INTRO TO COMPUTERS

A beginning guide to the personal computer

Written and Created by:

Emmaleen N. Hartley, Judy L. Shipp, M.C. DiTore-Franco,

Debra L. Sensale, Cheryl R. Toska, Diana Deloney,

Rodney Woodward, Taisha Jeffers

Contributions made by:

Marsha Hudson
 Index

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 2 ~ 14
Hardware

Chapter 2 15 ~ 20

Operating Systems

Chapter 3 21 ~ 37

Mobile Operating Systems

Chapter 4 38 ~ 42

Browsers

Chapter 5 43 ~ 57

Application Software

Chapter 6 58 ~ 61

Home Networking

Chapter 7 62 ~ 70

Troubleshooting

Chapter 8 71 ~ 74

Storage Devices

Bibliography 75 ~ 78
 Introduction

Computers can be quite complex and scary if you are not familiar with how things work. In this

book we will go over the break down of computer hardware, operating systems (OS), applications,

and even troubleshooting. Our group (9 members) here at Stautzenberger College hopes to give

you a better understanding on how computers work and how to use them. We have taken what

we have learned in the classroom, from our instructor Rod Farthing; Master Teacher award winner

of 2008 and the research we have put together in combined efforts to create what we hope will be

an easy step by step guide on how to apply the various functions and applications of computer

operations and software. In reading this material (Hudson), you should be able to identify specific

hardware, apply software, set up your own home/business network and even figure out the

problem when your PC just doesn’t want to listen. We hope you find this material useful and would

like to thank you for investing in the future. Just remember. . . . . . .

Life is fun; Take it one key at a time . . . . And enjoy it!!

 Chapter 1

~ Hardware ~
 Hardware

In this chapter, we will be taking you through the hardware that makes up a home computer. We
will also go over each part and explain a bit about what makes each part important and how it
relates the computer as a whole.

Graphics will be included for each part of the computer that is covered; it should help you
understand your computer better.

The basic parts of the computer are:

• Computer Case
• Power supply
• Case fans
• Motherboard
• CPU (Processor) and cooler
• Hard Drive
• CD or DVD Burner
• Video Graphics Card
• Memory
• Sound Card
• Monitor (CRT, LCD or Plasma)
• Keyboard & Mouse
• Printer

Optional Items for your home computer can include:

• Scanner
• Fax
• USB Hub
• Router
• Speaker system

The first part of any computer is the computer case. Styles and sizes can vary widely depending
on how you want your case to look. There are three sizes of computer cases to choose from.
They are:

• Mini or Mini tower

• Midsize or Mid-tower
• Full size or Full tower case

Each case size has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Let’s start with the Mini /Mini tower case; Mini cases are just as they sound, they are small and

compact. The disadvantage of the “Mini” is there is not a lot of room to work on them or trying to

expand them can be an issue. They can sit underneath the monitor or just off to the side.

Examples of Mini and Mini Tower Cases

Mini-Tower Case Mini Desktop

Midsize and Mid-tower Cases:

Mid size and Mid-tower cases are a bit larger than the mini cases. Mid size and Mid-tower cases

allow for more room to work inside the case and can hold more than the mini cases can. This extra

room allows for more drive bays and extra cooling options. It is more common to find Mid-tower

cases than midsize desktop cases.

Example of a Mid-tower case

Mid-Tower
The largest of the home computer cases is the full tower case. Full-tower cases can average

between 24-36 inches in height, 12-18 inches in length and 5-9 inches wide. The full tower cases

are very durable and have the most room on the inside for drive bays and cooling options.

Example of a Full-tower Case

Full Tower Case

Now that we’ve looked at the various case sizes, let’s move on to the power supply. A computer

case is nice, but without the power supply your PC just won’t do anything. Power supplies can

vary in power output amounts starting at 380w all the way up to 700w (currently). The more

hardware and software you have running on your system, the more power your computer will use.

If you are having your computer built from scratch, be sure to get a power supply that can be up

dated as your system needs it.

Power supplies vary in color and size, most power supplies come with a cooling system already

built in to them. It is very important to keep the power supply from overheating; if your power

supply overheats it can fry and possibly destroy all of your computer components.
Examples of power supplies:

Power Supplies

Considered to be one of the more important parts of a computer system are the case fans, CPU

coolers and heat sinks.

Case fans are used to help cool the parts of the computer. They can be used to draw in cool air or

draw out heat depending upon which way they are positioned in the computer.

Most, if not all computers, run very hot which can lead to damaging the computer and its parts.

Case fans come in varying sizes, the most common sizes ranging between 80 and 120 mm in size.

CPU coolers cool the CPU (processor). With the increasing amount of power and number of CPU’s

on the chips, the hotter the temperatures they put out, which will significantly lower the lifespan of

the processor. Heat sinks dissipate the heat coming off various parts of the motherboard. Heat

sinks are commonly found on memory sticks, motherboards and video cards.

The pictures below show the various types of cooling devices you can use to prolong the life of

your computer.

Case Cooling CPU Cooling Video Graphics Hard Drive

Now that we’ve looked at cases, power supplies and cooling for your computer system. Let’s look

at what brings it all together, the motherboard and CPU (processor). The motherboard is where all

the parts come together. There are many different types of motherboards, depending upon what

processor you decide to use and what you want your computer to be able to do.

The motherboard you choose depends on the processor type you have chosen. Intel™ and AMD™

are the two makers of the computer processors out on the market and the motherboards are

designed with these two chip styles in mind.

The pictures below show both the Intel™ and the AMD™ chips along with the related

motherboards

Intel™ Motherboard and processor

As you can see in this picture, the different parts of the Intel™ designed motherboard are clearly

labeled with what each part does.

 This is one of the Intel™ processors; it is an Intel Core 2 Duo chip

for the desktop computer.

