Computing with Windows 7 for the Older and Wiser E-Book

Adrian Arnold

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 356

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

Computing with Windows® 7 for the Older & Wiser is a user friendly guide that takes you step-by-step through the basics of using a computer.  Written in an easy-to-understand, jargon free language, it is aimed at complete beginners using PCs running on Microsoft Windows® 7. 

Inside, you will find step-by-step guidance on:

• Using the keyboard & the mouse
• Navigating files and folders
• Customising your desktop
• Using Email and the Internet
• Word processing
• Organising your digital photos
• Safely downloading files from the Internet
• Finding useful websites and much more

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

The Third Age Trust

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Publisher’s Acknowledgements

Icons used in this Book

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Chapter 1 - Introduction

Age considerations

Stretching the mind

Guardian angels

The uses of a home computer

Using the Internet

Communication

Information

Shopping

Hobbies

Sports

Holidays

Fears of using a computer

Financial security on the Internet

Equipment needed

How to use this book

PART I - Basic Computing

Chapter 2 - Getting to know the computer screen, keyboard and mouse

Turning the computer on

The computer screen: Desktop

The keyboard

The computer mouse

Turning the computer off

Chapter 3 - Windows

The anatomy of a window

Chapter 4 - Navigating drives, folders and files

Disks and drives

Memory and storage

Libraries, folders and files

Navigation

The Address bar

Favorites

Chapter 5 - Getting to know your Windows 7 Desktop

Personalising your Desktop with themes

Changing the mouse pointer

Gadgets and Side bar

Start menu

Creating and deleting shortcuts

Task bar

Windows Explorer

Chapter 6 - Opening your first program: word processing

Cursor and pointer

Selecting text

Formatting

Dropdown menus

Inserting text

The Backspace and Delete keys

Saving your work

Quick Access toolbar

Chapter 7 - Getting help

Windows Help facility

Chapter 8 - Installing software

Getting started

Installing a program

Copyright issues

PART II - The Internet and email

Chapter 9 - Understanding email and Internet concepts

The concept

Choosing an ISP

Type of service

No such thing as a free service

Dialup and broadband connections

Dialup

Broadband

Dialup versus broadband

Wired or wireless

Setting up an Internet connection

Registration window

Usernames

Passwords

Chapter 10 - Introducing the Internet and World Wide Web

Using Internet Explorer

Setting your Home Page

Using the Web - a couple of practical lessons

Alternative web browsers

Chapter 11 - Finding things online

Search engines

Other search engines

Metasearch engines

Directories

Finding answers to your questions

Just a note about YouTube

Chapter 12 - Shopping online

Economics of the Web

Buying on the Internet

Price comparison websites

Chapter 13 - Booking travel online

No-ticket booking

Other forms of travel

Chapter 14 - Buying and selling on Internet auctions

eBay

PayPal

Registration

Buying on eBay

Selling on eBay

Chapter 15 - Downloading a program from the Web

Types of software

Downloading and installing Picasa

Chapter 16 - Using email

The concept

Installing Windows Live Mail

Opening Windows Live Mail

Receiving emails

PART III - Advanced techniques

Chapter 17 - Getting started with digital photography

Transferring photos from camera to computer

Scanning photographs

Using digital photo services on the Web

Improving your photos

Microsoft imaging tools

Storage and backup

Storage on the Web

Commercial software

Chapter 18 - Advanced word processing

Quick Access toolbar

Formatting

Useful tips

Chapter 19 - Advanced email

Junk mail

Viruses and other nasties

Sorting your messages

Other email tools

Email on the Internet

Additional email addresses

Chapter 20 - Advanced uses of the Internet

Alternative web browsers

Browser toolbars

Google tools

Listening to the radio on your computer

Blogging

Chapter 21 - Using Windows Live Essentials

Downloading Live Essentials

PART IV - Glossary

Glossary

Index

The Third Age Trust

The Third Age Trust is the body which represents all U3As in the UK. The U3A movement is made up of over 700 self-governing groups of older men and women who organise for themselves activities which may be educational, recreational or social in kind. Calling on their own experience and knowledge they demand no qualifications nor do they offer any. The movement has grown at a remarkable pace and offers opportunities to thousands of people to demonstrate their own worth to one another and to the community. Their interests are astonishingly varied but the members all value the opportunity to share experiences and learning with like-minded people. The Third Age Trust’s endorsement of the Older and Wiser series hints at some of that width of interest.

This edition first published 2010

© 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher.

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Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries

Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publisher is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold on the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Arnold, Adrian.

