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Microsoft Windows XP and Office XP
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1. Microsoft Windows XP User Interface
A user interface is a combination of hardware and software that you use to communicate with a computer. The hardware portion of the interface consists primarily of the monitor, mouse, and keyboard. The software consists of the programs that engage you in a dialog. A graphical user interface (GUI) consists of graphics and icons as well as text, that provide a convenient, user friendly environment on the computer.
Older interfaces, called command-line interfaces, required you to type keyword commands or memorize special keyboard keystrokes to communicate with the interface. Most interfaces today are GUI, and incorporate intuitive, colorful graphics, the use of a mouse, and Web browser-like features. The net effect is that operating systems such as Windows 2000 are very user friendly.
2. Objects on the Microsoft Windows XP Desktop
The Windows XP desktop contains a variety of graphical and textual information. You will see icons, which represent documents or applications that you can launch. There are buttons, such as the close button, which shuts down a particular window. The bottom of the screen contains a taskbar, which contains a variety of buttons indicating which windows are currently open on the desktop. There is also a mouse pointer that you can control to point to the features of the desktop.
For Windows XP tips and tricks, visit Office XP More About Web page (http://www.scsite.com/offXP/) and then click on Windows XP Tips and Tricks. To improve Windows XP performance, visit Office XP More About Web page (http://www.scsite.com/offXP/) and then click on Windows XP Performance.
Note that most of the items on the Windows XP desktop are considered to be objects. Even the desktop itself is an object. Every object has properties, which are unique to that object and affect what can be done to the object or what the object does. For example, one of the properties of an object is its color, such as the current color of the desktop.
3. Basic Mouse Operations: Point, Click, Right-click, Double-click, Drag, and Right-drag
The mouse is a pointing device attached to the computer by a cable (unless it is infrared). To point the mouse means to move it across a flat surface until the mouse pointer is where you want it on the desktop. If you land on a standard icon, you will see a ScreenTip, which gives information about the icon. Single-clicking means to press the left mouse button once. You can also right-click the mouse, which will display a shortcut menu containing commands that are specific to that icon. To double-click means to press the mouse button two times, in rapid succession. This generally has the effect of launching an application or document. To drag means to point to a desired item, hold down the left mouse button, move the item to the desired location, and then to release the left mouse button. You can also right-drag, which moves an item and displays a shortcut menu.
4. Open, Minimize, Maximize, Restore, Scroll, and Close a Windows XP Window
The upper right corner of a window normally has three buttons: minimize, maximize, and close. If you click on the minimize button, the window is removed from the desktop and changes to a non-recessed button on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. Clicking this button restores the window to its last size. If you click the maximize button, the window will occupy the entire desktop area. If you click the close button (X), the window closes and is removed from the taskbar. You can scroll a window by clicking the scroll arrows, clicking the scroll bar, or dragging the scroll box.
5. Move and Resize a Window on the Desktop
You can move a window anywhere on the desktop by pointing to the title bar and dragging. You can size a window by pointing to any of its corners. The mouse pointer changes to a two-headed arrow. If you drag the corner the window will grow or shrink depending on how you drag it. You can also resize a window by pointing to any of its borders and dragging.
To perform tasks using the keyboard you must understand the notation used to identify which keys to press. These are called keyboard shortcuts. One kind of shortcut consists of pressing a special function key, such as F1. A second shortcut method involves holding down one key and then pressing a second key, as in CTRL+ESC, which means hold down the CONTROL key and then press the ESCAPE key. In Windows XP, the F1 key gives you access to Help about Windows XP. The CTRL+ESC combination opens the Start menu.
Note that most Windows functions can be accessed with keyboard shortcut keys. However, it is strongly recommended that you use the mouse, which is simpler, more direct, and more intuitive to use than memorizing the various keyboard shortcuts.
7. Launch and Quit an Application Program
An application program is a program that allows you to accomplish a specific task, e.g., word processing, or spreadsheet. Some applications are part of Windows XP, e.g., Windows Explorer. Other are purchased separately, such as Office XP.
There are several ways to launch a program. One method involves the Start menu.
First, click the Start button on the taskbar and then point to Programs. Once the Programs submenu appears, point to the program you want to launch. To quit a running program, point to and click the close (X) button in the right-hand corner of the application window.
Other ways to launch Internet Explorer include:
8. Elements of the Exploring Window
Windows Explorer is an application that allows you to view the contents of the computer, the hierarchy of folders on the computer, and the files and folders in each folder. To start it, right-click the My Computer icon and then point to and click the Explore menu item. The window contains a Folders pane, showing the names of the folders on the computer. The right side of the window shows the Contents pane.
You can change the size of each pane by dragging the bar that separates them. The Folders pane displays a hierarchical structure of folders. The Contents pane shows the contents of a given folder or icon.
Note that the status bar at the bottom of the my Computer window contains the number of folders, or objects, displayed on the Contents pane or the window. It also displays the amount of disk space the objects occupy and the amount of unused disk space. If the status bar does not display, click View on the menu bar and then click Status Bar.
9. Create, Expand, and Collapse a Folder
To display the contents of the local disk drive, point to and click the "Local Disk (C:)" folder name in the Folders pane of the My Computer window.
The Contents pane shows the files and folders accessible on the C: drive. The left pane of the Contents pane contains information about the drive. If a folder contains non-visible subfolders, you will see a plus sign (+) to the left of its icon. To expand the folder point to and click the plus sign.
Another way to expand a folder is to double-click its icon. Alternatively, you can select the folder icon and press the PLUS SIGN (+) on the numeric keypad (or the RIGHT ARROW).