AMD™ designed motherboard along with an AMD™ processor

As you can easily see, the AMD™ motherboard picture is clearly labeled with what each part does.

These are the two most common AMD™ processors out on the market the Phenom chip which has

four processors on it and the Athlon which has two processors on it.
Motherboard:

The motherboard will look different depending on the kind of processor you decide to use.

The main circuit board inside your computer is called a motherboard. The motherboard contains

the connectors for attaching additional boards, such as the CPU, BIOS, memory, mass storage

interfaces, serial and parallel ports, expansion slots and all the controllers that are required to

control standard peripheral devices such as the display screen, keyboard, and hard drive.

Collectively, all these chips that reside on the motherboard are known as the motherboard's

chipset.

Moving on to “getting to know your hard drive”, the hard drive is used to store data, programs and

other kinds of software which your computer needs to operate. Hard drives come in various sizes

ranging from 20g up to 750g in size. The pictures below show the internal mechanisms of the

hard drive.
The next part of the computer is the CD or DVD reader/burner.

CD or DVD burners have the ability to not only play CD and DVD’s but to create them as well.

They have rapidly replaced CD and DVD players in computers due to their ability to play and

create. They don’t cost as much to operate and the media is much less expensive as well.

An example of a CD and DVD burner

You will also need a video graphics card and a monitor.

What a video graphics card does is take the information sent to it and put it out to a display

(monitor). There are many kinds of graphics cards and monitors depending on just what you want

your computer to be able to do. It can vary from just simple graphics (picture) and internet

surfing to really complex and intense graphics. The same can be said for the monitors (displays).

Types of video
 CRT LCD Monitor Plasma

A CRT monitor (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor is large and heavy. The CRT monitor is being rapidly

replaced by the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and the Plasma monitor.

Now that you have learned about all these parts, you will need memory for your computer.

Without sufficient memory, your computer won’t function very well and many of your programs

just won’t work at all.

Memory usually comes in a few sizes and types which depend on the motherboard, CPU and what

you want your computer to be able to do. Keeping your memory sticks cool is important as well.

Pictured below is an example of a memory stick and a memory cooler. Memory coolers prolong the

life of your memory sticks by channeling the heat away from the memory.

Memory Stick Memory

You will want to be able to hear what is going on with the sound in your computer. In order to do

that, you will need a sound card and speaker system that will work best with the sound card you

have chosen.

Below is a picture of a sound card and speaker system

Sound Speaker

Next we will go over ways to put all this information into the computer system. The easiest way to

do that is to use a keyboard and mouse. A keyboard is a way to type information into the

computer and a mouse is used to scroll around the screen to point and click on items or icons.

Another type of input device is a graphics tablet. A graphics tablet is sometimes used for people

who design computer games or have difficulty in using a mouse. You can use a mouse along with

a graphics tablet.
Pictured below are examples of a computer keyboard, mouse and graphics tablet.

Keyboard and Graphics Table and

We have covered just about everything regarding a home computer, from the case to up to the

keyboard and mouse. The last item you will want for your computer is a printer. A printer can be

used to print out pictures, files, documents, almost anything you need it to.

There are several different kinds of printers:

• DOT printers (dot matrix printers)

• Inkjet printers
• Laser printers

DOT matrix printers are still in use, but slowly being phased out as the technology improves.

Inkjet printers use a replaceable ink cartridge while laser printers use a toner cartridge. Both the

laser and the inkjet printers offer a higher quality printout along with the options for color printouts

of photo quality.

DOT Matrix Inkjet Printer Laser

There are a lot of accessory parts that you may wish to add to your system to enhance what and

how it can perform. They include the following: scanner, router, USB hubs, toolkits, cleaning kits,

media storage, headphones, microphones, firewire cards, flash drives, backup power supplies,

removable storage devices. You name it, it probably exists somewhere. Below are a few pictures

of some of these items.

Backup FireWire USB Flash Drive

Power Card

Printer/Scanner/Fa Router Surge

S

USB Hub Wireless USB Hub

We hope this has been helpful in understanding about the hardware that goes into a computer.

What you choose is up to you. Are you looking for a computer that can do high quality graphics,

music composition or just a general multi-purpose system? Just remember what you want your

computer to be able to do depend on the hardware you choose for your PC.
 Chapter 2

~ Operating Systems ~
 COMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEMS

An operating system, also called an OS, is the software that is designed for your computer system

to ensure your system is working together smoothly and efficiently. The operating system (OS) is

the first thing loaded onto the computer, without the operating system, a computer is useless; it is

a “dumb” box at that point.

You might think of it as an office manager. It makes the pieces work together; making sure the

device it lives in behaves in a flexible but predictable way. You might think of your computer like a

factory full of machinery, it needs a manager to run it as well. The operating system (OS) is the

software program that does just that. Like any good boss, the OS keeps all the parts running

smoothly, helping the software and hardware work together. The best thing is that it takes orders

directly from you.

The operating system is the computer's master control program. The OS provides you with the

tools (commands) that enable you to interact with the PC. You might not notice the operating

system much since it tends to work behind the scenes. Your computer, however, couldn't do

anything without it. If you compare the computer with our brain then the operating system to a

computer is like blood circulating through our brain, and without blood our brain cannot work.

Most manufacturers install the OS for you. All you have to do is turn on the computer. Once the

computer boots up (starts up), the operating system leaps into action, and you can get to work as

soon as you want.

An operating system processes system data and user input, and responds by managing tasks and

internal system resources. It is the foundation of all system software and performs basic tasks

such as controlling and allocating the memory, prioritizing system requests, controlling the hard

drive, memory, monitor and printer, and makes sure all the parts work together. An OS can be

used to sort, copy, move, delete or view files.

The primary functions of an operating system are:

• Displays the on-screen elements with which you interact - the user interface.

• Loads programs (such as word processing and spreadsheet programs,

or game software) into the computers memory so that you can use them.

