This week\u2019s installation of Computer Basics will cover tips on getting the most out of input devices (keyboard, mouse, trackpad, joystick, etc.), file management, and window basics. Not Windows basics, but window, as in what you see on the computer screen. Leaping forward!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In every language, there\u2019s a standard keyboard layout. That doesn\u2019t mean you have to keep it that way, but if what you see on the key doesn\u2019t match what happens when you press the key, you\u2019re going to have trouble getting used to it. At first, you should keep the standard keyboard, and because this is a Basics series, we\u2019re going to assume you\u2019re doing that. You certainly don\u2019t have to \u201clearn to type\u201d in order to use a keyboard well, but it does make everything much easier and faster. You can find a \u201clearn to type\u201d course without cost just by doing a search for \u201clearn to type for free.\u201d There are more options than I could name here, even some YouTube videos. The objective isn\u2019t to become lightning-fast, but to get very familiar with where the keys are, so that even if you don\u2019t ever \u201ctouch type,\u201d you at least can hunt-and-peck quickly. However, there are some keyboard shortcuts you\u2019ll want to memorize, and knowing where the keys for the shortcuts live will make this so much easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of the most useful keyboard shortcuts have mouse movements (icons to click on), so you may wonder why you would bother to use keyboard shortcuts if you can click on an icon and do the same thing. If you are typing on the keyboard and you have to take your fingers off the keyboard to move your mouse and click an icon, it uses extra time and it can be really frustrating if your mouse isn\u2019t exactly where you think it is, if the cursor isn\u2019t exactly where you think it is, and if you can\u2019t get your hands back on the right keys quickly. I\u2019ll give you a list of them, and here is the convention I\u2019ll be using:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here we go with the key combinations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re using a Mac keyboard (which you can also use with Windows and Linux computers), instead of looking for a CTRL key, you\u2019ll look for a key that looks like a cloverleaf, and it\u2019s called the \u201ccommand\u201d key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why would I need to include instructions for how to use a mouse? For one thing, if you use a mouse for a long period of time without taking breaks, your dominant wrist will start to hurt, and you could end up with a repetitive stress injury. So, first of all, take breaks. But also, try to get a mouse that feels good. I use the standard mouse for work, but I don\u2019t use a mouse very much. For my personal computer, I have a mouse that is configured at a natural angle so that my hand sits at a 45-degree angle on the mouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A standard mouse has two buttons and a wheel on the top surface. Instructions will specify to use a \u201cclick,\u201d or a \u201cdouble-click\u201d, or a \u201cright-click.\u201d We live in a right-handed world, and that\u2019s not going to change anytime soon, so if you\u2019re left-handed, you can configure your mouse to work in a mirror of a right-handed mouse, but a right-click going to be called a right click, even though for a left-hander, it\u2019ll be a left-click. If someone says \u201cclick on \u2026.\u201d, you\u2019ll use the button under your index finger, and you\u2019ll only click once. If they say \u201cdouble-click,\u201d you\u2019ll use that same button, but you\u2019ll click twice. If they say \u201cright-click,\u201d you\u2019ll use the button that\u2019s not<\/em> under your index finger. Normally, it will be under your middle finger, and you\u2019ll only click once. When you\u2019re trying to open a hyperlink in a document or on the web, you only need to click once on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u201cclick and drag\u201d operation of a mouse is useful, but it will do different things in different environments. You\u2019ll put the cursor over something, press the mouse button and hold it, and move your mouse. If the item is draggable, it will follow the cursor as you move your mouse. Not all objects can be dragged in this manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Early mice used a ball inside the bottom of the device that rolled against sensor-connected rollers, which translated the movement of the rollers into a location on the screen. Having a mousepad helped the roller ball move more smoothly and provide a smoother vier of the ball\u2019s movement against the rollers. Today\u2019s mice use lasers to map the movement, and they don\u2019t require a mousepad. However, if the mouse is trying to work on a dark, shiny surface, the operation will be unpredictable. It may not even show up at all. All it takes is something opaque in any color for the mouse to work, as long as it\u2019s not shiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can adjust some mouse settings to fit your use. If you find that you have trouble double-clicking, you can go into the control settings for Mouse and adjust how fast a double-click should be. You can also adjust how fast the cursor moves when you move the mouse, and you can set it to show a \u201ctrail\u201d of cursors as you move the mouse. Some people find that useful to help them keep track of where the mouse is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The trackpad or touchpad (I\u2019m just going to say \u201ctrackpad\u201d from here on out) is the \u201ctouchy\u201d area on a keyboard that lets you use mouse actions without using a connected mouse. It takes practice to use the trackpad without accidently touching your hand on it while you\u2019re typing, and if you can\u2019t get the hang of that, you can always connect a mouse to your computer and use that, and maybe disable the trackpad when a mouse is present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The trackpad can also support gestures that either mimic mouse actions or mouse actions combined with key combinations. Here\u2019s an example: You can \u201cpinch\u201d or \u201cexpand\u201d your thumb and index finger to zoom in or out of a window, make it bigger or smaller. To do this with a mouse, you\u2019d use the scroll wheel while holding a key, typically the CTRL key. You can