If a folder has been completely expanded you will see a minus sign (-). To collapse a folder, point to and click the minus sign. To create a new folder, right-click anywhere in the white area of the Contents pane. Point to New on the shortcut menu. Point to and click Folder on the New submenu. Type a name for the new folder.
Another way to collapse a folder is to double-click its icon. Alternatively, you can select the folder icon and press the MINUS SIGN (-) on the numeric keypad (or the LEFT ARROW).
10. Select and Copy One File or a Group of Files
When copying files, the drive and folder containing the files to be copied are called the source drive and source folder respectively. The drive and folder receiving the copies are called the destination drive and folder.
You can select a group of files by holding down the CTRL key and then clicking on whichever files you want to select. To copy the group, click on any of the selected files and right-drag the group into the destination folder.
Release the right mouse button and point to and click the Copy Here option on the shortcut menu.
Note that you can select contiguous files (files listed in a row) by selecting the first file and then holding down the SHIFT key. Then select the last file in the group. All the intervening files will be selected.
To select all the displayed files, click Select All from the Edit menu and the click the OK button.
11. Rename and Delete a Folder or File
To rename a folder, point to the folder name. Click the name twice, but do not double-click the name. Type the new file name.
Other ways to rename a file include the following:
To delete a file, right-click its name. Point to and click the Delete command on the shortcut menu. When the Confirm File Delete dialog box displays, click the Yes button.
There are many other ways to delete a file. Some of them include:
Warning: deleting is one of the only ways you can do harm on a computer. Be very careful when deleting and make sure you really want to delete.
After completing your work with Windows Explorer, you should quit the program. First point to the Close button (X) on the Exploring window title bar. Click the Close button.
Windows Help provides a variety ways to obtain help information. The Contents sheet allows you to browse by category. First click the Start button on the taskbar. Point to and click Help. Click the Contents tab. The left pane is called the Navigation pane and contains four tabs. The right pane is called the topic pane. To find a topic in help, click the desired topic from the list in the Navigation pane. Click the desired subtopic. Click another subtopic if necessary. Finally, read the help information in the Contents pane.
Another method of obtaining help is to click an open area of the desktop and then press F1. You can also press the WINDOWS+F1 key combination.
A second method of searching is to use the Index sheet, which contains an alphabetized list of index entries. Click the Index tab and then type in a word to search for. Click the topic in the entries list. Click the Display button and read the information in the Contents pane.
You should use the Shut Down command to shut down Windows XP. Click the Start button on the taskbar. Next, point to and click Shut Down on the Start menu. Point to and click OK on the Shut Down Windows dialog box. Do not turn off the computer until Windows informs you that it is safe to do so.
Other ways to shutdown the computer include:
Note that you should never shut down the computer simply by turning it off. Windows has a shut down procedure that saves all open disk files and does other housekeeping activities. Turning off the computer without properly shutting down can result in a loss of data.
Microsoft Office XP
15. Identify Each Application in Microsoft Office XP
Microsoft XP is the latest edition of the office suite. It comes in three varieties: Standard, Professional, and Developer. The Professional Edition includes Word 2002, Excel 2002, Access 2002, PowerPoint 2002, and Outlook 2002.
If you have a microphone you can use Office's Speech Recognition software to speak the names of toolbar buttons, menus, menu commands, list items, screen alerts, and dialog box controls. You can dictate text or have the computer speak back a document that has already been entered.
More frequently used menu will be displayed at the top of a menu. More frequently used buttons will be displayed, while less frequently used ones are not displayed. Finally, Office XP makes it easy to share information with colleagues over the Internet.
You can obtain additional information about any Office XP application by clicking Help on the menu bar of any XP application window. Then click Office on the Web. Explore a Web page by clicking on a hyperlink. After clicking a hyperlink, click the Back button to display the last Web page.
16. Define the Internet, the World Wide Web, and an Intranet
The Internet is a worldwide network of thousands of computer networks and millions of computers. The World Wide Web is a user-friendly, graphical interface for exploring the Internet. A Web site consists of a single Web page or multiple Web pages linked together. The first Web page in a particular site is called the home page. A unique address, called the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) uniquely identifies each Web page. A browser allows you to locate and view a Web page.
An Intranet is a special type of Web that is available only to the users of a particular type of computer network, e.g., within a single company or organization.
17. How Each Microsoft Office XP Application Uses the Internet
Each of the Office XP applications provides Internet accessibility. Word (word processor) makes it possible to design and publish Web pages, insert hyperlinks, as well as access other Web pages and send e-mail.
Excel (spreadsheet) allows you to create hyperlinks to other Office XP documents, to an Intranet, or to the Internet. You can save your spreadsheet as a static (unchanging) or dynamic (editable) Web page.
Access (database management system) has similar capabilities. Data access pages permit you to share a database with other users on a network, intranet, or Internet.
PowerPoint (presentation graphics) has similar features and allows you to publish a slide presentation on the Internet or an intranet.
Publisher (desktop publishing) allows you to create professional-quality Web documents. FrontPage is a Web authoring and site management tool.
Outlook (Desktop Information Management) helps you organize and schedule projects with the ability to share information with co-workers. Finally, the Web toolbar allows you to search for and open XP documents that you have placed on an intranet or the Internet.
18. Microsoft Office XP Help System
Office XP provides several ways of accessing help information from any of its applications. The Office Assistant answers questions and suggest more efficient ways to complete a task. It displays whenever you start an XP application. You can also access help from the various Help buttons.
The Office Assistant is completely customizable and you can select one of nine Office Assistants, including a variety of options on their behavior.
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