About the Author
Shelley O'Hara is the author of more than 100 books, including the best-selling Easy Windows and other top-selling titles. She has also authored a novel (The Marriage Trifecta), Web content, training materials, magazine columns, software manuals, and business and marketing materials. In addition to writing, O'Hara is an Associate Faculty Member in the English Department at IUPUI. She graduated from the University of South Carolina with a BA and the University of Maryland with an MA, both in English.
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IntroductionIntroduction
A computer is supposed to make things easier, and you probably grasped the basics with practice. Many of the tools for using a computer, such as selecting a menu command or making text bold, are fairly easy to master. But skills beyond that may seem positioned high up on a steep incline. In the 1,000-page books or in manuals where every feature is given the same importance, how can you find what you need, the skills you can use to make you more effective, to save you time and money, and to provide more possibilities and opportunities? How can you use your computer so that your work looks better and has fewer mistakes?
That's the purpose of this book. It highlights the top 50 most useful features, covers them step by step with accompanying figures, and stresses their benefits. By reading this book, you can see immediately the answers to questions such as "What will this do for me?" and "How will this help my computer use?" You can expand your computer skills, selectively, to just those tasks that have the biggest payoff. And you learn to do so in an uncomplicated manner. Learning is easy with this book; learning pays off in this book.
Because the book covers a range of features and skills, it's designed for all level of users. Beginners can find information to get started and to take advantage of all the features of having a computer. Intermediate users can learn new and better ways to perform common tasks. Finally, advanced users can find tips and techniques to improve their computer work.
Topics Covered
This book covers the top 50 things you need to know to use your computer effectively. The topics are arranged into 10 parts, with 5 topics per part. You'll find the following main topics:
Part 1, "The Basics," covers how to start Windows and run programs, as well as handle any problems with these two common actions. This part also discusses the very important skill of saving a document, as well as opening and printing documents.
Part 2, "Get Organized," focuses on how to manage your documents so that they are easy to identify and find. Good document management can save you time as well as prevent panic ("Where's that file?!"). Use this part to learn techniques for naming, saving, deleting, and undeleting your documents. You can also learn tips for managing your disk space, such as cleaning up unnecessary files.
Part 3, "Get Connected Through Email," explains all the key tasks for sending and receiving email. You learn how to attach files, handle file attachments, save time by using an address book, and set up options to work more effectively in Outlook Express (the email program included with Windows).
Part 4, "Go Worldwide," continues the theme of connectivity and explains the various ways you can use the Internet to do research, comparison shop, get current news, and more. Here you'll find the best techniques for searching the Internet, as well as how to customize Internet Explorer (the Web browser program included with Windows) so that you start with your favorite page and can select favorite sites easily and quickly.
Part 5, "Music, Video, and Pictures," shows you how to use the various multimedia elements of a computer, including listening to and recording CDs, downloading music from the Internet and burning your own CDs, viewing video files, and creating your own digital movies. You also learn how to work with digital images from a camera, scanner, or file source.
Part 6, "Save Time," highlights a range of ways to speed your work, including customizing the Start menu and desktop so that your most often-used programs are easily accessible. You also learn how to improve your disk performance as well as Windows' performance.
Every computer user encounters a problem at some point; the purpose for Part 7, "Get Out of a Jam," is to describe common problems as well as how to avoid and fix them. You learn how to handle file, printer, program, hardware, and Windows problems.
Windows includes many features for personalizing how it looks and operates; Part 8, "Express Yourself," explains these features. You can change how the desktop appears, use a different color scheme, and set up different user accounts (with unique settings) for each person that uses your computer.
Part 9, "Be Safe," focuses on safety concerns, including how to check for disk problems and viruses. You also learn online safety issues such as ensuring your privacy and protecting your computer from outside intruders. The most important precaution you can take is to back up your work; backing up is also covered in this part.
Part 10, "Expand Your Setup," discusses some of the additions you may make to your system. At some point during your computer's life, you'll most likely install new programs (as well as get rid of old programs) and add new hardware (for instance, a new printer or camera). You also may upgrade Windows or set up a home network.
With this organization, you can pick up the book at any point and start reading. You can skim to find topics of interest. You might pick a particular feature (such as email) and read the part that covers this feature. You can use the index to look up help on a particular feature. You can start at the beginning and read to the end. The content is designed to be usable in several different scenarios.
Advantages of This Book
In summary, this book
Covers the most useful features for making your work easier.
Provides the skill information in an easy-to-use format, including step-by-step explanations and annotated figures.
Explains exactly what you gain from mastering a particular skill. Because the tasks are based on the benefit or reward of a feature, you see the value to your work immediately.
Enables you to master basic, intermediate, and even advanced features without being intimidated.
Remember the computer's promise: to make things easier. Use this book to fulfill that promise!
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