“Learn Technology, Learn the Computer, Learn Your Desktop” (The L3): Enter a Tech Savvy World Still in Exploration by Great Enthusiasts. Be a Part.

Copyright © 2012 by Joko Austin Bryant.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2012912026

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4771-3872-4

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4771-3871-7

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4771-3873-1

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CONTENTS

Introduction

What Is A Computer?

Computer Types

What Is the Internet?

Conclusion

References

Introduction

This book is being written with two major thoughts in mind. It can be used as a textbook whereby students in the classrooms up to secondary education, or even college education, can enrich their minds and build a solid foundation with a basic education in computer technology and other related technologies. This is true because the materials presented herein are not limited to the computer, how it evolved, who the key players have been, how its functions have transformed from inception till today, but also how it interrelates to technologies that have come along, whether or not they stemmed directly from the original computer. The student will craft his/her mind with knowledge that is crucial to success by reading and exploring new discoveries that can be applied to the real world. The student will discover that the computer provides an enhanced sphere of learning, working, interacting, and staying on top of things, because the computer can be separated from hardly anything in the classroom or workplace in this new era, and this fact continues to hold at an astonishingly increasing rate.

This book is also being written with the workplace in mind. Government agencies and offices, corporations, small businesses everywhere the world over, should have this specific goal toward success—increase productivity. After addressing so much about the computer and how it came into being, the book goes further to delve into the types of computers we use today and the latest technologies in relation to the computer also in use. Industries cannot function properly without efficient and effective secretaries and office workers. And to possess one or both of these qualities, the employee must adapt to new steps at one point and devise strategies that improve the work process.

Upon the provision of a general overview of the computer, the latter chapters turn to the specifics of the personal computers (PCs) and the Microsoft operating systems and user environments. In the Microsoft Windows computing systems, many functions can be performed using the standard methods with the keyboard and mouse, and again in the shortcut methods with key combinations that speed up the task at hand, and make the computing experience more rewarding and exciting.

Computer technology has grown significantly over the years since inception, made dramatic changes, and taken various forms, types, and shapes. Computer types have changed from the mainframe of yesterday to the personal computers, tablets, and handheld devices today. No matter how one sees it, the average smart phone and personal digital assistant (PDA) have proven themselves to be acceptable handheld computer types, considering the many functions they can execute aside from making a simple phone call.

Again, the purpose of this book is to provide the reader/learner with a basic overview of the knowledge of not only the desktop aspect of computing, but a broad perspective of its hardware architecture and software types and their functions. In such context, the term academic refers to the learning of technology through reading, feeling, experiencing, and exploring the different aspects of a piece of technology. That goes beyond the typical street-sense knowledge of the role technology plays in our daily lives.

What Is A Computer?

A computer is an electronic device designed to accept data, perform prescribed mechanical and logical operations, and display the results of these operations. The computer is also referred to as a processor, a name given to the most powerful chip in the computer, which performs tasks ranging from the simplest to the most complex.

A desktop computer

A laptop computer

The History of Computers

While on the learning curve to discover some good things you can do today through the use of the computer and related technologies, it should help considerably to learn a little about whence, how far, and from whom all of it evolved. This book guarantees that the full details of all sought information that address those subjects will not be found here, but obviously, the table below will provide you with a reliable foundation. It will be worthwhile to the reader to utilize every piece of information of interest herein for further research for the purpose of attaining a broader knowledge of the history of computers.

The table provides a statistical overview of the entire age of the computer—its birth, life, growth, and many transitions, which now shape a significant aspect of the livelihood of mankind worldwide. Let’s begin.

The Computer-Age Table