "voice activated computers". {Do be up to date, do a web search on the topic.}
Here’s an overview of the keys on the keyboard plugged into the back of the CPU.
Start Key: Between the Ctrl and Alt keys is a key with 4 boxes, as if on a flag. Like the keys to your car, this is the key to turn on and off the computer. It is also the keys to the World Wide Web when you press “Start” “Internet.” It shows you what programs are on a computer and lists programs and information features like the Control Panel, Search feature, what’s on My Computer, a list of documents and under programs, the list of programs.
Ctrl – Alt - The control and alt keys are magical keys. They give many other keys on the keyboard a third and fourth level of meaning. For example, if you press the letter S key, you get a small s. If you press the shift key then hit the letter s you get a capital S. While holding down the control key if you press the letter s, the program you are working in may save your work. (Save means move something from the temporary keyboard memory into the more permanent hard disk memory). Alt S may give you a list of files. Key usage depends on the program.
F1-F12 or 12+ - These are called function keys. Back in the old days of computers, before the mouse, many of the features in a program could be used by pressing one of these keys. Some function keys are still active including F1 for HELP, F5 for Go To, Find and Replace, and F7 for a spell check. However, future programs may find a use yet for these shorthand marvels of modern computerization.
Esc: Escape Key. Located in the upper left hand corner of the keyboard, this key will help you escape from many of the dead end trails you may come across as you go through your computerization process. For example, if you find yourself in a box, (called a dialogue box in Windows) where the computer is trying to have a conversation with you, hitting the escape key will more times than not make the box go away, for now.
Numbers Keys - With the set located above the letter keys, if you want to type out the number just hit the key straight. If you want to type the symbol on top of the number, hold down the shift key then press the appropriate number key. For example to type a dollar sign, hold down the shift key then press the number 4 key toward the top of the key board and the dollar sign will appear on the screen. There is also a calculator pad style of number keys on the right hand side of the keyboard. To turn on numbers hit the Num Lock key. To use the arrows and directions, turn Num Lock key off the same way.
@ Key – Called the at key, it’s a notation in an e-mail address. It’s located over the number 2 with a Shift Key – capital.
Letter Keys – Like a typewriter.
Tab - Use this key if you want to indent one line at a time, like when you are typing a paragraph in a traditional format, indented five spaces. This key is also used when moving from one column in a table (a box with numbers or information in it, like a calendar or a budget.) to another.
Shift Key - This button changes letter keys to capital letters. It transforms all letters it types to upper case or capitals normally. When the shift key is used, it causes these letters to appear as lower case, or small letters. The shift key gives you one capital letter at a time.
Caps Lock - If you want to type in all capitals, press the Caps Lock key. While the Caps Lock key is on, if you want a letter in a lower case, just press the shift key.
Delete – Insert – Backspace - The delete and insert keys, located to the right of the Backspace key, are about putting things in and taking them out. Just like the backspace key works as an eraser key in the direction of the arrow, the Delete key takes material out in the opposite direction from the one pointed by the arrow on the backspace key. The Insert Key either allows you to put in additional material. The computer assumes Insert is on. If you want to type over material already on the screen, press the Insert key and you will be typing over what is on the screen. In Microsoft Word three letters at the bottom of the screen OVR (which stands for overtype) will appear when you are typing over.
Home – End – Takes you to either the beginning or the end of a sentence. “Shift” “Home” highlights from the beginning of the line you are on to where your blinking light is. “Shift” “End” highlights from where your blinking light is to the end of the line.
Page Up – Page Down – Scroll you through what you are working on one screen at a time.
Space Bar - The space bar, the biggest key on the keyboard, located at the bottom, places one space and is usually used between words.
Enter - This key is equal to the return key on a typewriter. You use this key when you want to either insert a line between paragraphs, move to the next line or answer questions your computer poses to you. To go down just one line use SHIFT-ENTER.
Arrow keys: To the right of the typewriter keys at the bottom are four directional keys. These keys move you one line or one letter at a time without impacting on anything it passes.
Forward Slash: / The lower case of the question mark key. This is a clue. The forward slash is the one used on the internet when you type in a web address, a location on the web with the information presented. Talk about go forward onto the internet, and beyond.
Back Slash: \ The lower case of the | key used mostly to signify a windows address on your computer. Kind of like lean back and think about it on your PC.
Some keyboards have additional keys that provide short cuts for some of the tasks you want to perform. These keys have icons (pictures) on them explaining what they do.
Ergonomics is the science of human interaction with computers. When computers were designed the assumption was that we would contort our bodies around the machine and press keys all day. NOT. The body revolted with repetitive stress injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome and a lot of other computer injuries.
In the 1970’s and 80’s a lot of folks were getting injured from using computers. This is because we treated computers like they were typewriters, without regard to the repetitive stress we were putting on ourselves. The data entry jobs were the sweat shops of the day.
When a problem’s cause is removed, the effect goes away. Repetitive stress injuries are caused because the body is not adequately supported during computer use. The injury usually heals within 30 days by placing adequate support where there is stress when you are computing.
Some simple adjustments in how we communicate with computers can provide years of comfortable computing.
Use a good chair that moves with you to support your back and thighs. If more comfortable, use a foot stool or reclining chair. Use your computer where you have access to a window to exercise vision. Listen to your body. Aches and pains are a warning. Put extra support there.
To provide support where there was stress, this author got rid of her extensive computer injuries in 1990 with patented CompUrest, U.S. Patent No. 5,188,321. With regular use, the injuries never returned.
The
Secret of Comfortable Computing
CompUrest,
U.S. Patent No. 5,188,321
Supports your arms from fingers to shoulders.
Keeps your elbows at a right angle at your sides.
Lowers your keyboard to keep your wrists flat, relaxed and straight preventing carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive stress injuries.
The connection between the mouse and the arrow on the screen is like a steering wheel and tires on the road. The mouse - the part of the computer used to point at what you want to affect on the computer monitor - has a very basic design. On its underside is a round ball, partially exposed, which when moved against a firm surface, correspondingly moves the arrow on the screen.
To use a mouse you want to have it with the ball side down, the cord pointing toward the computer, with ample room to move in wide circles, left and right, away and towards you. The mouse does not pick up movement when not on a firm surface. There are three mouse activators.
Single Click - Point the arrow on the screen in the middle of what you want to effect and click once. This usually places the computer’s attention, the blinking line, on the point where you just clicked.
Double Click - Point the arrow on the screen in the middle of what you want to affect and click twice, relatively quickly. Think of your favorite jazz drummer, then, double-click.
Drag and Drop - Point the arrow on the screen in the middle of what you want to affect and click, hold the mouse button down, pull the image across the screen. When the mouse arrow you are moving is where you want it, let the mouse button go. The image will follow the drag and stay where you stop.
The connection between the mouse and the arrow on the screen is like a steering wheel and tires on the road. The mouse has two (sometimes three) buttons.
Generally, it is the left mouse button that you want to press to move the computer’s attention and the right button is used when you want a shortcut menu to appear.
If one mouse button doesn’t work, try the other. – Welcome to cyber space.
Go back over the lesson in your lab time and click the links and visit those sites.
Click below for the Free Training Notes
E-book
HOW TO COMPUTE
H A P P Y C O M P U T I N G
J. Nayer Hardin
Computer Underground Railroad Enterprises
Copyright #PAu2-759-072
HOW TO COMPUTE, By: J. Nayer Hardin, Published as a series from 1994-2005
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
MOSES - A MOVEMENT TO FREEDOM © 2003
