Mysteries of the Computer

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Mysteries of the Computer
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Desktop Regions
Start Menu
Taskbar
Tray
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Areas of Desktop

• Desktop Windows environment area to organize
  information, icons, programs, files
• Taskbar Elements
• Start button on left, opens Start Menu shows
  commonly used programs
• Central area of taskbar - shows active programs
• Tray area to the right, holds the b/t/s (behind
  the scenes) programs. Ex. Time/date. Volume,
  virus protection

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Icons

• Icon picture that stands for an object
• System icons come preloaded with operating
  system, ex. Recycle Bin, My Computer
• Program icon shortcut to a program stored on
  the hard drive, uses shortcut arrow
• File/folder icons identify saved documents and
  folders

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Areas of Control

• - Minimize, takes program to Taskbar
• Maximize, takes program to full screen
• X Closes or Exits from a program

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Major Components

• 3.5 inch floppy (A)
• Local disk (C)
• CD ROM/DVD (D)
• Middleschool on mbsbr2 (M)
• General on mbsbr2 (X)

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Media Types

• Media hardware to store data
• 3.5 floppy 1.4 Mb (Megabytes) A/
• Local disk permanent storage varies in size
  measured by Gb (Gigabytes) C/
• CD ROM Compact Disk Read Only Memory D/
• CD-R Compact Disk Recordable 740 Mb app.
• CDRW Compact Disk Rewriteable
• DVD Digital Video Disc 4.7 G
• Thumb drive, flash drive various sizes 128 M,
  512 M, 1 G uses USB port on computer

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Memory Info

• 8 bits one byte
• 1000 bytes one kilobyte
• 1,000,000 bytes one Mb (megabyte)
• 1,000,000,000 bytes one Gb (gigabyte)
• 1,000,000,000,000 bytes one Tb (terabyte)
• One byte one character (letter, symbol, space
  or punctuation mark)

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Two Types of Memory

• RAM Random Access Memory
• Temporary memory
• Measured in Mb (128, 256, 512)
• Volatile because it is always changing
• Erases when the power is turned off
• Stored in DIMMS, SIMMS, DRAM, etc.
• Can be upgraded
• Larger RAM memory allows your computer to process
  faster

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More Memory

• ROM Read Only Memory
• Preloaded with your computer
• Size never changes
• Nonvolatile because it never changes
• Controls communication between computer components

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Hardware

• Visible touchable parts of the computer system
• 5 Categories of hardware devices
• Input Devices keyboard, mouse
• Processing CPU, Central Processing Unit the
  Brain
• Output Devices monitor, printer
• Auxiliary Storage computers hard drive (C)
• Main Memory RAM and ROM memories

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5 Categories of Computer Hardware
NOTE direction of data
Auxiliary Storage
Hard Drive, C
Output
Input
Processing
Central Processing Unit
Output Devices Monitor Printer Speakers Zip or
Floppy Disk Drive
Input Devices Keyboard Mouse Zip or Floppy Disk
Drive CD ROM
Main Memory
RAM and ROM
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Software Info

• Software is the set of instructions to the
  computer.
• Application software designed to solve
  problems, ex. MsOffice, games, Encarta.
• Utility software program to handle housekeeping
  jobs, ex. disk repair, virus protection.
• Disk Operating System software program to
  control operation of the computer and handle
  internal communication, ex. Windows, MAC OS,
  Linux.

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GUI

• Graphical User Interface (GUI) gives a face to
  the operating system. Allows the user to choose
  from various menus, ex. Start menu, cascading or
  drop-down.
• Another option is to use a command line Cgt
• This opens a DOS command line and uses DOS
  commands.

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Integrated Package

• Software package that includes several programs
  that operate with similar rules. In Microsoft
  Office, same saving procedures (except for
  Access), spellcheck, copy and paste, function
  words. Integrated packages easily share
  information between pieces.

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Word Processing (WP)

• Software to write, edit, save and print
  documents.
• Wordwrap automatically takes text to a new line.
  Return forces a new line.
• Microsoft Word uses .doc extension.
• Marked sections of text are called blocks. They
  can be moved, copied or deleted. First they must
  be highlighted.
• Extension for Word is .doc

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Function Keys

• Combination of 2-3 keys to shortcut an action.
• In integrated package programs (MsOffice) they
  perform the same function.
• CtrlP printing
• CtrlS saving
• AltF4 universal exit
• CtrlAltDel brings up Task Manager.

