Introduction to Computers

Welcome to

Sherry Wilson (Instructor)

Bachelors Degree In Computer Graphics

Been working with computers for over 15 years

Currently work at a local printing as a PrePress / Large Format Designer

Resources & Supplies You will

need for this class:

Email Address Blank CD or

thumb drive to Backup your files

Class Folder to keep paperwork and handouts in

Pen & Paper

Upon completion of class students should be able to:

Be familiar with computer terminology

Understand the basics of computer software and hardware

Learn the fundamentals of Windows XP, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Navigate on the internet and use it as a tool for research and to stay in touch with other friends & Family members.

Create, save and organize files so they are easily accessible and can be found when needed

Apply information learned in class to daily life situations

Goals

Computer History

In 1977 the first personal computer was released for sale to the public for $1195 without a monitor.

Then in 1983 IBM introduced the first MS-Windows Operating System. However, it did not really take-off until 1990 when the third version was released.

The World Wide Web was born in 1991

Today one out of every 3 homes has a computer. You can buy a computer with monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, and printer for around $500

Monitor display screen

The two types of monitor technologies available to consumers are available in CRT monitors and LCD monitors.

CRT Monitors use cathode-ray tubes

LCD Monitors use liquid crystal display

CPU central processing unit (Tower or Case)

The CPU is the brains of the computer.

On the outside

Power Botton CD Drive DVD Drive 3.5 Floppy Drive USB Ports

Inside the CPU central processing unit Mother Board

Good: 865 Chipset (minimum) supporting 800 MHz System Bus speed and USB 2.0 Power Better: Asus or Intel supporting P4 Hyper-Threading and Dual Core technology with PCI Express support and SATA and EIDE Hard Drive support.

Sound CardGood: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live or Integrated Sound Card (built on Mother Board)

Better: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy II or better.

Inside the CPU central processing unit

Modem A 56K - V.92 internal modem. The 56K refers to speed and the V.92 refers to error correction. The error correction is very important as phone lines get older and lose their quality,

Ethernet Card: Provides the capability to connect or "Network" your computer to other computers and/or the Internet. Good: A 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet Card

Inside the CPU central processing unit

Processor Intel Pentium 4 or

Intel Pentium D - Dual Core

Video Card Video Cards that are built onto the Mother Board and cannot be upgraded are to be avoided. Good: Video Card with good graphics chip (ATI) and at least 32 Mega Bytes of RAM on board. Better: with at least 128 Megs of DDR (double data rate) RAM and Digital and Analog outputs.

Inside the CPU central processing unit

RAM Random-Access Memory.  Hardware inside your computer that stores information while you work. RAM is one of the things that makes your computer run faster. RAM is not permanent storage of data. Good:  256 to 512 Mega Bytes Better: 1 to 2 Giga Bytes

Hard Drive A Data Storage medium that houses all of the information in your computer. This would include your operating system (Windows), device drivers, programs, and data you have created using your programs (word documents, spread sheets, etc.).

Good: 40/80 Giga Bytes (minimum) Hard Drive Better: 80/250 Giga Bytes Hard Drive

Input Device

Keyboard Standard keyboard has

104-key Many other types of

keyboards There are many short cut

key combinations (handouts will be given later in this class)

The Mouse Input Devise

The mouse was invented by

Douglas Engelbart in 1968. By moving The mouse around you move the curser

The mouse contains 3 buttons

1. Right click button

2. Left click button

3. Scroll wheel

Track Ball works similar to the mouse. However, it is stationary, you move the curser by the ball on top. It also contains the right and left click buttons

Speakers & Printer

Output Devices

Speakers output sound

Printers output print items

Operating System

The operating is what makes the computer more usable to us.

Without it we would only get a black screen with a curser known as a command prompt

Desktop

Task BarStart Button Clock

Icon

File

The Start Menu