Welcome
Welcome to the Project Connect computer and information
literacy course. In this class, we will work together to set up a
basic personal computer (PC) and then discuss how to administer
and use it properly. With proper training and reference material,
most anyone can learn how to do these things. We'll focus on the
most important things in this 6-session course.
If you attend all of the course sessions, you can take the
computer home at the end. The computers are used, but still good
machines, and there is no cost to you for the computer or the
course. There may, however, be a charge for some optional
software. If you have any questions or if there is anything that
you'd like to explore, please ask.
Setting up a Personal Computer
Before using a computer, you must interconnect the components
appropriately and plug them in to AC power. The basic components
of a computer include:
- Tower - This box contains the key hardware and
software components of the computer (see the list below).
- Video Monitor - This TV-like display device presents
information to the user visually.
- Keyboard - This input device allows the user to enter
text.
- Mouse - The input device allows the user to point to
and move objects around the workspace presented on the video
monitor.
If you don't already have a properly configured machine in your
lab, get the components and configure them as shown in the
following pictures. The first picture shows the front of a basic
PC and the second picture shows the rear of the same PC.
When you've got the system assembled, familiarize yourself with
the various components. Ask questions if anything isn't
clear.
Starting up the PC Operating System
When the computer is connected properly, you can start it by
turning on the power-strip, the monitor and the tower. This will
cause the computer to automatically "boot" up the PC operating
system. If you are running the Windows 98 operating system, your
workspace will look something like the following:
It is important to know the characteristics of the system you
are using. PCs all tend to have the following basic hardware and
software components:
- Processor - This is the brain of the computer.
It executes all the work that your computer performs.
- Main Memory - This is your computer's
short-term memory. It keeps track of what is going on on
your computer at the moment. If you turn your computer off,
this information is lost.
- Hard Drive - This is your computer's long-term
memory. It stores the documents you are working on and the
programs you are using. This information is kept, even when you
turn off your computer.
- Operating System - This is the program that
controls all the PC system hardware. It performs the
operations that you, the user, request.
To find out the characteristics of your particular system, look
through the Windows "Control Panel" for "System Properties"
information. In Windows 98, you can do this as follows:
- Right-Click (i.e., click the right mouse button) on "My
Computer" (in the upper right of your workspace).
- Choose "Properties"
- Look through the System panel to find out the following
basic information on your PC system:
- your current operating system version
- your processor type and speed
- the amount of main memory your system has
- Now, go back and double-click on "My Computer" to find out the
following information on your system:
- the size of your hard-drive (by clicking the right mouse
button on "Local Disk (C:)" and choosing "Properties")
- a list of other storage devices your system supports
(e.g., a floppy drive - usually labeled A:, a CD drive, a
Zip drive)
The Windows operating system on your machine is a legal copy
with the appropriate 25-digit activation key listed on the
official Microsoft product sticker. You may use it on your
machine for as long as you'd like, but you are not allowed to let
anyone else copy it for use on another machine. You may buy and
install a new operating system at any time.
Break
We'll take a break here. If there is time and interest, we'll
help your kids set up their own accounts/styles/screensavers.
Further Practice
Take this time to review the material we've done so far. If
you are new to personal computers, try one of the following:
- Go through on-line operating system tour (by inserting the
"Supplemental Programs CD into the CD drive, double-clicking on
"My Computer"-"D:"-"tour"-"Discover"). This tour requires
sound, so you may to use headphones to hear what it says. The
most important information is in the "Computer Essentials"
tutorial.
- Try playing some of the Windows games (by clicking
"Start"-"All Programs"-"Accessories"-"Games" and choosing a game
from the list).
There are a couple of things to note about working with
the Microsoft Windows operating system:
- When you are away from the computer for a while, the system
will automatically turn on the "screen saver" in order to
save energy and avoid wearing out the screen. The screen may be
blank, but this does not mean that the machine is turned off,
it's just put the monitor to sleep. You can wake it up by
moving the mouse.
- Occasionally, the system will "freeze up", that is stop
working no matter what you do. Windows is well-known for these
sorts of problems, and the only way to fix them is to reboot the
machine by typing Ctrl-Alt-Del
(simultaneously).
- To turn off the machine, choose "Start"-"Shut
Down" and then select either "Shutdown" (to turn the machine
off) or "Restart" (to reboot the machine). If you use your
machine frequently, you may consider leaving it on all the time
to reduce the stress caused by warming the machine back up. If
you use it infrequently, you may want to turn it off each
time.
Feel free to ask any questions you may have.