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Icons (Small boxed pictures)

• Graphics that stand for other options
• On your desktop, icons can represent Windows
  options like Recycling Bin or My Computer. They
  can also represent program shortcut or saved
  files and folders.
• Within a program like Word, icons provide choices
  for saving, cut and paste, etc.

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DATABASE MsOffice Access

• Software to create a table of data. Its purpose
  is to store, organize and analyze related data.
• Microsoft database is Access.
• Basic structure is a table.
• Types of data fields are text, number, data/time,
  currency and memo.

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Attributes of a Field

• Field Name must be unique and as short as
  possible while accurately describing the field,
  avoid special characters.
• Field Type classifies type of data
• Text - alphanumeric characters
• Number stores only numeric values
• Date/Time stores dates OR time
• Currency stores dollar amounts
• Memo stores several lines of text

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Attributes continued

• Field Size number of characters it can store.
  For number fields Long integer stores whole
  numbers and single stores decimals.
• Field Format how data is displayed
• One field must contain unique data the computer
  can set up the Primary Key, then the field is
  called Autonumber.

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Changing data

• Adding data is called inserting or appending.
• Deleting removes data.
• Under the Table format, you can create and edit
  in the Design View.
• Also in the table format, the Datasheet View
  allows for data entry.
• Extension for Access is .mdb

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Other Database Functions

• Sorting re-arranges data in in a specific order.
• Ascending sort orders the data in a particular
  field from A-Z or the lowest to greatest number.
  Descending order reverses the sort.
• Writing a Query limits the displayed records
• Writing a report organizes and formats the data
  for printing

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Spreadsheet MsOffice Excel

• Software to create a table of data
• Data is expressed as Alphanumeric (letters or a
  combination of letters and numbers) or Numeric
  (numbers)
• Alphanumeric data is called a label
• Numeric data is called a value
• Excel extension is .xls

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Spreadsheet Structure

• Vertical line of data is called a column. It is
  labeled by letters, A-Z,AA-IV.
• Horizontal line of data is called a row. It is
  labeled by numbers, 1-9999.
• The rectangle at their intersection is called a
  cell, it is named by its column letter, followed
  by row number, A4, Z12.
• The cursor that highlights an active cell is the
  cell pointer.

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Special Tools

• Boundary- area between columns to enlarge cells
• Formula Bar-displays contents of active cell
• Merge and Center-blends several cells together,
  centers contents of cells
• Methods of choosing cells- square between A and
  1, CtrlA, highlight w/mouse

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Formula Rules

• A formula is a set of mathematical instructions.
• Formulas can contain 4 elements cell names,
  numbers, math operators and function words.
• Math Operators are symbols used to represent ( ),
  ., /, , -. (different w/computer keys)
• Formulas follow the rules of PEMDAS
• ( ) ( OR /) ( or -)
• All formulas are introduced by an equal sign
• Examples (A2C5J19g3)/4

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Function Rules

• Function words are terms understood by the
  computer. They can shortcut math operations. Two
  are SUM and AVERAGE.
• The cells must be contiguous (touching) in a
  column or a row.
• Use only the function word and the cell range
  (beginning cellending cell)
• Examples SUM(A5A22)
  AVERAGE(B12G12)

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Internet References

• Internet is a system of interconnected computers
  that can communicate to share information (text,
  music, graphics, video) in an open market. Each
  page on the Internet has a unique address in this
  format http//www.mbsbr.org
  
• Email (electronic mail) is a person to person
  communication in this format kgora_at_mbsbr.org
• Each includes a domain name and extension
• Common extensions are com, org, mil, gov, net and
  edu.

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Locating Internet Resources

• Three ways to locate information
• Type in URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
• Address is unique, usually all lower-case
  letters, no spaces, punctuation is exact.
• Begins with http// (hypertext transfer protocol)
• Use a Search Engine like www.yahoo.com
• Use Boolean limitors like ,-, and, to
  limit search
• Use hyperlinks, colored underlined words that
  link to another page on the Internet
• These links can move back and forth between pages