computer and internet

COMPUTER AND INTERNET

Computer:

A computer is a programmable machine. The two principal characteristics of a computer are: It responds to a specific set of instructions in a well-defined manner and it can execute a prerecorded list of instructions (a program).

History of Computer

First generation: 1937 – 1946 - In 1937 the first electronic digital computer was built by Dr. John V. Atanasoff  and Clifford Berry. It was called the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC). In 1943 an electronic computer name the Colossus was built for the military. Other developments continued until in 1946 the first general– purpose digital computer, the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) was built. It is said that this computer weighed 30 tons, and had 18,000 vacuum tubes which was used for processing. When this computer was turned on for the first time lights dim in sections of Philadelphia. Computers of this generation could only perform single task, and they had no operating system.
Second generation: 1947 – 1962 - This generation of computers used transistors instead of vacuum tubes which were more reliable. In 1951 the first computer for commercial use was introduced to the public; the Universal Automatic Computer (UNIVAC 1). In 1953 the International Business Machine (IBM) 650 and 700 series computers made their mark in the computer world. During this generation of computers over 100 computer programming languages were developed, computers had memory and operating systems. Storage media such as tape and disk were in use also were printers for output.
Third generation: 1963 - present - The invention of integrated circuit brought us the third generation of computers. With this invention computers became smaller, more powerful more reliable and they are able to run many different programs at the same time. In1980 Microsoft Disk Operating System (MS-Dos) was born and in 1981 IBM introduced the personal computer (PC) for home and office use. Three years later Apple gave us the Macintosh computer with its icon driven interface and the 90s gave us Windows operating system.
How to Operate Computer?

Materials Needed:

- CPU

- keyboard

- monitor

- mouse

- speakers
- printer
- Operating System

Step 1

Prior to powering up the computer system, make sure that the power cord is firmly connected to the back panel of the CPU and is plugged into the wall socket.

Step 2

Check if the video cable is firmly screwed to the port of the video card with the other end connected to the back panel of the monitor.

Step 3

Make sure that both the keyboard and mouse pointing device are securely plugged to the back panel. Also, check if they are connected to the correct port by checking on the markings. Steps 1 to 3 are essentially easy to do because aside from the mouse and keyboard devices, other components can only be plugged into their proper ports preventing the novice user from interchanging them.

Step 4

When all connections are secure, start up the machine by pressing the power button normally located in the front panel of the CPU.

Step 5

Depending on the configuration of the machine, a username and password may be requested; otherwise, the Operating System may be loaded directly to display the desktop to the user.

Step 6

Other basic operations that can be done include adjusting monitor settings in Step 8. Installation and launching of software is outlined in Step 10. Navigation of the file system is detailed from Step 15.

Step 7

The proper way to shut down or turn off the computer system is by clicking on the 'Start' button and choosing the 'Turn Off Computer' option. This will display the options to 'Standby', 'Restart', or 'Turn Off' the machine.

Step 8

To adjust the monitor settings, right click on any blank portion of the desktop and select the 'Properties' option from the context menu.

Step 9

On the 'Display Properties' window, select the 'Settings' tab to adjust the resolution of the screen. The 'Themes' tab will allow the loading of pre-designed Windows themes. The 'Desktop' tab provides the way for changing the color of the desktop as well as the displayed wallpaper. The 'Appearance' tab provides the various options of changing the behavior of the windows, icons, and other elements of the platform, while the 'Screen Saver' tab shows the option to allow the monitor to go on standby or display animation.

Step 10

To extend the functionality of any computer system, software is normally installed into the local hard drive. A software installer may be through some media like a CD or DVD or from being downloaded from the Internet.

Step 11

For CD or DVD installers, insert the installation disk in the CD or DVD drive of the machine. This will be automatically read and launched by the Operating System.

Step 12

When the installation process is initiated, a new window will normally be displayed to the user. Majority of newer installers provide either a default or an advanced installation procedure. In most cases, simply click on the default process to allow the installer to complete the entire process with minimum user intervention.

Step 13

Upon completion of the installation process, a user may be prompted to reboot the machine. Follow the guide in Step 7 to accomplish this task.

Step 14

To launch the software, simply click on the 'Start' Menu, choose 'All Programs' and select from the menu the program intended to be run. An alternative to this process is to check if a shortcut link is created on the Desktop. Clicking this icon will also launch the associated program.

INTERNET

What is Internet?
The Internet, sometimes called simply "the Net," is a worldwide system of computer networks - a network of networks in which users at any one computer can, if they have permission, get information from any other computer (and sometimes talk directly to users at other computers). It was conceived by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of the U.S. government in 1969 and was first known as the ARPANet.

How to Operate Internet?

Select a search engine. At the top of any page on your browser (the window that you open to use the internet), type the phrase “search engines” into the Search Bar to attain access to several different internet sites that specifically aid in searching. Common search engines .

2. After typing in whatever you want to search, press the Enter key on the keyboard of your computer.

3. Choose a few of the most specific or relevant keywords or phrases to describe your topic. Utilize synonyms. Type your choice of words into the Search Bar offered by your chosen search engine.

·         Generally, capitalization and punctuation are not needed.

·         Search engines usually disregard minor words such as "the, and, to, etc."

4. Click Search or press the Enter key on your keyboard.

5. Assess your results. Search through your list of web pages to pinpoint information.

6. Repeat above steps as necessary.

·         Choose a different search engine.

·         Choose new search words that are more or less specific

7. Use the Advanced Search found on most sites. For example, if you want to go to Advanced Search on Yahoo, 

 8. Use the Site Map of a site, if there is one.

9. It is not correct to assume that your subject is more or less equally visible in all search engines, so it is very important that you use a non-biased search engine (such as Yahoo, DuckDuckGo...). Recent engines sort pages also by rank that is assigned is a complex, ever changing, usually secret way and is different for every search company. Google sorts by who pays them, which means that they feature those sites and you may not get all the information that you need. While engines will likely be "consistent" for highly popular web sites, less popular web sites may be ranked very differently and it may make sense to try multiple engines.