IDENTIFY THE PARTS OF THE COMPUTER

Transcription

1 1A. COMPUTER BASICS IDENTIFY THE PARTS OF THE COMPUTER If you use a desktop computer, you might already know that there isn't any single part called the "computer." A computer is really a system of many parts working together. The physical parts, which you can see and touch, are collectively called hardware. Software, on the other hand, refers to the instructions, or programs, that tell the hardware what to do. The illustration below shows the most common hardware in a desktop computer system. Your system may look a little different, but it probably has most of these parts. A laptop computer has similar parts but combines them into a single notebook-sized package. Computer Part 1 Monitor 2 Internet Connection (may differ widely on various computers) 3 System Box 4 Mouse 5 Speakers 6 Printer 7 Keyboard NEVER EVER 1 Page 2

2 1A. COMPUTER BASICS PARTS OF THE COMPUTER: MONITOR A monitor displays information in visual form, using text and graphics. The portion of the monitor that displays the information is called the screen. Like a television screen, a computer screen can show still or moving pictures. There are two basic types of monitors: CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors and LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors. Both types produce sharp images, but LCD monitors have the advantage of being much thinner and lighter. CRT monitors, however, are generally more affordable. PARTS OF THE COMPUTER: INTERNET CONNECTION To connect your computer to the Internet, you need a modem. A modem is a device that sends and receives computer information over a telephone line or high-speed cable. Modems are sometimes built into the system unit, but higher-speed modems are usually separate components. You may not see a modem with your computer setup. You may only see a cable that comes from the computer network in this building. NEVER EVER 1 Page 3

3 1A. COMPUTER BASICS PARTS OF THE COMPUTER: SYSTEM BOX The system unit is the core of a computer system. Usually it's a rectangular box placed on or underneath your desk. Inside this box are many electronic components that process information. The most important of these components is the central processing unit (CPU), or microprocessor, which acts as the "brain" of your computer. Another component is random access memory (RAM), which temporarily stores information that the CPU uses while the computer is on. The information stored in RAM is erased when the computer is turned off. Almost every other part of your computer connects to the system unit using cables. The cables plug into specific ports (openings), typically on the back of the system unit. Hardware that is not part of the system unit is sometimes called a peripheral device or device. PARTS OF THE COMPUTER: MOUSE A mouse is a small device used to point to and select items on your computer screen. Although mice come in many shapes, the typical mouse does look a bit like an actual mouse. It's small, oblong, and connected to the system unit by a long wire that resembles a tail. Some newer mice are wireless. A mouse usually has two buttons: a primary button (usually the left button) and a secondary button. Many mice also have a wheel between the two buttons, which allows you to scroll smoothly through screens of information. When you move the mouse with your hand, a pointer on your screen moves in the same direction. (The pointer's appearance might change depending on where it's positioned on your screen.) When you want to select an item, you point to the item and then click (press and release) the primary button. Pointing and clicking with your mouse is the main way to interact with your computer. NEVER EVER 1 Page 4

4 1A. COMPUTER BASICS PARTS OF THE COMPUTER: SPEAKERS Speakers are used to play sound. They may be built into the system unit or connected with cables. Speakers allow you to listen to music and hear sound effects from your computer. PARTS OF THE COMPUTER: PRINTER A printer transfers data from a computer onto paper. You don't need a printer to use your computer, but having one allows you to print , cards, invitations, announcements, and other materials. Many people also like being able to print their own photos at home. The two main types of printers are inkjet printers and laser printers. Inkjet printers are the most popular printers for the home. They can print in black and white or in full color and can produce high-quality photographs when used with special paper. Laser printers are faster and generally better able to handle heavy use. NEVER EVER 1 Page 5

5 1A. COMPUTER BASICS PARTS OF THE COMPUTER: KEYBOARD A keyboard is used mainly for typing text into your computer. Like the keyboard on a typewriter, it has keys for letters and numbers, but it also has special keys: The function keys, found on the top row, perform different functions depending on where they are used. Locate the function keys on the keyboard below. Locate these keys on your keyboard. The numeric keypad, located on the right side of most keyboards, allows you to enter numbers quickly. Locate the numeric keypad on the keyboard below. Locate these keys on your keyboard. The navigation keys, such as the arrow keys, allow you to move your position within a document or webpage. Locate the navigation keys on the keyboard below. Locate these keys on your keyboard. The labels on the keys have been removed because there are minor differences between keyboards on various computers. You may have to adjust what you learn here in this class to a specific computer that you may use in the future. NEVER EVER 1 Page 6

6 1B. KEYBOARD SKILLS LOCATING MORE KEYS ON THE KEYBOARD In order to logon many computers you need to locate three keys on the keyboard: Ctrl Alt Del These keys are usually located on the keyboard in the white boxes shown below: NEVER EVER 1 Page 7

7 1C. MOUSE SKILLS MOUSE POINTING AND CLICKING Your mouse is a pointing device. Your instructor will show you how to POINT and CLICK using your mouse. Your instructor will discuss the major parts of a mouse with you: Action Left click button Wheel Right click button What it does: Practice the following mouse skills: Action Point Click Translation Move the mouse but don t click Point to the item, press your left mouse button once NEVER EVER 1 Page 8

8 1D. WINDOWS SKILLS TURNING ON THE COMPUTER 1. Locate and push the computer s on/off button. The on/off button is located in different places on different computers. Here are some examples of different types of computers. Sometimes you will have to look for the on/off switch. WITH YOUR INSTRUCTORS HELP TURN ON YOUR COMPUTER NOW NEVER EVER 1 Page 9

9 1D. WINDOWS SKILLS TURNING ON THE COMPUTER After you turn on your computer, you may have to push the Ctrl Alt Del keys to get a logon screen like this: Your instructor will give you the settings to type into your logon screen. Remember that different computers will have logon screen that may look different than this screen. Not every computer requires a logon. Logon settings can change for security reasons. Remember your user name and password if you are given one. NEVER EVER 1 Page 10

10 1D. WINDOWS SKILLS NOW THE COMPUTER IS ON Once the computer is on you will see a desktop image, however, the image you see will probably be different. Your instructor will tell you about the parts of the desktop and what they do: NEVER EVER 1 Page 11

11 1E. INTERNET SKILLS WHAT IS THE INTERNET? The Internet is the world s largest network is the Internet, which is a worldwide collection of networks that connects millions of businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, and individuals The World Wide Web contains billions of documents called Web pages A Web browser is software that views websites A Website is like a book A Webpage is like a page in a book PRACTICE USING THE WEBSITE NOW. COMPLETE THE ACTIVITIES IN SECTION 1 ON THE WEBSITE: NEVER EVER 1 Page 12

12 1E. INTERNET SKILLS USING INTERNET EXPLORER BROWSER Browse the Web using Internet Explorer Address Bar and tabbed browsing Click on the Start menu Click the Internet icon on the Start menu to start the Windows Internet Explorer program Type any web address in the address bar Click on the empty TAB to the right of the current TAB Type in any web address in the address bar NEVER EVER 1 Page 13

13 1F. USING YOUR EXTERNAL STORAGE DEVICE UNDERSTANDING EXTERNAL STORAGE Your instructor will help you understand two major categories of external storage. Action USB FLASH Translation HARD DRIVE Where do you plug-in an external storage device? Identify the devices below: NEVER EVER 1 Page 14

14 1G. MICROSOFT OFFICE SKILLS GETTING FAMILIAR WITH MICROSOFT WORD 2007 Microsoft Word is a word processing software package. You can use it to type letters, reports, and other documents. NEVER EVER 1 Page 15