• Coordinates how programs work with the computers hardware and other software.

• Provides ways to manage and organize the way information is stored on and retrieved

from disks.

Types of Operating Systems (OS):

1. Real-Time Operating System;

Is a very fast, relatively small OS, often embedded (built into the circuitry) in a device and

are not loaded from a disk drive.

2. Single-User/Single-Tasking Operating Systems;

OS can only perform one task by a single user at a time.

 3. Single-user/Multitasking Operating Systems;

Is an OS that allows a single user to perform two or more functions at one time.

4. Multi-User/Multitasking Operating Systems;

An OS that will allow multiple users to use programs which

run at the same time on a single network server, called a terminal server.

All desktop computers have operating systems.

The most common are:

• Microsoft Windows: Windows is the most popular operating system used on home

and business computers.

• Linux: a powerful operating system that is available for free on the Web. There are

many different versions of the Linux operating system available from many
different manufacturers.

• Unix: a very powerful operating system that is the oldest system still in widespread

use today. It is harder to install and set up than most other operating systems, but

provides greater control over a computer's resources and power.

• Mac OS X: the operating system used on Macintosh computers. Mac OS is
popular in the graphic arts and desktop publishing industries. Mac
OS is offered by Apple.
 Chapter 3

~ Mobile Operating
Systems ~
 MOBILE DEVICES

The vision of a teenager named Bill Gates became Microsoft’s corporate motto: “A

computer in every desk and in every home” (Gates, 1995). Three decades later, the

vision is a reality. We are experiencing the information technology revolution that drives

global communication today.

Mobile devices, especially mobile phones, are being used by nearly three billion people

worldwide. There are more cellular phone users than land-line users in almost every

country of the globe. We can say that the dream of the XXI century is that a mobile

phone will be available to every person of the planet. This perspective will give people

the freedom to travel, to do business-on-the-go, to communicate and to be available to

the opportunities that a democratic society offers. It is important to say that everyone

has the right to own a mobile device at a fair price. This ownership brings us the

responsibility to abide to ethical laws that concerns the sharing of information and

respect for individual and cultural boundaries.

Mobile devices are one of the most important electronics of the market today. They are

considered as an extension of the PC. Consumers are demanding the development of

new functions and features in the devices.

FUNTIONS AND FEATURES

Audio Secure transactions

• Telephone • Banking
• Music • Gambling
• Mobile shopping
Visual • Mobile ticketing
• Photos (digital camera) • Stock trading

Visual
• Photos (digital camera)
• Videos Entertainment
• Text-messaging • Games
• Movies • Ring tones
• TV programs • Screen savers

Location based services

Web • GPS features
• Internet • Weather
• e-mail • Maps
• instant-messaging • Traffic alerts

Personal organizer Content

• Contact list • News
• Calendar • Sports
• Calculator • Mobile learning
• Time and date
MOBILE DEVICES

PDA

Picture 1:
PDA from Apple, is a handheld mobile device

Features:
• Cellular phone
• Fax sender
• Web browser
• Personal organizer
• Available with stylus or keyboard (data pad)
• Download books and magazines (continuing education)

Examples:

Palm Pilot, Revo, Sony Clie, Hewlet-Packard Jomado, Casio Cassiopedia, Compaq iPaq,
Toshiba Pocket PC

SMARTPHONES

Picture 2:
Sony Ericsson Smartphone
Features:
• Mobile phone
• Store information (e-mail)
• Install computing programs

Examples:

Sony Ericsson, Palm Treo, Blackberry, Nokia T-mobile Siderick, Motorola q, E-Ten, HP
iPaq, I-mate

TABLET PC

Picture 3:
HP compact tablet PC

A Tablet PC is a type of notebook computer that has a LCD screen where you can write

using a stylus. The handwriting is digitized and can be converted to standard text

through handwriting recognition. This type of PC uses a keyboard and/or mouse for

input.

Examples:

Samsung Q1, Toshiba Protégé, Fujitsu Lifebook, Motion Computing, IBM Thinkpad
 MOBILE OPERATING SYSTEMS

A mobile operating system is the software platform where other programs run. The

manufacturer of the mobile device, you have purchased or owned, has chosen an

operating system specific for the device. “The operating system is responsible for

determining the functions for the features available on your device, such as

thumbwheel, keyboards, synchronization with applications, e-mail, text-messaging and

others” (Beal, 2006). Also, the choice of operating system has an impact in the product

overall cost. The mobile operating system will determine which third-party applications

can be used in your mobile device (Seiler). In this chapter we will focus on the features

and functions of the different brand of mobile operating systems available.

Microsoft’s Windows
Microsoft Windows is one of the top-selling mobile operating system. It is an assistance

software with a high cost licensing. It runs in over 140 mobile devices, and runs in 9%

of the phones worldwide. In phone makers such as: Samsung, Motorola and HTC (Lev-

Ram), and in products from: Dell, HP, Palm and i-mate. Windows mobile powered

devices are available on GSM or CDMA. The latest version Windows mobile 6 has some

of the following features and functions, compared with the predecessor mobile 5: (cnet)

• Better contact manager

• Easier method of searching large lists
• Tapping address-book-like tabs
• Smart-dial
• Record voice memos
• Enhancements in calendar and contacts
 • Quick send text-message shortcut
• Provides a better view of your schedule at a glance
• Power point viewer
• Microsoft office mobile viewer suite
• Edit files from Word an Excel

Symbian
Symbian is mostly used in Europe. It is the world largest mobile open operating system

for smart phones. Symbian also has over 50% of the market share and runs in the

majority of Nokia’s handsets (Lev-Ram). Other phones included are: Foma, Motorola,

Panasonic, Samsung, Sony Ericsson (Symbian Phones).

