INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER
Computer
Computer is a machine that performs tasks, such as processing of data and storage, calculations, or electronic communication, under the control of a set of instructions called a program. Programs usually reside the computer and are retrieved and processed by programmer by the computer’s electronics. The program results are stored or routed to output devices like video display monitors, or printers. Computer performs a wide variety of activities reliably, accurately, and quickly.
Computer hardware: The physical, touchable, tangible and also a components or parts of a computer is known as Hardware. These include the memory that stores data and instructions; the input devices such as keyboard and mouse that allows the user to communicate with the computer; the output devices such as printers and video display monitors that enable the computer to present information to user.
Computer Software: The programs that run the computer are called software. Software generally is designed to perform a particular type of task-for example, to write a letter, to display and modify a photograph, or to direct the general operation of the computer.
Uses of Computer
• In banking, computer keep and check credit status of customers, and transfer fund electronically.
• Computers are used extensively in scientific research to solve mathematical problems and investigate complicated data.
• Computer programs and applications exist to aid every level of education, from programs that teach simple addition or sentence construction to programs of higher teaching.
• In business, computers keep record or personnel, inventories, productions and supplies.
• Compute are used in engineering works and various artistic designs.
How Computer Works
Booting: This startup process begins with turning on the computer’s power. At the end of this, icons are displayed on the desktop. Icons are small graphic images displayed to represent various packages, files and commands.
Turning off your computer:
Click on the start button by the down-left side of the screen. Click turn off computer, and finally click turn off and wait for the system to shut down. (Clicking means pressing the left or right button on your mouse, but in turning off your computer, left-click).
Operating System:
When a computer is turned on, it searches for instructions in its memory. These instructions tell the computer how to start up. Operating System is the basic software that controls or makes the compute work. It prompts the user for input and commands, interprets commands, enabling the user to communicate with the computer. It also reports the results of the commands and other operations, stores, manages data, and controls the sequence of the software and hardware actions.
When the user requests that a program run, the operating system loads the program in the computer’s memory and runs the program. Popular operating system such as Microsoft Window and the Macintosh System (Mac OS) has graphical User Interfaces that use pictures or icons to represent files or commands. To access these files of command, the user clicks the mouse on the icon or processes the combination of keys on the keyboard.
Input Devices:
These devices such as a keyboard or mouse permit the computer user to communicate with the computer. Other devices include a joystick, a rod-like device often used by people who play computer games. A scanner, which converts images such as photographs into digital images that the computer can manipulate; a touch panel, which senses the placement of a user’s finger and can be used to execute commands or access files; and a microphone, used to input sound such as the human voice can activate computer commands in conjunction with voice recognition software.
Central Processing Unit (CPU):
Information from an input device or from the computer’s memory communicated to CPU, which is the part of the computer that translates commands and runs programs.
The CPU is a microprocessor chip containing millions of tiny, microscopically wired electrical components. Information is stored in a CPU memory location called a register. Register can be thought of as the CPU’s tiny scratchpad, temporary storing instruction or data.
When a program is running, one special register called the program counter keeps track of which program instruction comes next by maintaining the memory location of the next program to be executed.
The CPU’s control unit coordinates the CPU’s functions, and it uses program counter to locate and retrieve the next instruction from memory.
In a typical sequence, the CPU locates the next instruction in the appropriate memory device. The instruction then travels from the computer’s memory to the CPU, where it is stored in a special instruction register. Meanwhile, the program counter changes-usually increasing-so that it contains the location of the instruction that will be executed next. Any data the instruction needs are retrieved and placed in the CPU’s registers. The CPU executes the instruction, and the results are stored in another register or copied to specific memory locations.
Output Devices:
Once the CPU has executed the program instruction, the program may request that the information be communicated to an output device, such as a video display monitor, printers, videocassette recorder, and speakers.
WORD PROCESSING
(Microsoft Word)
Introduction:
Microsoft Word is a word-processing application, specially designed for text-based documents. Its is an electronic equivalent of typewriter, paper, pen, eraser, and even thesaurus as it is capable of finding and correcting spellings. Word simplifies the tasks associated with editing documents, deleting text, inserting new text, and document formatting.
Note:
This book contains many illustrations to teach you step-by-step, the packages of Microsoft Office without any difficulty.
Use only option out of the alternative options provided in some commands. This is in order to contradict the laid down procedures.
Always press the left button of your mouse whenever you are instructed to click, select, or double-click, except if specified that your right-click.
After the booting of your system, some icons representing different applications and windows display on the desktop (your monitor screen)
To Open the Ms Word window
• Let the cursor, (your mouse pointer) be on the Microsoft Word icon.
• Right Click on the Microsoft Word icon on the desktop.
• Click on open in the character displayed.
Alternatively, if the icon is hidden from the desktop.
• Click on start button below the desktop
• Place your mouse pointer/cursor on programs. (It displays the b series of installed software packages).
• Click bon Microsoft Word from the list.
The Word package opens for use.
The features of the Window’s screen
1. Title bar: This is where the program title (Microsoft Word) displays on the screen. It also contains Minimize, Maximize, and close buttons at the right end of the title bar.
2. Menu bar: This is the bar where you can make several commands by clicking on the menus in the bar. These menus as you can see are File, Edit, View, Insert, etc.
3. Tool bar: This is the next bar to the menu bar on the screen, containing icons and buttons to help you identify the commands they represent. You can identify the commands by placing the mouse pointer directly over each button and icon and pause to see what the button or the icon stands for.
4. Scroll bar: This is the vertical and horizontal bar located on the right and lower part of the screen, meeting with the Status bar below. You will learn how to use those mentioned as we move on.
