Basic Computer Components

basic computer components
computers come in many different shapes, sizes, colors, and speeds, but all essentially perform the same tasks. most computers and mice are very similar but sometimes a computer might have an extra button or two. while working with computers requires some flexibility and adaptation to different computer designs, you will find this easy to learn.
keyboard and mouse
the keyboard and mouse are the two most common ways that users communicate with a computer – or tell the computer what they want it to do. first, we’ll look at a keyboard and show you that it’s somewhat like a typewriter that has some fancy tools to help you more effectively communicate with the computer. a mouse is a little bit like a television remote – and also helps you tell the computer what to do.
1. keys on the keyboard

caps lock key the caps lock key activates a feature that affects only the letter keys. pressing on the caps lock button causes all letter keys to type in uppercase. all other keys will act the same as if caps lock is off. to deactivate caps lock, press the caps lock key again.
shift key the shift key is used in combination with a second key. the shift key is used primarily to capitalize letters. shift differs from caps lock because you have to hold the shift key down while simultaneously pressing another key to capitalize a letter, where you only press the caps lock key once. holding down the shift key also is used to type the characters and symbols above the numbers on the number keys.
tab key the tab key is used to move from one position on the screen to another. it also creates a “tab stop” (right 1/2 inch) indentation for your paragraphs. this is very similar to a typewriter.
enter key when working with text (words), pressing on the enter key moves the cursor down to the next line. otherwise, pressing the enter key will activate anything that you have selected.
escape key the escape key is used to cancel the current operation or can be used to exit a program.
space bar pressing the space bar while the cursor is positioned within text will cause a space (one character wide) to be placed at the position of the cursor (like on a typewriter).
control key the control key (ctrl) is usually used with another key. holding the control key in addition to another key or keys will start a function. later on, we will teach you some control key functions that deal with word processing.
alt key the alternate key (alt), similar to the control key, and is used in combination with other keys.
arrow keys the four arrow keys are located on several keys to the right of the spacebar at the bottom of the keyboard. pressing one of these keys will cause some type of screen movement in the direction of the arrow on the key. these keys are frequently used when correcting mistakes in documents and allow users to “go back” and fix mistakes instead of erasing all of the work since the mistake was made.
backspace key pressing the backspace key while the cursor is positioned within text will deleting the character (or space) immediately to the left of the cursor.
deleting key pressing the deleting key while the cursor is positioned within text will deleting the character (or space) immediately to the right of the cursor.

2. the mouse
1. let your hand rest comfortably on top of the mouse. most people are right-handed and therefore, the mouse is usually on the right side of the computer. all left-handed folks don’t have to worry because millions of “lefties” use computers. some left-handed people simply move the mouse over to their left side of the computer and use it there. others use their right hand and soon become ambidextrous! it’s most important to remember to “do what’s most comfortable for you!” for teaching purposes, we will now continue using the right hand terminology.
2. fit the palm of your hand around the mouse, with your index finger resting on the left (the primary) mouse button and your middle finger resting on the right (the secondary) mouse button. let the heel of your hand rest on the desk or table.
3. as you move the mouse, the mouse pointer (the cursor on the screen) will move in the same direction as your hand.


the mouse can be used in many different ways. there are primarily the two mouse buttons, known as the left and right button. the left button is primarily used. some mouse techniques include:
• click: this is the easiest of the techniques however it is very important that you do it properly. to click, you press down one of the mouse buttons. as you click it, it makes a “clicking” noise. the most important skill to learn when clicking is that it only takes a very light, short tap to click a mouse button. don’t click the mouse too hard since this tends to slow you down. once you have mastered clicking, you will be ready to move on to the next most essential practice, pointing.
• right clicking: this is used to change options or perform specific functions that aren’t usually necessary for beginner.
• point: use the mouse to move the mouse pointer so that it hovers over the top of an icon or word on the screen. sometimes, this is all that you need to do in order to prompt a response from the computer (as an example, the shape of your cursor may change).
• point and click: move the mouse pointer over the top of an item (such as an icon) on your screen and then (while holding your hand still) gently press and release the left button on the mouse. this technique is often used to make a selection.
• double-click: while hovering the mouse pointer over an item on the screen, quickly press the left mouse button two times. this may take some practice but it is a very useful and important skill. if you are having problems double clicking, it’s most likely because you’re moving the mouse slightly when double clicking. try to steady your hand and try it again. by double clicking, you are usually prompting the computer to take an action on the item you selected (double clicking on an icon on your computer desktop may open or start a program).
• click and drag: press and hold down a mouse button (usually the left button). as you hold down the button, move the mouse in any direction. click and drag is a method used when “highlighting” or “selecting” text. to do this to text, click at the beginning of the text that you want to select, hold down the left mouse button, and move your mouse to the end of where you want to highlight.
windows basics
the microsoft windows operating system
microsoft windows is the operating system that is installed on most computers. an operating system is the software that runs your computer and makes it think. application software (a.k.a. programs) such as a word processing, spreadsheet programs, or games runs on top of the operating system.

