Introduction

These classes are not designed to teach anything advanced or technical about computers. They will not teach you how to design, build, or repair computers, how to install a new hard drive or other hardware, how to write programs in C+ + or Virtual Basic, or even how to write web pages in HTML. To some of you, they may still seem rather technical. We need to keep a certain perspective. Nearly anyone who knows how to drive, that has owned a car for any length of time, knows far more technical information about automobiles that anything I'm going to tell you about computers. Probably any of you could name at least a hundred parts of a car without any trouble, and tell generally what they do. You know what to look for in a new or used car, can tell the difference between a car and a truck, or even a Ford and a Chevy. You know you need to have your oil changed every so many miles, keep your tires at such and such a pressure, etc.. You don't confuse miles per hour and miles per gallon, or fan belts and seat belts. But because cars have been around a lot longer than computers, these things don't seem so technical.

I hope that after these classes, you will know how to describe your computer to a tech support person, what to look for when buying or upgrading a computer, how to do basic maintenance on your computer, how to use your operating system to move, copy, rename, or delete files, how to install or uninstall programs, and generally how to use your computer effectively. We will look at a few essential types of software, such as word processors, and especially what they all have in common. I will explain how to get onto the Internet, how to use a web browser, and where to find basic kinds of information on the net. I will go over common types of file formats, and what programs you need to use them. I intend to start from the beginning, without assuming that you know anything about computers, but I also assume that you are not afraid of computers or learning a little bit of vocabulary. The emphasis will be on PCs running Windows 98 or 2000. Much of it will also apply to earlier (and later) versions of Windows, and some (mainly the Internet stuff) to other operating systems such as the Macintosh OS.