two-finger tap (two fingers simultaneously) to simulate a right-click. Using four fingers and dragging down minimizes all windows, using four fingers and dragging up displays all open windows in small imitations on the screen. Play around and find out what all your system does with different gestures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You should familiarize yourself with the desktop layout. You\u2019ll see icons and shortcuts that will give you quick access to things you use most often. You can move the icons around and group them into sections, if that makes it easier for you to work, but certain updates may scramble them or rearrange them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the bottom of the screen (some Linux distributions put it at the top), you\u2019ll see the Taskbar<\/em> (Windows) or the Dock<\/em> (macOS and Linux). It can hold program icons for programs you use most often, and even some documents. Also on the taskbar is the Start menu, and in some systems, a search bar. In the lower right of a windows system, you\u2019ll see the System Tray<\/em>. Its default configuration shows the date and time, battery status, network status, and sound output icon. You can click on the sound output icon and see where the system is currently going to output any sounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All of the operating systems offer you the option to change your desktop wallpaper and choose a \u201ctheme\u201d for your computer. A theme is more than just the wallpaper, though. It includes things like the color scheme for the borders of dialog boxes (the boxes that pop up to ask your preference or authorization to continue with something), the default font for the system\u2019s presentations in those boxes, the sizes of the icons on the desktop, dock, taskbar, etc., and, in the case of docs in macOS and Linux, how those icons in the doc behave (pop out, zoom to a larger size when you hover over them, etc.). You have options to personalize the computer no matter which operating system you\u2019re using, so make it yours!<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are several different ways to start a program, and you\u2019ll probably have a favorite, but it can be very useful to know several different ways to do it. I\u2019ll give you several options in each of the operating systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Windows 10 and 11<\/p>\n\n\n\n macOS<\/p>\n\n\n\n Linux (Some of the options vary by distribution and desktop environment, but this gives you several options)<\/p>\n\n\n\n These methods cover the most common ways to open programs across different operating systems. There\u2019s another way that works the same across the different platforms, and that\u2019s to double-click on a document. The system will open the appropriate program to use it. There may be times when one method just doesn\u2019t work, but another one may. It\u2019s good to know several ways to do things. If none of them will open the program you want to use, try rebooting the computer. If you still can\u2019t open the program, it has probably gotten corrupted, and you\u2019ll need to reinstall it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The file managers in all the different environments (Windows, macOS, and Linux) may have different names, but they all operate essentially the same. It\u2019s a hierarchical system, with files and folders nested in each other, like you\u2019d find in a physical file cabinet. You can create new files and folders, rename them, move them around by dragging into different locations, and delete them. If you delete a file or folder, it sits in the trash can or recycle bin until you empty it, unless your system is configured to empty the trash regularly. Don\u2019t get in the habit of using the trash can as a storage location, that\u2019s not what it\u2019s for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s helpful to try to keep your files and folders organized in some sort of system using broad categories. You can have multiple folders in each root folder. For example, in the Documents folder, you may have folders for Finance, Health Records, Auto Maintenance, and Household Repairs. It makes it so much easier when you\u2019re looking for a file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You close a document by clicking the X in the upper right corner in Windows and the upper left corner in macOS. Linux distributions treat the buttons differently, but they will be either upper left or right, and closing will always be the X button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Windows and in most Linux distributions, if you have multiple documents open for a particular application, for example, multiple Word documents, you can close each document individually, leaving all of the others open, and closing that last open document closes the application. For your Linux distribution, if you still see the application\u2019s menu bar at the top after you\u2019ve closed all the open documents, the next paragraph applies to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On macOS and other Linux distributions, closing the document only closes the document, and the application remains running \u201cin the background.\u201d That is, it\u2019s available for a quick launch of any documents within that application, but it won\u2019t be up and displaying a blank document like it would when you first opened it. You can close the application by clicking on the name of the application in the menu bar, and selecting \u201cQuit <application name>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If an application becomes unresponsive, use the Task Manager to force the close of the application. You can invoke the Task Manager in Windows by right-clicking in an empty space on the Taskbar or by pressing Ctrl-Shift-Esc, selecting the application, and selecting \u201cEnd Task\u201d in the upper right corner of Task Manager.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTrackpads\/Touchpads<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Navigating the Desktop or Home Screen<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Running Programs\/Applications<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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File Management<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Closing Applications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to Deal With Misbehaving Applications<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n