Computer gobbledygook

• Desktop
  The main screen you see when your computer first starts up.  It will have some small pictures or icons, and a Start button.

• Programme
  Also known as software.  Some comes installed on your computer eg word processing, email, and others can be installed later like games, or photo editing software.

• Icons
  The little pictures on the Desktop which are shortcuts to programmes.

• Start Button
  When this is clicked once with the left mouse button, it will display a list of all programmes on your computer.

• Double click
  This refers to the action of clicking twice quickly on the left mouse button.  This will open and run programmes, files and folders.  You can also click once to select something, or right click to access formatting menus.

• Mouse
  This is what you use to point to things like programmes or folders.  This may be a device that you plug in to your computer, or on a laptop may be a touchpad.

• Hourglass
  This will be displayed when your computer is working on something eg. opening a programme, or as your computer is first starting up.

• Scroll bar
  This is displayed down the side and the bottom of a page in a document or webpage.  This allows you to move up and down in a document by clicking on the scroll arrows, or box in the middle of the scroll bar.

• QWERTY keyboard
  The standard keyboard on computers is often referred to as this.  This relates to the layout of the keys on the keyboard.  Fortunately there is no difference in the placement of the letter keys and only slight variation in other keys.  Practicing typing is really the only way to learn the layout of the letter keys and to get faster at typing.

What kind of computer are you using?
There are two main types of computers; laptops and desktops.  The names are self explanatory and the uses of them much the same, however, a laptop is more portable.

You can do much the same things on both a laptop and a desktop, and there is not much of a price difference either.   You can also choose an Apple Mac or a Windows operating system.  This is simply the overall system that operates your computer.

The uses for a computer are almost unlimited and can include;

• Email to communicate with friends, family and business in New Zealand and around the world,

• Internet to surf the web to find information on shopping, education, history, upcoming events, news and pretty much anything – sign up with an Internet provider like Woosh to get started,

•  Word processing to type a letter, create a flyer or poster, write a novel, or become a freelance writer,

• Spreadsheets to keep a household budget, create a graph of your savings, and keep financial records for your business

•  Publisher or powerpoint to create presentations for school or work in slideshow format,

• Games which are great for the young and young at heart. Educational games are great for reinforcing basics Maths and English skills, while all games in moderation help with hand eye coordination and computer skills

• Photo-editing programmes, which include basic software that comes with a digital camera. You can buy more advanced programmes as well, giving you the capability to edit people in and out of digital images and create personalized cards, calendars and alike.

Gaining more skills
There are lots of short night classes available for all forms of computing.  Polytechnics offer computing courses, and there are also providers who offer one to one tutoring which moves at your own pace.

You could hire a good beginner computer book from the local library or check out all the different computing magazines.

Other computer user tips;

• Take regular breaks; even micro breaks of dropping your arms, looking away at the distance for a few seconds
• Ensure you are sitting comfortably at your computer
• Get regular eye checks, and ensure the area is well lit to minimize eye strain
• Seek medical attention if you suffer prolonged discomfort

The best thing you can do is get stuck in and have a go.  The more you practice the better you will get.  Have fun and discover a whole new world.

This article was kindly supplied by NZS, New Zealand Search. To learn more, click here. For more information about learning to use your computer check out Computer Training in the NZS.com directory