Welcome Everyone!

Computer Essentials Course

Presented by Quinte West Public Library

and Peter Ferguson

Before Learning about Computers

The mouse isn’t fragile

Typing ability is helpful, but not necessary.

You can’t press any key that will destroy your computer

Relax, enjoy and learn with no deadlines

Remember Inexperience is not an indication of your intelligence!!

What is a Computer?

Computers are not very intelligent (YES / NO)

They follow directions from the user

Computers are really just powerful calculators with some “extras”

They only handle instructions fast.

What is a System?

Standardized Method of doing something

Specific pieces of hardware and software that your computer needs to perform tasks

Computer system converts your keystrokes into letters and displays them on the monitor screen.

Hardware and Software

The hardware is what sits on your desk and executes the software instructions. (Physical)

Software a series of simple computer instructions organized to complete tasks. (Intangible)

The Player Piano

Piano is the hardware

the Music Roll is the software.

Player Pianos are useless unless the music roll has been written correctly.

Hardware

physical parts of a computer

Input DevicesAllows us to put things in the computer

Output DevicesAllows the computer to put things out

for us to see

Input Devices

How we tell the computer what to do keyboard

Enter letters and numbers Mouse

Point and click, select, drag Joysticks

used for games Scanner

Input pictures, text from books,

Output Devices

How it shows you what it is doing

Monitor or CRT or screen (soft-copy)View information from the computer

Printer (hard-copy)Physical image of computer information

Random Access Memory - RAM

RAM is the memory your computer uses to run applications.

The amount of RAM in your computer is fixed

sales people will define a computer's capabilities by amount of RAM

Also known as Active Memory

Working Surface: Desk or Table

Read-Only Memory - ROM

Saved information in memory can be read only and not altered (CD) ROM is built into your computer to

help it start when you turn it on Any information saved on a disk such

as information used to perform a task

Also known as Storage Memory

Storage for Documents and Programs

Memory

How the processor stores and uses immediate information You request a programComputer loads the program from the

hard drive to faster RAM memory. You save your work the information

gets written back to the hard drive.

Storage Devices

Where computers save information or dataInternal / Fixed

• Hard disk drives HDD• Compact Disc CD

External / Portable• Floppy Disk Drives FDD• Thumb Drives USB

Internal Storage Disks

Hard disk/hard drive A fixed permanent storage unit that

holds a great deal of information. Compact Disc Drive

Stores information such as programs, games, and back ups of documents that are permanent

External / Portable Storage

Floppy disk/disketteA portable disk on which information is

magnetically written that can be read, copied, or deleted.

"Floppy" describes older 5.25" disks which were flexible, while the more common 3.5" disks are hard cased

Thumb DrivesLarge storage capacity for files and

documents

Central Processing Unit or CPU

All processes and tasks are performed by CPU Printing Screen views Saving files

Megahertz (MHz) is the CPU speed in which it performs instructions

It’s the Brains of the Computer

Icons

Pictures that represent actual items like:Hard drivesApplicationsActionsTasksDocuments / FilesPictures

Operating System or Platform

Software provides a "user interface" to:manage filesstart applications or programscustomize computer settingsother tasks

PCs use Microsoft Windows XP, VISTA

Macintoshes use the Macintosh OS (operating system.)

Software Applications

a piece of software intended to do a

particular task such as accounting,

typing, number-crunching, or making

pictures

Popular Software Applications

Word Processing (MS Word, WordPerfect)

Spreadsheets (MS Excel, Lotus 123)

Database (Access, Fox Pro)

Presentation (PowerPoint, Presentations)

Browsers (MS Internet Explorer, Fire Fox,)

File or Document

any single creation by an application, A single chartA paintingA four page paperA web pageA thesis with graphics and footnotes.A government form

Cursor

a visual indicator on the screen that lets you know where your mouse is positioned.

allows you to insert text or select existing items to be erased or deleted, copied or modified.

Network

A group of computers that are connected with each other by: telephone lines (Internet) fiber-optic cables Cables

Benefits on a computer network: share files send information very quickly enable multiple users to communicate at one

time.

Which way is the School Bus Going?

Happy Computing

Peter Ferguson

613-965-6777

peterfprof@yahoo.com