Step 2.1 - Learning to use the operating system

THE DESKTOP

The first screen (image) that you see on your monitor, after having turned on the PC (and after the loading of the operating system) is the DESKTOP. This is the starting point to access all the PC resources.

THE ICONS

Those small images that are on the desktop, they are called ICONS. The icons are used for opening the programs (or applications).

THE TASKBAR

In the bottom of the desktop there is a strip called TASKBAR. It contains the connections of some applications (or programs) and it displays the applications that are used.

THE START BUTTON

On the left of the Applications Bar you can find the START BUTTON, which is the starting point to access all the resources of the computer.

THE POINTER

That small arrow, which you can find on the desktop, is the mouse POINTER.

INPUT AND OUTPUT

Move the mouse to the right and to the left, up and down, you see that the pointer moves.
Well, you have given your first command.
You have informed the computer that you wanted to move the pointer through the mouse, and the computer through the monitor has carried out the command.
Information insertion in the PC is called INPUT, while the coming out information from the pc is called OUTPUT. The mouse is therefore an input tool, and the monitor is an output one.

CLICKING

Besides moving the mouse, you can give commands with the mouse keys. The main key (except different setup) is the left key, while the right key is the secondary key.
Clicking means that you have to press the left key of the mouse and immediately release it.
Double-click means clicking twice in fast succession (keeping the mouse still).
Therefore, when you will see it written:
click,
double click,
it is implied that you will have to press the left key of the mouse.
In the case you will have to use the right key, you will be specifically requested to click with the right key of the mouse.

RUNNING AN APPLICATION BY THE MOUSE

After so many words, let's pass therefore to the practice.
1 - Move the pointer above the Start button
2 - click the Start button
3 - move the pointer on the entry “All Programs”.
After some seconds, the menu looks different.
4 - Move the pointer on the entry “Accessories” and click. Under the entry “Accessories” the linked entries appear.
5 - Click on the entry “Notepad”.

Well, you have run your first program.
That rectangle that has overlapped to the desktop is called WINDOW.
When you run a program (or application) one or more windows are opened.

CLOSING AN APPLICATION (1)

To close the window of the program "Notepad" that you have opened,
1 - moves the pointer to the right aloft of open window (above the cross) and
2 - click.

THE KEYBOARD

Besides the mouse, the KEYBOARD is the tool that is used for communicating with the PC.
Besides having keys like a typewriter, a PC keyboard has other special keys, predisposed appropriately to give commands to the computer.

THE WINDOWS KEY LOGO

Down on the left of the keyboard there is the KEY with engraved the WINDOWS LOGO (between the key CTRL and the ALT one).

THE ENTER KEY

The ENTER KEY is placed instead on the right of the keyboard and it is represented by an arrow directed to the left with a small stem turning upward (there is normally the writing enter).

ARROW KEYS

The ARROW KEYS are placed on the right low of the keyboard and it is a group of four keys represented by arrows turned to the four directions.

RUNNING AN APPLICATION BY THE KEYBOARD

To open a program, you can use also the KEYBOARD.
1 – Press by the keyboard the key “Windows Logo”
2 - Press the arrow keys to move on the menu.
When the wanted entry menu is underlined,
3 - press the Enter key.
4 - Close the application by a click on the small cross up on the right of the window.

OPENING AN APPLICATION FROM THE DESKTOP

On the desktop there could be some icons.
Well, the programs also can be run by those icons linked to them.
1 - Double click (click twice in fast succession) on the icon.

THE MENU TOOLBAR

On almost all the programs you will see aloft a horizontal bar containing some writings (or entries) like “File”, “Edit”, “View”, and so on.
This bar is called MENU TOOLBAR and contains all the commands that you need for using that program.

CLOSING AN APPLICATION (2)

There is another way to close an application:
1 - from the menu bar of the open window, click on "FILE"
2 - therefore, from the submenu that it opens, click on “CLOSE”.

SHUTTING DOWN THE COMPUTER BY THE MOUSE

If in your PC you have installed the Windows Vista operating system,
1 - click on the button "Start"
2 - move the pointer above the small arrow low on the right
3 - click on the entry "Shut Down".

OPTION BUTTONS

When you use the programs, you will often find some windows that will contain OPTION BUTTONS.
These are represented by white little balls, and only one of these can be active (or it can have the black little ball in its inside).
Then, if you click on the button "Ok" of that window, the command linked to the active little ball will be run (active option button).

SHUTTING DOWN THE COMPUTER BY THE KEYBOARD

If in your PC you have the Windows Vista operating system,
1 - press the Windows logo key
2 - press the right arrow key some times up to make the pull-down menu appear
3 - press the Enter key.