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Back to when the equipment hits the table
Depending on how the
computer was set up by your manufacturer there may be an introduction
presentation when the computer is
first started. These are usually along the lines of "Thank
you for buying a computer
from XYZ
Company" and are not very instructional. If you do not have
a presentation start up you should be looking at the "desktop"
after all has been loaded and the computer becomes quite. Just
like a physical top of a desk, the Windows desktop is where you
put the things your working on or want to access. The desktop
is the main screen in Windows where you can put icons that act
as shortcuts to various programs. Even when you are working in
a program such as a Word Processor or an Internet Browser the
desktop is still there, it is just that you have another window
open in front of it. Much in the same way as if you have a great
quantity of work open on a physical desktop the desktop is still
there and you can see the desktop if you put your work away.
There is a icon in your task bar that will minimize all your
work for you in case you need to get at the desktop. More about
the task bar in a little bit.
On your desktop there
should also be a small arrow floating some where on the screen.
This arrow is attached in a way to the mouse and is one of the
ways that you tell the computer what you want to interact with.
Go ahead and place your hand on your mouse and move the mouse
around a bit. Notice how the arrow on the screen also moves in
a similar fashion to the movement of your mouse? You may also
notice that your mouse has some buttons on it. A standard mouse
will have two buttons in the front area where your fingers go
and may also have a wheel in this location as well. Your mouse
may have more or less than this. I will explain under the assumption
that your mouse is of the two button - wheeled variety.
The left button on
your mouse is what you directly interact with things with. If
you were to find the icon on your desktop that is labeled "Recycle
Bin" and looks like a small trash can and clicked on it
once with your left mouse button you will see that it is now
highlighted.
If you were to double click on it with your left mouse button
you would open it up and look at the contents inside. So a single
left click servers to move your focus of what you intend to interact
with, and double clicking with the left mouse button initiates
action with what ever is highlighted.
The right mouse button
opens up what is known as a context menu and provided more ways
for you to interact with what ever it is that you right clicked
on. Inside of your recycle bin window right click on a blank
place. Note the options that appear. This small window will stay
there until you left click (to change your focus) outside of
that menu. Now move your your arrow outside of the recycle bin
window onto an area that shows your desktop. Right click there.
Notice how you have different options now than you did in the
recycle bin? If you were to right click on an icon on your desktop,
you would again have different options of ways to interact with
that icon.
Go ahead and click
on the small X in the top right hand corner of the window to
close it.
There are a few other symbols in the top left of that window
including what looks like an underline and a double box shape
we will get to those shortly.
We will discuss more
ways to interact with your computer and further explore your
new computer in the next section.
Exploring
your new computer >>> | 