The latest Symbian OS version is the v9.5, designed for the specific requirements of

2.5G and 3G mobile phones. Symbian is also designed for the specific requirements of

2.5G and 3G mobile phones. The v9.5 version offers some the following functions and

features: (Symbian Phones)

• Support for single-chip hardware platforms

• Support for peripherals and internal/external memory types
• Real-time networking and IP services
• Personal area networking: IrDA, Bluetooth 2.0, WLAN, USB 2.0 high speed, USB
on-the-go
• GPS and A-GPS device and network-based services
 • Audio and video support for recording, playback and streaming
• support for cameras with high resolutions
• digital TV and FM/digital radio support
• supports use of audio, video and graphics hardware acceleration
• tools available for building C++ and Java applications
• Ultra fast start-up

Mac OS
The Apple Company doesn’t allow third party applications. They use their core IP

technology in their own products such as the iPhone and the iPod. The Mac OS X that

runs in the iPhone occupies approximately 300 MB of space. After formatting, the 4 GB

version has 3.15 GB available for storage and the 8 GB version has 7.25 GB available

(iPhone Q&A, 2006).

iPhone review (Padilla, 2007):

• iPhone uses Dash Code dashboard. Third party developers cannot create iPhone
widgets
• It does not support Java applications, which have become a standard for
development of mobile devices
• It can run Linux
• Third party developers cannot install software
• The iPhone’s home screen is similar to the Palm OS. You can activate 15
applications settings
• It doesn’t give you any key information at a glance
• The iPhone does not allow options for people to customize their phones
 • The iPhone operating system is very responsive, one of the best, but it is not as
fast as the Blackberry
• The iPhone does not include any games

The iPhone is the second best Smartphone sold in the U.S.A after the Blackberry

(Gonsalves, 2008). Some third-party applications have been built for the iPhone often

breaking Apple’s licensing agreement, features like: Tracking down lost or stolen

iPhones and Ouchpad App that turns an iPhone into a wireless remote track pad that

turns an iPhone into a wireless remote track pad that gives a person direct access to

their computer, as if using a mouse.

The apple website highlights the following available features and functions (apple):

A list of 600 web apps (applications) to flick and scroll with this feature you can read
the news, play Sudoku, and check movie times sand train schedules

• Fingertips: silence the ring, delete a message, create your favorites, assign a
ringtone, song controls, mail preferences, customize home screen
• Accessories: Bluetooth headset, USB power adapter, and others
• Apple is compatible with Windows XP and Vista
• It is a quad-band GSM phone and it will work around the world
• It supports the most popular email standards (IMAP and POP3).
 • It works with e-mail services: Yahoo, Gmail, AOL and .Mac Mail
• Security features: 4-digit password, whenever the iPhone is turn on, and
supports industry-standard
• Wi-Fi security and virtual private networking (VPN)
• It sends and receives e-mail over Wi-Fi and EDGE wireless networks
• It displays most picture attachments (JPEG, GIF and TIFF) inline with the text in
e-mail messages. It can also view PDF, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel-
email attachments
• AT&T is the exclusive carrier for iPhone in the U.S.A.

Linux
Linux is an open source operating system. The OHA (Open Handset Alliance) are

working toward a standard. The advantage of using Linux on mobile devices is the wide

variety of available software from the Linux desktop world. The first company to launch

phones with Linux OS was Motorola in 2003. (Beal, 2006). The following features and

functions are available:

Palm OS
The Palm OS was introduced in 1996 by U.S. Robotics which is owned by Palm

Computing, Inc. Since then Palm OS has provided mobile devices with essential

business tools as well as capability to access the Internet or a central corporate

database via a wireless connection. It was developed with the use of a touch screen-

based graphical user interface.

The platform inability to multitask is a disadvantage (techtarget.com). In 2003 the

Version 6 of the Palm OS was available. It focuses on security for wireless data

transfers (Shim, 2003). The following features are named in the article written by Eric

B. Parizo:

• Uses Bluetooth to enable multi-player gaming

• A Motorola microprocessor
• ATI graphics card
• 320-by-480 screen resolution
• Built-in MP3 and video players
• User-specific data can be wirelessly loaded onto the device and managed in a
format similar to Microsoft Outlook
• Integrates wireless data and telecommunications services

A Japanese Company ACCESS bought Palm Source in 2005”, data posted at

www.blog.treonauts.com.

Smartphone Palm Treo. TM0 700p is based on Palm OS (O'Connell)

• E-mail
• Organizer
• Messaging capabilities
• Web access
• Processing speed allows for streaming multimedia content

• Unit can be used as wireless modem with broadband-like EvDO speeds

• Accepts up to 2 GB SD memory cards for storage
 Android
On November 2007, Google unveiled this new mobile phone operating system. Thirty-

four companies, among them HTC, Motorola, T-mobile, and chipmaker Qualcomm; will

join the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), which is a consortium of manufacturers,

developers and carriers, to standardized it (Reardon, 2007). The phones will be

available on the second half of 2008 but the phones won’t ship on significant volumes

until 2009 (Lev-Ram). Android is an open platform operating system, middleware, has a

user-friendly interface and applications. The platform will be flexible, compatible with

large or small screens, keyboards and other input methods (Reardon, 2007). It will be

open for third-party developers. Recently, Google has released an update to the SDK

(software development kit); a new user interface is still a work in progress. Four chip

makers showed off prototypes that support Android in the Barcelona, Spain Annual

Congress in February 14-18, 2008 (Gohring, 2008).