Computing with Windows 7 for the older and wiser: get up and running on your home PC/Adrian Arnold. p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-0-470-71065-4 (pbk.: alk. paper) 1. Microsoft Windows (Computer file) 2. Operating systems (Computers)

3. Computers and older people. I. Title.

QA76.76.063A7577 2010

004.084’6—dc22

2009045972

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Set in 11/13 Zapf Humanist 601 BT by Laserwords Private Limited, Chennai, India

Dedication

For Harrison, Jemima, Noah, and Jude

Acknowledgements

This book would never have seen the light of day had it not been for the enthusiasm of the publisher, Chris Webb, and his great team of Martin Tribe, Colleen Goldring, Chloe Tunnicliffe, and Ellie Scott who are based in Chichester.

I am also indebted to the hard work by both my development editor, Kenyon Brown, and technical editor, Dwight Silverman, in the States during the gruelling editing process.

Once again I would like to emphasise the unflagging support offered by my wife, Jen, when the writing became difficult.

About the Author

Adrian Arnold qualified as a veterinary surgeon from Cambridge University in 1964. Having served as an assistant in general practices in Dunstable and Woking he set up his own veterinary practice in Crawley in 1968. Having created a four-man, two-centre practice the family decided to move to Colchester in Essex where he set up another new practice in 1987. Throughout this time he became a freelance journalist writing for both the local and veterinary press. In 1989 he became one of the first vets in the country to computerise his veterinary records and computing has remained a hobby ever since.

For the past fifteen years he has been teaching the ‘older and wiser’ how to use their home computers both individually; at Age Concern in Colchester and at the University of the Third Age.

His other hobbies included light aircraft flying, digital photography, reading and travelling to meet friends and relatives in Europe, America, Africa and Asia.

Adrian and his wife, Jen, who still sits as a magistrate, have three children and four grandchildren while they enjoy his retirement in a small village in the Stour Valley.

Publisher’s Acknowledgements

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Editorial and Production VP Consumer and Technology Publishing Director: Michelle Leete Associate Director-Book Content Management: Martin Tribe Associate Publisher: Chris Webb Assistant Editor: Colleen Goldring Publishing Assistant: Ellie Scott Content Editor: Claire Spinks Project Editor: Juliet Booker Development Editor: Kenyon Brown Technical Editor: Dwight Silverman Copy Editor: Sarah Lewis

Marketing Senior Marketing Manager: Louise Breinholt Marketing Executive: Chloe Tunnicliffe

Composition Services Compositor: Laserwords Private Limited Proof Reader: Sarah Lewis Indexer: Geraldine Begley

With thanks to U3A member, Mrs Gillian Brown, for naming our Older and Wiser owl “Steady Stanley”. This was the winning entry from the U3A News competition held in October 2009.

Icons used in this Book

Throughout the book you will notice symbolic images. These have been introduced to help focus your attention on certain information and are summarised as follows:

Equipment neededLets you know in advance the equipment you will need to hand as you progress through the chapter.Skills neededPlaced at the beginning to help identify the skills you’ll need for the chapter ahead.TipTips and suggestions to help make life easier.NoteTake note of these little extras to avoid confusion.WarningRead carefully, a few things could go wrong at this point.Try ItGo on, enjoy yourself you won’t break it.TriviaA little bit of fun to bring a smile to your face.SummaryRecap at the end of each chapter with the short SummaryBrain TrainingBrain training, test out your memory.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

To build upon the lessons learnt in this book, visit www.pcwisdom.co.uk

• More training tutorials

• Links to resources

• Advice through frequently asked questions

• Social networking tips

• Videos and podcasts from the author

• Author blogs

1

Introduction

This book is written for those who are about to use their first home computer or those who have yet to explore the wider opportunities afforded by a computer beyond searching the Internet and sending the occasional email message. You have my word that there will be very few acronyms and those that do appear will be fully explained in the text. I will assume no previous computing knowledge or experience and technical jargon will be noticeable only for its complete absence. The book is written in plain, understandable English. I could describe Windows 7 as “an operating system that comes in both 32- and 64-bit versions which is far less power hungry than its predecessors” - words that would scare the living daylights out of you while you quickly put it back on the bookshelf determined to return to your gentler pastimes of bridge or stamp collecting. Instead I will tell you that Windows 7 is just a new way of getting your computer to do what you want. You do not have to understand the technical intricacies of computers themselves or Windows 7 any more than you need to understand the mechanics of a fuel injection system in order to drive a family car.