Introduction
to Computer for Entry Level Beginners
If You are an
Absolute Newbie at Technical Stuff ...
Here is a quick computer
introduction to help beginners understand what they
are dealing with. Many people are using this
equipment with all the gadgets that come with it
but not all understand getting started. If you are
a newbie this is for you. How does the mouse work?
It's really simple.
Do you know anyone who
doesn't own a laptop or desktop computer? Today,
most of the new users for computers and programs
are children, but there are still many adults that
have yet to use one and many need some help getting
started. The great thing about many programs today
is that they are so much easier to use than they
were just five or ten years ago, and most people
can learn on their own from home after they have
had a short introduction to computer programs they
are interested in. Whether learning for a job or
for school, computers are essential today and are
thankfully more user friendly than ever.
You Don't Have to be a
Geek, Nerd or Techie
Gone are the days of running
a computer by putting commands into the computer.
They are run with simple mouse clicks that almost
anyone can do.
In fact, when running
introduction programs for new users, you want to
teach them all about how the mouse works and how it
is used to do almost anything on a computer. You
can start with simple exercises, or perhaps you
could start them playing a game like solitaire that
uses mouse clicks for the entire game. They will
love playing the game while learning to use the
mouse well at the same time.
Using Computer
Programs
Once someone knows how to use
a mouse rather well (don't forget to teach about
right vs. left clicking and other mouse functions)
you can then show them how to open up a program and
do the basics. If someone is learning Word, for
example, you can show them how to start a new file,
save it, and perhaps how to make sure it prints
correctly when they are done.
This type of function can
help them with other types of programs that have
the same basic commands. Most word processing
programs have the same basics so these are good
lessons for anyone starting out on a
computer.
Another item they should
learn about is how to save, store, and then find
anything they want to save in My Documents. They
should learn how to make sure they organize
everything into different folders and file names so
that they can find what they need without sifting
through a lot of different areas searching for one
thing.
Many computers today have
picture, video and data file folders already in
place, but it does not hurt to teach someone how to
make new sub folders to make finding whatever they
need easy and fast. Nothing is more frustrating
then knowing you saved something important but you
just can not find where you put it.
There are many other useful
and easy lessons you can give someone when doing an
introduction to computer programs and basic usage.
Think about what you do the most on a computer,
such as start and surf the Internet, and then go
from there.
What you do the most may be
the very same things that someone else wants to
accomplish or will be required to do for their new
employer. Thankfully, these lessons are not as
difficult as they once were and with so many people
becoming almost expert with computers these days,
there will always be someone to answer follow up
questions for your student when you are not
there.
About Buying Used Desktop
Computers
The fact is, 95% of us don't
tax our computers at all. The technology is so good
and the software is so lightweight that a 10 year
old computer can perform all of our tasks at a
level far above "satisfactory." So a used desktop
computer actually makes a good amount of sense for
most of us.
What then, should you look
for in a used desktop computer? That depends
largely upon what you plan on using the computer
for. If you're into design, then you'll need
something with great resolution and graphics,
something along the lines of an Apple product is
generally the best bet.
Apple
tm
computers generally
shunned by high-tech nerds; my more computer savvy
friends consider apple products to be nothing more
than trinkets or toys, to be used only in specific
instances for specific jobs. Obviously graphics and
video-related processes are where Apple products
excel, so that's what they tend to be used
for.
If you're into gaming, for
example, then an Apple is the last kind of used
desktop computer you'd ever want or need. A gaming
computer should have a top notch motherboard that's
able to be modified and upgraded with new
equipment.
You'll want room to install a
high-end graphic card, and of course you'll want to
put on the operating system of your choice. Windows
Vista is a good one if you're looking for the best
resolution, but unfortunately Vista has a
reputation of being filled with holes and exploits
that hackers can dig into, and as an OS it doesn't
work or play well with outside programs.
So with that in mind, it
might make more sense to go with an older vintage
Microsoft tm
operating system for your used desktop computer,
something like Windows XP or even Windows ME. Your
games may not look as good, but you'll be able to
keep your computer more secure.
Now, off to the electronics
store to pick out the color and style of your new
computer. Hope this introduction helps to get you
or your child started.
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