 Parts of a digital cellular phone

(Pictures taken from http://electonics.howstuffworks.com)

Microprocessor

The front of a circuit board

Flash memory card in the circuit board

The back of a circuit board

The flash memory card removed Speaker, microphone and the battery
Parts of a cellular-phone

Circuit board:

o Computer chips

o Digital signal processor

o Microprocessor

o ROM chips

o Flash memory chips

Antenna

LCD (liquid crystal display)

Keyboard

Microphone

Speaker

battery

Cell phone Recyclers

View Video on site: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cellphone.htm

 Chapter 4

~ Browsers ~
 Browsers
A web browser is a type of software application that enables the PC user to display and

interact with text, images, videos, music and other information that is usually located

on a web page. The main reason a person uses a web browser is to enable them to

view the web page information or graphics on the Internet. If Browsers did not exist,

you would only be able to see the numbers, shapes and letters used to make up the

images and text you see on the web pages.

Microsoft’s web browser, which comes with the windows operating system, and has

since windows 1998, in turn has become the most widely used web browser on the

market; various versions for Mac and UNIX are also available for those who use non

windows operating systems. Internet explorer originally was a concept as one of the

components of the unreleased windows 97, as the successor to Windows 95. The

summer of 1994 is when the project was started by a Thomas Reardon and then led by

a Mr. Benjamin Slivka. The source code was obtained from spyglass Inc. Mosaic, an

early commercial browser with ties to the ground-breaking NCSA mosaic browser.

Internet Explorer 7 is available for Windows XP, SP2 and older versions. It has been

working with Windows Vista since October of 2006. Internet Explorer 8 runs on

Windows Vista, and is the latest version of IE (Internet Explorer). It was developed in

August of 2007. Internet Explorer 9 has been mentioned with Microsoft employees,

Dean Hachamovitch and Chris Wilson, Internet Explorer General Manager and Architect

respectively. They stated that "if there is an Internet Explorer 9, you will need to update
your website at some future date to handle detecting that release". Computers would

have to be updated as well as system changes and adjustments would have to be

made, in the event the IE 9 is developed.

Since its creation internet explorer or “IE” has released seven versions with the official

release of version eight coming soon.

Mozilla Fire Fox, though it sounds like Godzilla’s competition, its not, it is however right

behind internet explorer as far as popularity goes. Fire Fox is part of Mozilla’s open-

source project, meaning that it is distributed free of cost to its users. The beta version

of fire fox 1.5 betas 1 was released in September of 2005; this open source browser

allows the user to install an array of plug-ins created by other users. Fire Fox was a

highly praised open source web browser for Windows, Mac and Linux; some of the

innovations that were included were a search box for Google along with other major

sites and a stock tracker; hundreds of other innovations are also available. Fire Fox

received much notoriety, and within a few months, millions of people had downloaded

it. Some believe that Fire Fox is a safer browser because it was designed better than IE

and some think few hackers have a squabble with open source software making it a

more secure browser than internet explorer. Some of you may be familiar with
Netscape browser, which in the late 1990s was IE’s completion. IE would later win the

browser war, though Netscape would continue to progress and eventually turn into the

open source Mozilla project.

The Opera browsing software was developed originally by Norway’s telecom leader

Telenor in 1994 as a research project. They branched out into independent software

company Opera software ASA in 1995. Their web browser is a high-quality, multi-

platform product which is used in a multitude of platforms, operating systems and

embedded internet products.

Opera is trying to become the leader in pc desktops and embedded objects and provide

a product that operates across a range of devices, platforms and operating systems

while delivering a product that is vastly superior to its competitors.

Opera Mini is the most popular Web browser for mobile phones because of the

following attributes:

• It’s the fastest browser available

• It works on almost any mobile phone
• Delivers promise of full Web access
• It’s easy to use.
• It’s a proven product.
Another advantage of Opera Mobile is that it compresses traffic without removing or

altering content and keeps delivery costs under control. It uses the Presto rendering

engine with Web 2.0 services.

Opera Desktop is a free download which is safe, very secure and can be fully

customized to what you want it to be able to do. It was the first browser to deliver

tabbed browsing (which happened in 2000) and Opera 9.2 has features such as speed

dialing which put your favorite sites at your fingertips.

Other features of Opera Desktop include:

• Site preferences -allows different views of sites or site blocking

• Fraud protection -protects against identity theft
• Widgets -small desktop apps that make web surfing fun
• Bit Torrent -don’t need a separate app to download (for large files)
• Adding your favorite search engines

Other features of Opera include:

• Transfer manger -view / access your downloads from one window.

• Password manager -remembers your user names and passwords
• Tabbed browsing - easier web surfing by opening multiple windows.
• Integrated search -use multiple search engines
• Voice -can control interface by voice
• Keyboard shortcuts -shortcuts to make Web surfing easier and faster
Customization, Special Features and chat features include:

• Skins - allow the browser to look the way you want it

• Language -can change to suit your needs
• Full-screen -use the whole screen for browsing
• Kiosk mode -lock down mode for computers in public places
• Opera Mail -combo feature that includes
• Email program
• News reader
• Mailing list organizer
• RSS newsfeed organizer
 Chapter 5

~ Application Software ~
 Application Software

Application software (often called "applications") is a term used for programs that

can be downloaded, or purchased at your local store, to your computer to assist you

in completing a variety of tasks, such as producing document, performing calculations,

creating graphs, financial planning and resources, composing music, playing games and

many more. There are some terms that will give you a better understanding of how

application software works.

Application Program- A specialized software program used to create or

process data (information), such as creating text in a word processing

document, calculating financial information in a worksheet, tracking records in a

data-base management file, or creating a presentation with a graphics program.

Application Software- A computer program designed to carry out specialized

tasks for the user, such as word processing, electronic mail (e-mail), and playing

games.

Software- A collective term for programs of instructions stored in an electronic

format and tells the computer what to do and how to do it.

Program- Instructions written in a programming code that tells the computer

to start certain functions based on additional user input (information).

Application software is usually categorized in a broad set of terms:

Productivity ~ is software designed to help you work more effectively, word

processing, spreadsheets, and data management software.

Office suite ~ is software that refers to a number of applications that are

packaged together and sold as a unit (Microsoft Office 2007).

