Basic Computer Skills

On any given day, you will encounter computer systems in much of what you do, even if you don’t realize it. The television channels you watch, the radio stations that you listen to, the car that you drive in, and even the cash register at the local grocery store are all controlled in some way by computer systems! They help us perform tasks, keep track of information, and even control the airplanes that fly above us. During the course of this class, you will learn about how computers work, how to perform simple tasks, and more. 

Anatomy of a Computer

As with most products, computers are designed in a variety of ways. There are, however,major similarities regardless of the brand (e.g., Dell, Apple, Acer, HP, Lenovo) of the computer. There are two main types of computers, desktops and laptops. However, all computers have the following components: 

THE MONITOR

The monitor looks like a television screen and is where you see what is happening on your computer. By using shadows and graphics with over a million different colors, much of what you see will appear 3-dimensional. Think of this as the ‘face’ of the computer. 

THE CPU (Central Processing Unit)

The CPU houses the machinery that allows your computer to work. Think of this as the ‘brains’ of the computer. This component looks very different in desktops and laptops, but it works the same.

THE KEYBOARD

The keyboard is one of two ways to interact with your computer. The keys should mostly mimic a raditional typewriter. 

THE MOUSE

This is the other way to interact with your computer. Most mice have two buttons—a right and a left button—and a scrolling wheel.