Do you know how to use a computer? If so, do you enjoy working with one? Or could you be a person who, for whatever reason, has put off learning how to use a computer?
I love computers, and it seems that I’m always learning something new! I’ve been teaching adults how to use computers for several years. In fact, most of my students have been boomers and seniors. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of you folks (reading this article) have previously been students of mine.
Starting with the September 2009 issue of the Active Boomers & Seniors newspaper, I’ll provide tips in an article each month that relate to computers in some way. I’ll try to mix it up—covering what I call “beginner–beginner” computer information, as well as more basic beginner, and possibly intermediate, computer information. I might ask questions here and there, so each reader can experiment and determine a solution that works best for him or her. Although it takes patience sometimes, I thoroughly enjoy working with my adult students. I hope you find something of interest, and benefit in some way from my articles and computer tips.
Students often ask me what type of computer I use. Most of my computer work has been done using a desktop PC (personal computer) with a mouse. Actually, I’m using laptop computers a little more these days, and I understand the popularity of them. But I’m still faster with a mouse than a touch-pad – so I tend to prefer using a mouse! Also, most of the information I pass along will likely be based on Microsoft Office 2007 and Internet Explorer. These happen to be the programs available in the computer lab where I work.
Remember the following important tip—especially if you’re a computer novice, and you’re afraid that you’ll “mess things up” when you work on a computer.
There really isn’t a “right” way or a “wrong” way to accomplish various computer tasks. Often, there is more than one way to perform any given task. I always tell my students to work on a task in a way that works best for them—usually by experimenting a little.
For example, when I want to open up an icon (graphic), such as the Internet Explorer icon on my computer desktop, I always double-click my mouse on the icon. However some of my students have difficulty double-clicking fast enough to actually open the icon. So, even though many people do double-click an icon to open it, that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the “right” way to perform this task.
So, if you have difficulty double-clicking icons, try this next time. Point your mouse to an icon and single-click on it; then press the Enter key on your keyboard. The icon will open up in exactly the same manner as if you had double-clicked it!