Groupware ~ provides a way for more than one person to collaborate on a

project (pool of data that can be shared with a workgroup).

Business software ~ helps organizations effectively and efficiently accomplishes

routine tasks, has two categories:

» Horizontal market software is any generic software package that can be

used by many different businesses (payroll)

» Vertical market software is designed for specialized tasks in a specific

market or business (estimate cost of labor or materials)

Sometimes there is some overlapping within these categories, such as office suite can

include productivity and groupware software. There is a fine line between categories

that are not marked clearly, but having categories help chunk together the large array

of software that is out there into manageable concepts. Application software is also

categorized by how it is used and who is using it. Document production software helps

you create, edit, and publish documents, while connectivity software connects your

computer to the internet, to other computers, and networks.

The people who publish software are called "Software Publishers". A new software

product that has just been released can be a new Version, also called a "release", with

sizeable enhancements or a Revision designed to add minor modifications and eliminate

possible bugs found in the earlier or current version. The original version is usually

called "version 1.0", a revision number is separated from the version number with a

period. Revisions are often made available to current software owners for little or no

cost and very little publicity. The software publisher typically stops selling and lowers

technical support for the earlier version, so you may want to look into an upgrade!!

You can find "applications" just about any where, the quickest way to download an

application is to find it online by doing a search for application software or you can go

to Microsoft.com, Directron.com/software.html, or About.com and download any

software from any one of those web sites. Application software also comes in CD form

that may have been purchased from a store or they can also be ordered on line on sites

like Microsoft.com or Directron.com, as mentioned above. You can also find help on line

if you should have any trouble in your searches. Computerhope.com is a free computer

help site that offers free services for everyone and any question there may be regarding

any PC.
In this next section we will be going over how to install application software to your

computer, such as Microsoft Office, Encyclopedias, and Linux. Below is a step by step

example on how to install an application program, from a CD, on to your computer, we

will be using a Linux program as an example.

Step-by-step instructions on installing programs for Linux:

As you may know, Linux is a Free and Open Source Operating System. Over several

years, lots of people from all different parts of the world have volunteered to contribute

at no cost by writing codes, testing, using and distributing Linux and Linux software

packages. We are going to use this step by step guide to installing software on to your

computer from a CD, as an example on how to apply a software program.

To start installing software from a CD, follow the steps below:

• Authenticate the CD

• Add the CD to the repository (storage space)

• Install Packages
Step1 - Authenticate this CD
Be sure that the CD is in the CD tray or “drive”. Go to the “settings Menu” option and
choose “Repositories” from the options given below.

The Software Sources Window lists the default ubuntu Linux sources under the Ubuntu
6.10 tab. Click on the “Authentication” tab to see a list of all the Authentication “keys”
that have stored on your computer. You will not have to import the authentication key
from the CDROM; it will be added to the list automatically. To add the authentication
key manually, click the “Import Key File” button at the bottom left of the screen.
A window file browser will pop up to allow you to choose which authentication key file
you would like to add to your PC. You will navigate to the CDROM and choose the file
"public key". This is the key that you are required to import... Click the OK button for
the key to be imported.

You will be taken back to the list of Authentication Keys and will find the newly
imported key in the list of keys currently on your PC. This will show that the key has
been imported successfully.

You may now close the "Software Sources" window.

Step 2 - Adding this CD as a repository
To begin installing software from the CD, you must first add it to the list of Software
Sources available to your computer.
To do this, Go to the Edit menu option of the Synaptic Package Manager and click the
"Add CDROM" option.

You will be prompted to insert a CD into your drive. Click OK if you are certain that the
Open Publishing CD is in the drive.

To verify that the CDROM has been added, open the Software Sources Window by
going to the Settings >> “Repositories menu option”
Click the "Third Party" tab, you should see the CDROM that was just been added in the
list.
The CDROM has been successfully added and you may now go ahead and Install
software packages from it.

Step 3 - Installing the software you need.

Keep the Synaptic Package Manager open after you have authenticated the CDROM and
added it to the list of Software Sources.
To install a package, click the search button just below the main menu.
Enter the name of the package that you wish to install... for eg: - "abiword" or "scribus"
then click the search button on the search window.
Synaptic will list the packages that match the package you entered.
The packages with the box filled with green to the left of their name are the one
already installed on your computer. The ones with the blank white box are the ones
that are available and can be installed on your computer.

Right Click on a package that you want to install and choose the option "Mark for
Installation" from the choices that pop up.

You will see a mark overlaid on the box to the left of the package name indicating that
it has been marked. You may mark more packages for installation in the same way.
You can also remove installed packages by right clicking on the package in the list and
choosing the "Mark for Removal" from the list of options that pop up.

Once you have marked the packages you want to install or removed, click the “Apply”
button that is just below the main menu to apply them.
You will be prompted to confirm that you want the changes applied. Click the “Apply”
button to commit.

A progress window will open to show how far the installation has been carried out.
You can choose to close the window automatically when the installation is complete.
You can then close down Synaptic Package Manager and launch the newly installed
package from the “Applications” main menu.

NGO-in-a-box ~ A specially selected free & open source software ~This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 License @ http://audiovideo.ngoinabox.org/?q=node/171#step
 Chapter 6

~ Home Networking ~
 Home Networking

The first thing you must know is what is Home network? Home network is a residential

local area network, and is used to connect multiple devices within the homes. The

easiest networks are used to connect two or more PC’s for sharing files, printers, and a

single connection to the Internet. A sever can be added for increased functionality.

There are two types of networks: Local area networks (LAN’s) this network contains

computers that are near each other and are physically connected using cables, infrared

(radiation wavelengths), or wireless media. A LAN (Local area network) can consist of

two computers or hundreds of computers. A network that exists within a single building

or a group of buildings is considered a LAN. Next, is a WAN (Wide area network),

consists of two or more LANs connected together across a wide geographical area.

