HOW TO OPERATE
How to operate computer
There's a lot you can do with a computer, but if you're just getting started, it can seem pretty daunting. Luckily, computers have gotten simpler over the years, which means you don't need to be a tech whiz to learn your way around a PC or Mac. From setting up your new computer to safely browsing the internet and installing your favorite programs, this wikiHow teaches you the basics of using a Windows or macOS computer.
Part 1
Part 1 of 5
1.Set up your computer.
If you are setting up a new desktop computer, there are a few steps you will need to go through before you can start using it. After finding a place near your desk to put the tower, you will need to connect your monitor, keyboard, and mouse, as well as plug the tower into a power source.These are the only things required to be connected to the computer in order to use it. You can add more peripherals and accessories later.If you are using a new laptop, you will have significantly less to set up. Plug your laptop into a power source to ensure that it is charged, and then press the power button to turn it on.
2.Create an account.
If it's your first time turning on a brand new computer, you'll usually be asked to create an account. This account will hold all of your documents, pictures, downloaded files, and any other files that you create.When creating any type of account, you'll need to come up with a strong password to protect your personal information. Even if you're the only one who will be using the computer, you'll still want to protect it with a password to prevent hackers and thieves from accessing your data.If you're aren't asked to set up a new account, you may already have an account on the computer. If the computer is at your workplace or school, you'll usually be assigned a username and password by your administrator. Contact your work or school's IT department to find out which username and password you should be using.
3.Get familiar with the desktop.
The desktop is the main work area of your computer. Your desktop appears every time you log into your account, and contains icons and shortcuts to your programs and files. The desktop will look and function differently depending on which operating system (such as Windows or macOS) you're using:If you're using Windows 10, you'll have a horizontal bar at the bottom of the screen—this is called the Taskbar, and it's where you'll find the Windows Start menu (sometimes just called the "Windows menu" or "Start menu." This icon looks like a flag made of 4 small squares, and it'll be at the bottom-left corner of the screen. Click this icon to find the applications (apps) on your computer.Windows 8 has replaced the Start menu with the Start screen. It functions much the same way, but is fundamentally different in the way it displays information.If you have a Mac, you'll see a horizontal bar with icons at the bottom-center part of the screen. This is called the Dock, and it's where you'll find your apps, folders, files, and quick shortcuts. To find your apps, click the Launchpad icon on the Dock—this looks like a rocket on some Macs, and like 9 multicolored squares on others.[1]Also on your Mac is the menu bar, which is the horizontal bar running along the top of your screen. The menu bar is where you'll find the controls for the currently-active app, as well as the Apple menu, which is represented by an Apple icon. The Apple menu is where you'll find the settings and preferences for your Mac.
4 .Learn mouse and keyboard basics
The mouse and keyboard are your primary means of interacting with your computer. Take some time to get familiar with how they work and how you can interact with your operating system and programs.Learn how to use a mouse to navigate. Your mouse allows for pinpoint navigation and control, and is necessary for a wide variety of activities. There are a variety of mouse types, and some have more buttons than others.A mouse on a Windows PC usually has two buttons—the left button is your primary mouse button, while the right mouse button generally opens menus and features. You'll usually need to double-click (click twice quickly) to open files and folders.A mouse on a Mac tends to have only one button. If you are used to using Windows and switching to a Mac, this may be confusing, especially when you're told you need to "right-click" something. To right-click on a Mac, you'll press and hold the Command key as you click your mouse button.If you're using a laptop that has a trackpad (a finger-controlled mouse) rather than a separate mouse, you can move the cursor around by dragging your finger on the pad. Some trackpads have separate buttons you can click, while others don't appear to have buttons at all. On a trackpad, you'll usually click by double-tapping, or by pressing hard enough to click the entire pad with one finger.
5. Open an application
Even if you built your computer yourself, there will be some preinstalled applications and utilities that you can use without having to install anything new. If you are using Windows, click the Windows Start menu (that's the Windows icon at the bottom-left corner) to browse through your available programs. If you are using a Mac, click the Launchpad (the 9 multicolored squares or rocket icon) on the Dock.
6.Find your files.
Both Windows and macOS have special apps you can use to browse, open, and manage your files. When you open your file browser, you'll see your files separated into special folders—these folders have names that describe the types of files inside. For example, your Documents folder is where you'll usually find the files you create in Microsoft Office, Pages, and other apps, while the Pictures or Photos folder is where you'll find your photos.Windows: The Windows file browser is called File Explorer. You can open it by clicking the folder icon on the Taskbar, or by pressing Windows key + E on the keyboard.macOS: The Mac file browser is called Finder, and you can open it by clicking the two-toned smiley face icon on the left side of the Dock.
7.Install a program :
Install your first program. Installing software is a very common task on a computer, no matter what kind of computer you are using. The process is usually very straightforward, as most installers give clear instructions for each step. Both Windows and macOS now have their own easy-to-use "stores" that make it easy to find and install apps with no computer experience at all.Windows: If you're using Windows, you can use the Microsoft Store to browse for and install all types of apps. Some apps are free, while others cost money. You'll find the Microsoft Store in the Windows menu, but you can also open it by typing store into the Search bar and clicking Microsoft Store in the search results.macOS: Your Mac has an app called App Store, which allows you to browse, search for, and install free and paid apps. Click the blue icon with a white "A" on the Dock to open the App Store.Once you learn more about using your computer, you can start installing apps from places outside of the Microsoft Store and App Store. Both Windows and macOS have their own unique apps, and installing those apps is a little different on each operating system.