Basic Applications
Press and hold the Shift key when you want to select by typing from the two functions written on some keys on your keyboard, or if you want to enter a capital letter when needed. Although, this is done automatically at the beginning of a text after pressing the space bar, the Enter key or putting full stop and pressing the space bar to begin another sentences.
Start by entering some text as follows:
• Type Correspondence and press the Enter key (Pressing the Enter key takes you to the beginning of a new line).
• Press Enter again (This places a paragraph in the text).
• Type To: and press the spacebar (the longest key on your keyboard. This places a space mark in the text).
• Press the Tab key (The Tab indents the text, that is, it moves the typing further away).
• Type Ken Bolton and press the Enter key twice.
• Type From: and press the Tab key.
• Type Johnson Isaacson and press the Enter key twice.
• Type Subject matter: and press the Tab key.
(You will see that ‘Subject matter’ extends beyond the first tab mark).
• Press the Backspace key sixteen times to delete the tab character and the text-Subject matter.
• Type Re: and press the Tab key.
• Type Notice of Meeting and press Enter twice.
• Type you are hereby notified of the monthly meeting, which shall come up next week at the usual venue and time. Your attention is highly needed, as important issues concerning certain changes shall be discussed.
Microsoft Word automatically moved the word to the beginning of the next line, even though you did not press Enter key. This automatic characteristic is called word-wrap.
Saving your text:
• Click on File in the menu bar.
• Click on Save as from the character displayed.
(Save As dialog box displays)
Although Microsoft Word displays a file name according to the first line of text in the document, but let’s make a choice.
• Type Meeting in the space for File name
By default, that is, the windows setting, Microsoft Word saves files to My document folder on your computer’s hard drives. You can later select another folder of your choice by clicking on the drop-down arrow in front of My document written in the space for Save in.
• Click on Save in button.
Closing your File:
• Click on File in the menu bar
• Click on Close
This did not close the windows but only closed your file. The three buttons at the right end of the title bar enable you to minimize, maximize, restore and close the windows. You may click on the third button to close the windows.
Opening your File:
• If you have closed the windows, open the Microsoft Word windows as you were taught. If otherwise, continue from the next step.
• Click on File in the menu bar.
• Click on Open
• Click on Meeting in the dialog box.
Alternatively;
• Open My Document folder the same way you opened Ms Word windows.
• Double-click on Meeting, your file name.
(Another way to open a folder or windows is to double-click on the folder name or the windows and wait for the windows display).
Text Editing
You can edit text by adding to, or removing from it.
• Place the insertion point, that is, the mouse pointer at the end of the text you typed and click.
• Press Enter key on the keyboard twice to place a paragraph.
• Type your presence shall be appreciated.
Deleting a text:
• You will first highlight the text.
Do as follows to learn how to highlight:
• Press and hold the mouse left button on the first or the last letter of the text – Your presence shall be appreciated and drag the mouse forward or backward respectively, depending on your choice of where to start.
• Now press the Delete key.
• Type Thanks for your usual cooperation.
You now know how to edit, highlight, and delete a text.
Another way to highlight and delete a text:
• Click on the first or the last letter of the text.
• Press and hold the Shift key (key your left hand) and press the right or left of the four arrows keys on the keyboard (with your right hand) respectively. Press each of the four arrow keys depends on the direction from which you want to highlight the text or letter. The upward and downward respectively.
• Press the Delete key you can also delete by pressing the Backspace key as many times as the letter(s) or word(s) you wish to delete, but first click in front of the last letter of the text.
Saving your document after editing:
• Click on File menu
• Click on Save
When saving your text the second time and the subsequent saving of the same text, you click on Saved and not Saved As. The later is only used to create a file name when saving document the first time.
Having done this, you have saved your text after editing.
Any version of Ms Word package older than 2003 may not work in some areas according to the laid down procedures in this book.
Opening of a new document:
Do as follows to start typing another new document, after saving the previous one.
(Note that the previous file is not closed).
• Click on File in the Menu bar
• Click on New
• Click on Blank Document in the New Document options displayed on the right.
Alternatively;
• Click on New Blank Document button in the (Standard) toolbar By doing this, you have opened a new file,different from the previous one which you have saved.
To start typing the text below:
• Press the Caps Lock key to enable you type the heading in block letters
• Press it again after typing the heading to deselect it
• Finish your typing before putting the title at the center. The next command after the text will teach you.
ATTITUDE OF A WINNER.
Do you remember the last time your sweetheart promised to visit you on a weekend? Yea, you hardly sleep overnight. You were excited and expectant with intense desire to see her.
We depend on one another for all kinds of things. As a result, there is a disappointment and the song is of anguish. "Why me? Why me?”
No one came to this earth empty. Everyone has come full of something very unique. No two people are ever the same. Everyone is unique in himself. That is why there should be no basis for comparison or unhealthy rivalry. The responsibility therefore for activating, releasing, and maximizing your hidden potentials is yourself alone. There are vast resources within you that can make you a winner. In addition, it is only you that can release it. You came to this earth full, but you must leave empty. The greatest tragedy in life will not be the death but what dies with you. If you die full, that is, with your potentials unreleased, you have contributed immensely to the wealth of the cemetery
Moreover, to depend on another person psychologically and atomically means to depend on another human being for your happiness. Consider this fact. If you do, the next thing you will realize whether you are conscious of it or not is that other people contributed to your happiness. People of this kind always have their mind burdened with fear of loss. This is not to say you should not love, but let not everything about your life centers on human being.
May success be yours in all your endeavors.