For example, a company may have its corporate office in one city and its marketing

office in another. Each site shares data locally, but it also needs to share with other

sites. To accomplish this communication, the company can attach devices that connect

over public utilities to create WAN.

A home network may consist of the following components: A broadband modem for

connection to the internet (DSL modem using the phone line or cable internet

connection a residential gateway (also called a router) connected between the

broadband modem and the rest of the network.

This allows more than one device to connect to the internet. Residential gateways,

hubs/switches, DSL modems, and wireless access points are often combined. Attached

are pictures of the home networking devices that are needed for your system.

Figure: 1
Figure: 2
 Chapter 7

~ Troubleshooting ~
 TROUBLESHOOTING

This chapter is on troubleshooting for your computer. Troubleshooting is a means of

finding out what is wrong with your computer through a process of elimination.

In general troubleshooting is the identification or diagnosis of trouble in a system.

The problem is initially described as symptoms of malfunction and troubleshooting is

the process of determining the causes of these symptoms.

Usually troubleshooting is applied to something that has suddenly stopped working,

since it’s previously working state forms the expectations about its continued behavior.

So the initial focus is often on recent changes to the system or to the environment in

which it exists.

Question: Computer turns off without warning

Cause:

This issue could be caused by any of the below possibilities:

• Heat related issue.

• Hardware issue or error.

• Computer virus

• Issue with operating system.

• Other failing hardware.

Heat related issue

A computer that turns off without warning is often a heat related issue. Many

computers today are designed to turn off or automatically reboot if the computer,

processor, or other device in your computer gets too hot. If your have heard any

abnormal noises coming from your computer recently such as a high squealing, this

could indicate a fan may be failing in your computer.

You can first start by verifying the fan on the power supply is working by examining the

back of the computer and seeing if the fan is moving and moving smoothly. For all

other fans in the computer, you will need to either open the computer and make sure

the fan are working(processor fan and case fans) and/or if your BIOS monitors the RPM

of the fans, enter BIOS and make sure the BIOS does not report any errors.

While inside the computer it's also a good idea to verify the processor heatsink is

properly connected by disconnecting and reconnecting the heatsink. If the processor

heatsink is not properly connected it will not keep the processor cool causing the

computer to overheat.

Users may also be able to determine how hot their computer is by onboard thermal

sensors. If your computer comes equipped with these sensors, make sure your CPU is

not running too hot.

Hardware issue or error

Any failing hardware component in your computer could cause your computer to

unexpectedly turn off without warning. If you gave recently attempted to add a new

hardware device, remove that device to make sure it is not causing your issues.

Before attempting to remove any hardware, make sure you are not encountering this

issue because of hardware conflicts by viewing Device Manager for errors.

If you have not recently installed any new hardware into the computer, the next best

solution to determining if this is a hardware issue would be remove any hardware on

the computer that is not needed. For example, remove your modem, network card,

sound card, and any other expansion cards that are not needed for the computer to

operate. Run the computer without these cards to see if they are the cause of your

issue.

Computer Virus

It's possible for your computer to be infected with a virus that is designed to shut down

your computer or turn it off. If your computer seems to be turning off when executing a

certain program at specific times in the day, it could be infected. If you believe your

computer may be infected with a virus or are uncertain if your computer is infected with

a virus, make sure your virus scanner definitions are up to date.

Issue with operating system

If after following each of the above recommendations your computer still continues to

reboot, it is likely that you are experiencing a Microsoft Windows operating system

related issue that cannot be explained. To help make sure this is the case, please try

the below steps.

• Reboot the computer and enter CMOS setup as the computer is booting

• After you have loaded the computer in CMOS setup, let the computer sit.

If the computer does not turn off while letting the computer sit in CMOS, it is likely that

you are in fact experiencing an issue with Microsoft Windows or your operating system

and it is recommended that if you have followed all of the above recommendations that

you reinstall your version of Microsoft Windows.

Other failing hardware

If after reinstalling your operating system, or during the installation of your operating

system, your computer turns off abnormally, it is very likely that other hardware is

failing in the computer. Often this is RAM,CPU, Motherboard, and /or Power Supply (in

that order). If you have extra available parts or have a friend or co-worker with similar

configuration that is willing to allow you to test their hardware in your computer, try

swapping these parts to determine if they are at fault. Otherwise, you will need to have

the computer serviced.

Question: What should I do when a computer freezes?

Answer:

This document contains recommendations on what to do if the computer frequently

freezes or completely halts.

An easy way to determine if your computer is in this situation is by pressing the Num

Lock button on the keyboard and watching the Num Lock led (light) to see if it turns off

and/or on.

If you're able to get the light to turn off and on and are running Microsoft Windows,

press CTRL+ ALT+ DEL and attempt to end task the program.

Make sure the computer is really frozen! Although the above Num Lock trick is a good

indication on whether or not the computer is really frozen, it's still always a good

recommendation to give the computer at least a minute before turning it off.

Reboot the computer

After waiting a minute, reboot the computer; it's completely locked and will not

recover. Keep in mind that all work being worked on is going to be lost and cannot be

recovered if the information has not been saved or automatically saved.

Question: My computer is running slow, what steps can I do to fix it?

Cause:

This issue can be caused by any of the below possibilities.

• Hard disk drive is short on available disk space.

• Several software programs have been installed/uninstalled leaving behind bad

files and/or confusing the software.

• Data Corruption.

• Computer overheating.

• Bad Hardware.

Not enough hard disk drive space

If you have a hard disk drive that is 2GB or smaller, ensure that there is at least 200MB

of hard disk drive space free. If you have a hard drive larger than this size, verify that

there is at least 500MB of free hard disk space. This available space allows the

computer to have room for the swap file to increase in size as well as room for

temporary files.

