PC and Windows Basics Workshop A personal computer, or PC, is a system of interrelated parts. In this workshop we will discuss the main parts of the PC system. Once we have an overall understanding of these parts, or hardware, that make up the PC, we will address the ‘Windows’ operating system software that enables us to use the PC via the graphic user interface, or ‘Desktop.’ PC Components Processor At the heart of every PC is the central processing unit, or CPU. The CPU plugs into a “motherboard” which has a lot of other chips and electronics on it. These are the guts of the computer. The CPU and other components work together to schedule, compute and control everything that happens. For example, the slogan, 'Intel Inside' appears in many computer ads. They are referring to the Intel CPU, which usually contains a Pentium processor. Memory Memory is temporary storage used by the CPU to store results of calculations or files brought in from the hard drive. Memory is very fast and volatile which means it loses its information when power is removed. The memory cells are housed in integrated circuits or chips. The amount of memory is measured in units of Random Access Memory, or RAM (512MB, 1GB…) Storage Storage devices retain information magnetically (i.e. Hard Disk Drive, Floppy Disks, Zip Drives, and USB Drives) or optically (i.e. CD, DVD). They are not as fast as memory but can store much more data. They are also much more stable and do not lose their information when power is removed. Most people simply save their files to the hard drive, which is the computer’s primary storage device. Peripherals There are two kinds of peripherals for your computer. Input devices allow you to direct the action of the PC. For example, the keyboard and mouse enable you to control the computer by giving it directions. Output devices display or produce results for you. The video monitor, speakers, and printer are your primary output devices. Software These are collections of instructions that the CPU follows. Software is to the CPU, as knowledge is to our human brains. Software is also known as programs or code. The CPU and software work very closely together and each by itself is useless. Only when they work properly together can they direct and execute activities in a productive way. Examples of popular software include Microsoft Windows, Word, Excel, Explorer, etc. PC and Windows Basics 1 Joshua Stern, Ph.D. Operating System The most common piece of software that all PC users must have is an operating system. Most of you probably use a version of Microsoft Windows. Oftentimes, users do not even realize that this software is what allows them to use their PC. The operating system is what allows you to interface with your machine. It creates the desktop and the other user-interface features that we all take for granted. Before the advent of these user-friendly graphic user interfaces (GUI), computer users had to do everything using a complicated, text-only interface called DOS. Hardware Overview This chart shows the components we've talked about, grouped together functionally. Arrows show how they interconnect. File Sizes File sizes are an important thing to understand since they allow you to know the relative size of any files or programs you use on your computer. The measurement system follows the metric base of ten. PC and Windows Basics 2 Joshua Stern, Ph.D. The smallest basic unit is the byte. This is a tiny amount of information. Next is the Kilobyte (KB). This is 1000 times the size of a byte. For example, a short Word document is about 30KB. Next is a Megabyte (MB) which is 1000 times larger than a Kilobyte. For example, a typical MP3 music file is about 4MB. Finally we have the Gigabyte (GB). This is huge. It is 1000 times bigger than a Megabyte. The entire hard drive of your computer is probably between 20 and 80 Gigabytes in size. Gigabyte (GB) Megabyte (MB) Kilobyte (KB) Byte 1 1,000 1,000,000 1,000,000,000 Mouse Terminology Click Press and release the left mouse button once. Note that unless you are specifically instructed to use the right mouse button (as in right-click or right-drag-and-drop) you always use the left button. Clicking is useful for highlighting (selecting) an object on the desktop or in a window, activating buttons, selecting items from menus, etc. Right-click Press and release the right mouse button once. Right-clicking often gives you access to special advanced shortcut menus relevant to the current activity. Double-click Press and release the left mouse button twice in rapid succession. Make sure you don’t move the mouse at all between clicks. Double-clicking an object lets you open it. Drag-and-drop Depress the left mouse button and, while keeping it depressed, move the mouse pointer to another location, then release the mouse button. Drag-and-drop is used to move items about on the Desktop or within programs, for copying or moving files, and for placing one object onto another. You can tell when you have the dragged object correctly positioned over the target because the target becomes highlighted. Once the target is highlighted you then release the mouse button to drop the object in place. Right drag-and-drop Same as drag-and-drop, but using the right mouse button. Right dragging-and-dropping an object pops up a menu of options that let you choose what to do with the object when it reaches its destination. Your choices are usually Copy the object to the destination, Move the object to the destination, or Create a Shortcut to the dragged object at the destination. Select (Left) click an object once to select it. Open (Left) double-click an object to open it. PC and Windows Basics 3 Joshua Stern, Ph.D. The Windows Desktop The Windows desktop is a metaphor for your real world desktop. The desktop is highly customizable, so no two Windows desktops look exactly the same. Windows XP is the latest in the line of Microsoft operating systems. If you’re using any of Windows XP’s predecessors your desktop will look a little different, but all the key features and functions are basically the same. The desktop is the medium you use to navigate and control your PC. Once you become comfortable with the desktop’s features, you will feel more confident using your PC. The image below shows a generic Windows desktop with each of the major features labeled. A. Start Button This button is the primary method of accessing all files and programs stored on the computer. It is used to display the Start Menu, start a program, open a file, change settings and shut down the computer. PC and Windows Basics 4 Joshua Stern, Ph.D. B. Start Menu The Start Menu provides access to all your programs and Windows settings, a Help and Support guide, a Search function for locating documents and other items on your computer, and several other options. Notice how some menu items have a small black arrow to the right of their name. Selecting any of these options will display a sub-menu, or “cascading menu” of related items. Selecting any item without an arrow beside it will immediately activate that item. C. Icons The little pictures you see are called icons. Each icon represents a function, program, folder, or document on your computer. To open an icon, double-click it. You can move icons around the desktop by dragging and dropping them with the mouse. You can usually discover an icon’s purpose by letting the mouse pointer linger on top of it; after a few seconds, an info box will pop up telling you its purpose. D. Recycle Bin This is the equivalent of the trash bin in your office. Dump unwanted documents and programs in here either by dragging and dropping them with the mouse or by selecting them and then pressing the Delete key on your keyboard. This icon will hold all files and programs that have been deleted. As long as they remain in the Recycle Bin, they can still be restored. If you accidentally delete a file, you can ‘undelete’ it by opening the Recycle Bin, selecting the item and choosing “Restore” from the File Menu. E. My Documents The icon that looks like a folder bulging with documents provides central storage for all the documents you create or store on your computer. Think of it as a huge filing cabinet, which you can fill with documents neatly sorted into their own folders for easy retrieval. F. My Computer This is an icon on the desktop that can be used as a means of accessing the files and programs on your computer. My Computer stores information about your computer system. It contains icons which give you access to your disk drives, removable storage devices, network, etc. It also provides access to the Control Panel (also accessible via the Start Menu), where you can adjust settings for your system. G. Desktop The vast expanse of space you see on your screen is the desktop itself. You can rearrange the items on the desktop by dragging the icons to new positions, and you can change the look of the desktop by adding a background image, called desktop “wallpaper.” You can also change the desktop’s color. To see some of the options for changing the desktop, right-click any vacant space on the desktop; you’ll see a pop-up menu displayed.