How Do I Use This Thing Anyway? by Duane Bristow The Helping Hand BBS (606) 387-4002 You must be familiar with the following parts to use the computer: CPU - the box that everything else is attached to. Monitor - The TV screen. Keyboard - Typewriter looking thing. Floppy Disk Drive - Little slot in the CPU where the little square floppy disk can be inserted. Printer - The doohickey with the paper in it. If I set the system up or if it is set up properly, you will first turn it on, wait a few seconds until you see a menu of commands, read the menu and choose the application you want to use, (What you want the computer to do.), give it the command to execute that application, exit the application, use other applications, and turn the system off when finished. Turning the system on: Unless it is set up with a master switch to turn on everything at once, you will probably have to find the switches for the CPU, the monitor, and the printer and turn each of these on. Generally the printer should be turned on before the CPU. It doesn't matter about the monitor. The monitor switch is usually on the front, the CPU switch on the front or right side at the back, and the printer switch on the bottom back right or left side or on the back of the printer. Be sure there is no floppy disk in the floppy disk drive because you want the computer to use the hard disk. If there is, take it out before starting the system either by pressing the diskette eject button near the disk drive or by opening a small door and pulling the disk out. Be sure the printer is loaded with paper (see your manual) and that the printer on line light is on after the system is started. If it is not press the online switch on the printer. The menu of commands will give a list of things you can do on the computer system. It might include such things as use a word processor, play games, look up an area code, access an encyclopedia, or do your bookkeeping. You will begin using the application you choose either by typing in a word which the menu tells you or by typing a number which shows beside the application on the screen, or by using the arrow keys on the keyboard to move a highlight to the desired application and then pressing the [ENTER] key on the keyboard. Once the computer begins executing the application program you have selected, you will have to control the system to do what you want. Usually you will be given instructions on the screen although sometimes you may have to refer to a written manual. Be sure you know how to properly exit the program to return to the beginning menu of commands. Usually this can be done by pressing the [ESC] key or in the case of the word processor by pressing the [F1], then the [F2] key. Some applications may require use of a different key or series of keys to exit, but the instructions for the particular application will tell you this. As you can see from the above discussion, using the computer is easy. Using a particular application may or may not be easy depending on how well the application is designed and how complicated the task is. For instance, it may be easy to play a simple game, but more complicated to set up a bookkeeping system. The most powerful uses of computers are necessarily more complicated and take more study and practice than simpler uses. If you know bookkeeping you will find it much easier with a computer than manually. If you cannot do bookkeeping manually, then you probably can not do it very effectively with a computer either. If you are a good typist, you will love a word processor. If you can't type, a computer will help, but not that much. Of course, you could get a typing tutor program to put into the computer. It would teach you how to type. After that you could use a word processor more effectively. Most programs are either command driven in which you press a certain key or move a pointer to a certain area of the screen to do something, or they are menu driven in which case the computer gives you a number of choices and after you choose one of these gives you some additional choices or asks you a question or two before carrying out your command. Generally, for instance, word processing is command driven, and accounting programs are menu driven. Now for a few words about the mouse and the keyboard. Generally the mouse is a pointing device in which a command is chosen by rolling the mouse device over the table top until a pointer on the screen is on, or points to, a selected command. A button on the mouse, usually the left button, is then pressed to select that command. Most mice have two or three buttons. The right button, if used by the program, is usually used to cancel a command, although it can have other uses. The keys on the keyboard have different uses in different programs also. A few general rules can be stated however. The [Print Screen] key is used to print on the printer whatever is showing on the screen at the time the key is pressed. The F or function keys have various or no functions as defined in the program being executed. Often the F1 key is used as a general help key. Sometimes the F10 key is used as an exit key. The home key usually moves the cursor (pointer) to the left side or the top of the screen or the document in use. The end key moves the cursor to the right side or bottom of the screen or document. The arrow keys or cursor movement keys usually move the cursor one space at a time. The [ENTER] key is usually used to choose or to terminate an answer input. The [PAUSE] key stops the computer until any other key on the keyboard is pressed. The [ALT] and [CTRL] keys are used to be held down while pressing another key on the keyboard to give a secondary function to the other key pressed in much the same way as the [SHIFT] key is used. Often [ALT] or [CTRL] are used with X, or Q, or C, or the [BREAK] key as an exit command. The keys on the numeric keypad used with the [NUMLOCK] key on duplicate the same keys elsewhere on the keyboard. It is a good idea to always exit applications being used and return to the beginning menu before turning off the system. This ensures that any information input into the system is stored on the hard disk.