Hard drive corrupted or fragmented

Run Scandisk or something equivalent to help ensure that there is nothing physically

wrong with the computer hard disk drive.

Run Defrag to help ensure that data is arranged in the best possible order.

Background programs: Remove or disable any TSRs or programs that automatically

start each time the computer boots.

Hardware conflicts

Verify that the Device Manager has no conflicts, but if conflicts are present, resolve

them.

Issues with Windows XP Prefetch

If you have Windows XP try deleting all files in the prefetch directory. These are

prefetch files and can lower system resources if loading programs are no longer being

used.

Issues in Windows 95 / 98 autoexec.bat/config.sys

If you are using Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows 98 and do not plan on running any

MS-DOS programs from MS-DOS, click Start /Run / type command and press enter, in

the MS-DOS window type cd/ to get to C:/> then type "ren autoexec.bat autoexec.ch"

and "ren config.sys config.ch". This will rename your autoexec.bat and config.sys and

help make sure memory is being optimized through Windows.

Computer or processor is overheating

Make sure your computer and processor is not overheating, excessive heat can cause a

significant decrease in computer performance some processors will even lower the

speed of the processor automatically to help compensate for the heat related issues.
Specific operating system basic troubleshooting

Try running through the basic troubleshooting steps for your operating system.

Erase computer and start over

Finally, if none of the above solutions resolve your issues, it is recommended that you

reinstall Windows and /or erase everything and then start over.

Hardware issues

If your computer continues to be slow after going over each of the above

recommendations it's possible that your computer is experiencing a more serious

hardware related issue such as a failing component in the computer. This could be a

failing or bad CPU, RAM, Motherboard, or other component.

Issue

I have problems in Windows after installing new software.

Cause

After installing any type of utility, driver or other software program on a computer you

can encounter an almost endless list of issues that can be caused by any of the below

reasons.

• Confliction with other software installed on the computer.

• Issue with program.

• Improper installation or problems with installation.

Solution

Reinstall or uninstall the program. If you're encountering problems with your computer

or other programs after installing new software on your computer attempt to uninstall

the program and see if the issues persist. After the program has been uninstalled try

installing the program again.

Note:

If after installing a program you're unable to boot into Windows, try booting

into Safe Mode.

Check for software program updates or new versions

If you continue to experience issues verify that the program, game, or utility you're

installing doesn't have any updates by visiting the developer of the program website.

If you're installing a software program or drivers for a hardware device such as a

printer, attempt to get the latest software and/or drivers from the manufacturer instead

of using the included software.

If all else fails, make sure your computer and monitor are plugged in and turned on.
 Chapter 8

~ Storage Devices ~
 STORAGE DEVICES

What is a “Storage Device” and how do you use it?

• Storage Device: The Hardware components that write data to and read from
storage media.
• Computer Data Storage: often called storage or memory refer to computer
components, devices and recording media that retain digital data used for
computing for some intervals of time.
• Memory: Usually refers to a form of semiconductor storage known as random
access memory (RAM).

Purpose of Storage
There are various forms of storage, over time many different ways of computer storage

have been invented. All of the forms have some drawbacks and some are even obsolete

like the floppy disk. New ideas are brought out and the computer systems contain

different kinds of storage with individual purposes.

The most common unit of storage is the byte; equal to 8 bits.

• Data: Numbers, letters, or symbols that the computer process into meaningful
information.
• Central Processing Unit (CPU): The most important part of every computer
operates data, performs calculations and controls all the other components.
• Primary storage: Presently known as memory, is the only one directly
accessible to the CPU. The CPU continuously reads instructions stored there and
executes them. Any data actively operated on is also stored there in uniform
manner.
Without significant amount of memory, a computer would merely be able to perform

fixed operations and immediately output the result. It would have to be reconfigured to

change its behavior.

Different types of Storage Devices

• Optical storage: Refers to storage systems that use light beams to read data

from the surface of an optical disc. Data is stored a series of lands and pits on

the disc’s reflective surface. Generally speaking, optical storage systems provide

higher storage capacities than typical magnetic storage systems, but they

operate at slower speeds.

• CD (Compact Disc): A type of optical storage medium, identical to audio CDs.

The type used n computers is called compact disc read only memory. You cannot

change the information on the disc or record over it.

• CD-ROM (an abbreviation of "Compact disc read only memory") is a Compact

Disc that contains data accessible by a computer. While the Compact Disc format

was originally designed for music storage and playback, the format was later

adapted to hold any form of binary data.

• CD-Recordable (CD-R): An optical disc drive that enables the user to create

customized CD-ROM discs. Data that is written to a CD-R disc cannot be

overwritten.
 Data max size Audio max size Time

Type Sectors (min)

(MB) (MiB) (MB) (MiB)

8 cm
94,500 193.536 ≈ 184.6 222.264

283,500 580.608 ≈ 553.7 666.792

650 MB
333,000 681.984 ≈ 650.3 783.216

700 MB
360,000 737.280 ≈ 703.1 846.720

800 MB
405,000 829.440 ≈ 791.0 952.560

• Flash Memory Drive: A small-format storage device that uses flash memory to

hold data. This highly portable storage device is small enough to be carried on a

keychain.
Most flash drives are available in 256MB, 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB.

Great Features:

• In addition, flash drives also have a cap for security and a blinking light
that blinks during data transfer.
• Come in different designs.
• You can save video clips, songs, photos and all types of files.

6-in-1 PCMCIA Adapter

• 6 in 1 PCMCIA adapter is convenient and gives high-speed access to your

storage card and for any Smart Media Card (SM), Memory Stick (MS), Memory

Stick Pro (MS Pro), Secure Digital Card (SD), Multimedia Card (MMC), XDigital

(XD) card equipped products.

• Uses: Digital Camera, PDA, MP3 player, and other products that are compatible

great features.
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