the first screen you see on the monitor when the computer starts up is called the desktop. it is sometimes referred to as the desktop environment (as a whole). this is where you will do everything—write letters, send emails, browse the internet, and so forth.

the desktop environment
the desktop environment is made up of several parts including:
? desktop icons
? the task bar
? the clock
? the start button


desktop icons, sometimes called shortcuts, are quick ways to access different programs. to use shortcut icons on the desktop environment to open programs, use the mouse to point to the desktop icon that represents the program that you want to open. double click on the icon and the program will open or start.
the task bar is the area at the very bottom of the computer screen. you will soon be able to multitask and do several things at once. the task bar is there to help you keep things organized and become even more efficient. there is a clock that conveniently tells you the time
the start button
the start button is located on the lower left hand corner of your screen – on the taskbar. it’s used to access all of the programs on the computer so you can “start” them.

to use the start menu to open programs:
1. point and click the mouse pointer at the button at the lower left corner of the windows desktop (the screen that appears when you first start up your computer). this activates a pop-up menu.
2. slide the mouse pointer up the menu to programs. the menu selection will be highlighted in blue and a sub-menu will be activated.
3. slide the mouse pointer straight to the right onto the sub-menu.
4. slide the pointer straight up or down to highlight the program group that you would like to use and then click on the program you want to open.
turning the computer on and off
on a desktop computer, there will be a button to turn on the computer. similarly, there will usually be a button on the monitor to turn on the monitor. these buttons are usually on the front of the computer and the monitor. the computer goes through a number of internal tasks when starting up. it may take a few minutes for it to complete these tasks. patience, as you will learn, is used a lot when working with a computer. after the computer stops making what almost sounds like a grinding noise (this is normal – it’s the hard drive being accessed) and the picture on the screen stops changing, it is probably ready for you to use!
turning a computer off takes more practice. you should follow the procedure below that allows the computer to properly store files. avoid unplugging the computer or holding down the power button, unless the computer freezes.




working with windows
each program or object that you open appears in its own window (a rectangular area on the screen). these windows open on top of each other, so you may need to make some adjustments to be able to see the window in which you want to work. at the top right of each window you will see three buttons. these allow you to minimize, maximize or restore, or close the window.


working in the word environment
as with all programs in the 2007 microsoft office release, the most common way to start word is from the start menu displayed when you click the start button at the left end of the windows taskbar. if word is the first program in the 2007 office system that you have used, you are in for a surprise! the look of the program window has changed radically from previous versions.





the new word environment is design include
? the title bar displays the name of the active document. at the right end of the title bar are the three familiar buttons that have the same function in all windows programs. you can temporarily hide the word window by clicking the minimize button, adjust the size of the window with the restore down/maximize button, and close the active document or exit word with the close button.

using scroll bars
the screen may have as many as two scroll bars available. the scroll bars allow you to bring new information into view on the screen. the scroll bars have a black arrow at each end and a square or rectangle in the area between the two arrows. the vertical scroll bar is located on the right edge of the screen. the horizontal scroll bar is located toward the bottom of the screen.
use the vertical scrollbar to:
? move up or down a line at a time (or a small distance), click once on the up or down arrow.
? move up or down several lines at a time, click and hold the up or down arrow.
? move up or down a portion of the screen, click and drag the scroll box (the square or rectangle in the middle of the arrows) up or down.
? move up or down a screen at a time, click in the light gray area above or below the scroll box.
the horizontal scrollbar use to:
? move left or right: a small distance, click once on the left or right arrow.
? scroll left or right: a larger distance, click and hold the left or right arrow.
? move left or right: a portion of the screen, click and drag the scroll box left or right.
? move left or right: a screen at a time, click to the left or right of the scroll box.