How to operate Ipad :
it'll be fun, they said. It just works, they said. And to be fair, the iPad is a spectacularly intuitive and user-friendly computing device. But even the iPad has its moments of head-scratching bafflement, and we all have to start learning somewhere.
This article explains the basics of iPad ownership. It should be perfect for the beginners and the newcomers, but we think everyone will find something here they didn't know before. If you'd prefer some buying advice, try our iPad buying guide and roundup of the best iPad deals.
How to turn it on
An iPad has very few buttons: there's the Home button on the front, below the screen; the power button, at the top right; volume buttons, on the righthand edge; and possibly (depending on the model) a mute switch, next to the volume buttons.
If the iPad is only in sleep mode, you can wake it up by pressing the Home button or the power button. But if it's been fully powered down (which is likely if it's just been bought or delivered) then you'll need to hold down the power button until an Apple logo appears .
How to turn it off
You can press the power button to enter sleep mode (which will be disturbed if any notifications come through - new iMessages and so on). To power off completely, hold down the power button for about rive seconds, until you see 'slide to power off' at top of the screen. Swipe your finger across this to power off.
Set up your iPad
If you've got a brand-new iPad (or one you've inherited from someone else) then you'll need to set it up. This includes connecting to a Wi-Fi network, entering or creating an Apple ID, choosing a passcode, setting up Touch ID and selecting various options.
We walk you through this process in a separate article: How to set up a new iPad. We'll be ready for you when you come back.
Passcodes & Touch ID
You will have been encouraged to set a passcode as part of the setup process, and you may have entered your fingerprint for Touch ID, too (although some older iPads don't have fingerprint scanners).
When you wake the iPad from sleep, by default you will have to enter the passcode or appropriate fingerprint to unlock it. (You can turn this off by opening the Settings app, tapping Touch ID & Passcode, entering your passcode, and tapping Turn Passcode Off. But we don't recommend it.)
Under certain circumstances, you will have to enter the passcode - Touch ID won't be accepted. These include when you wake up the iPad from complete power off, after you've updated iOS, and if you've not used the iPad for a long time.
If you get the passcode wrong more than five times iOS will start to add time delays (because it will start to suspect that you are not the real owner). Each time you get it wrong from then on, the longer the delay. If you get the passcode wrong 10 times in a row, you will be locked out of your iPad and will have to wipe it. (We do have some advice on this subject, though: How to bypass a forgotten passcode on iPhone or iPad.)
You can change the passcode, or add new fingerprints, from the Settings app. But you'll have to enter the old passcode to get into the Touch ID & Passcode section.)
How to charge your iPad
iPads have a rechargeable battery. The amount of battery power you've got left will be indicated by a small bar at the top right of the screen.
(You can also choose to have it show a percentage figure next to this bar, by opening the Settings app and going to Battery > Battery Percentage. But don't worry, we'll come back to apps, and Settings in particular, in due course.)
If battery is starting to get low, you'll need to plug the Lightning cable that came with your iPad into the port at the bottom of the device. Plug the other end of the cable into the wall plug that also came with the iPad, and plug that into a power socket. (You can also plug the cable into a Mac or PC's USB port, but charging will be slower that way.)
The Home button has a few other functions. You can press and hold it to activate Siri, iOS's voice-control feature - tell it to "Translate I love you to French" or try one of our funny questions.
You can double-press the Home button to see thumbnails of recently opened apps: swipe across to see more, and tap one to open that app. You'll also some small buttons and sliders on the right, which we call the Control Centre, but we'll come back to that later.
The Settings app
We've mentioned Settings a few times so it's time we talked about it in a little more detail.
Settings is an app, and you'll see its icon on the Home page: it's a grey cog. Tap this to open it, and you'll see the main sections: Sounds, Battery, Display & Brightness and so on. Fortunately most of these are pretty self-explanatory, and there's a search bar above your name at the top (you'll need to swipe down to see it) so you can quickly look for settings relating to specific topics.
There's a lot to see and use here, so we've put together a guide: How to use Settings on iPad & iPhone.
How to install an app
We spoke about the app icons on your Home screen just now, but you'll have noticed that there aren't all that many at the moment. What if I told you that there are more than a million apps you can install on your iPad?
To get access to these apps, you need to open the App Store app - the icon is blue with a white A made of pencils and paintbrushes. In the App Store you can search for apps by name, or use the Today, Games and Apps sections to browse charts and curated collections.
T
he iPad will make a little beep to tell you that it's now charging. The battery indicator bar will turn green, and a small lighting bolt icon will appear next to it.
The Home button
At any time you can press the Home button (the one below the screen) to go back to the Home screen. This has a series of icons laid out in a grid. These are your apps: Mail, Calendar, Contacts and so on. Tap one to open it.
The Home page can have multiple screens, if you end up with more apps than can fit on one. Swipe left and right to see more pages of icons.
Comments
Post a Comment