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to Computer Fundamentals, the interaction
Also on your screen
should be a horizontal bar with some icons, "start"
button and probably the current time. These are most likely
at the bottom of your screen (the bottom of the screen is a
standard location, it can be moved) and are collectively referred
to as the "task" bar. The task bar shows what windows
you have open at the moment and also provides a way of switching
between them. For instance if you have two different windows
open, a word processor document and a browser window for instance.
They would both be shown as small buttons in the task bar. You
could then read from the browser window and switch your view
to the word processor document as easily as left clicking on
the appropriate button displayed in the task bar.
Also in the task bar,
closest to the clock there will be some icons. These icons show
other programs that are running "in the background".
On the other side of the bar closest to the "start"
button there should also be some other icons displayed. These
icons are short cuts to start other programs. Programs that
you use very frequently and want access to in a more convenient
way than an icon on the desktop. These programs are not currently
running.
Please now click
on the "start" button in the left most portion of
your task bar. The menu will pop up listing more than a few
items that could
be clicked on. Some of these items are programs, favorites,
documents, settings, find, help and run. No need right now
to worry about
what they are or what they do, these will all be covered in
future sections. Notice that some of those choices have a small
arrow
to their right? With the pop up menu still open move you mouse
so that the arrow is
over
the
programs
word. From the arrow side another menu should slide out from
the side. These are what are called nesting menus. Much like
the old Russian nesting dolls where one doll goes inside of
another and those inside of another. These menus are menus
inside of menus
and are used as a way to go from a general topic to a more
and more specific one.
On the menu that
appeared from the programs category there should be a selection
called
"accessories". Please hover your arrow over top of
this word now. Inside of the menu that appeared from accessories
there should
be a selection labeled"games" please now move your
arrow over top of this.
What you should now
be looking at is a hierarchy of menus and sub menus. After
the start menu we selected (by hovering our arrow, and thus
shifting
our focus and showing the computer intent) programs. Inside
the menu are a list of very many kinds of programs. After the
computer
has been used there may be many other selection included in
the location. With a new computer is should be fairly sparse.
The
programs location is the default location where a new program
being installed will place a short cut to itself. From general
to specific selections. Go ahead and look around on the start
menu, by moving your arrow over top of other selections that
have an arrow and look at the other nested menus.
Nesting menus is one
of the fundamentals of using a computer and is something that
you will encounter many times in many different way as you continue
to use a computer. Nesting menus will appear also in programs
such as word processors for options is font style, font size
and so on. Please click below to continue exploring the many
ways of interacting with your computer.
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