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Welcome to today's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Thursday, June 28, 2001
In this Issue:
Publisher's Note
Featured Computer Term: Multitasking
Topic: Virus Avoidance Quick Tips
Progressive Learning Series: Word Processing
Featured Website: Underwater Archaeology
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Publisher's Note
As of the last newsletter, we've completed out Progressive Learning Series on Printers. With today's edition, we're kicking off our series on Word Processing with Microsoft Word.
Enjoy!
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Today's Featured Computer Term: Multitasking
From the term Multitasking, you can probably deduce that it has something to do with performing multiple tasks. And, in assuming this, you would be absolutely correct.
Multitasking refers to the ability of the operating system to have more than one program running at a time, or, more specifically, to execute more than one task at the same time, a task being a program. The terms multitasking and multiprocessing are often used interchangeably, although multiprocessing sometimes implies that more than one CPU is involved.
In multitasking, only one CPU is involved, but it switches from one program to another so quickly that it gives the appearance of executing all of the programs at the same time.
Of course, running too many programs at once can cause your system to slow down, but, on these big, fast, newer computers, you'll have to have a lot of programs up and running to notice a marked slowdown.
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Today's Topic: Virus Avoidance Quick Tips
With all the email viruses that are spread on a daily basis, there's got to be some way to protect yourself. Here are a few ways to protect your computer from viruses.
Get anti-virus software. Anti-virus software on your computer, and frequent updates to your software, is the best measure you can take at preventing your computer from becoming infected.
Don't jeopardize your computer's stability by downloading unsolicited file attachments. Viruses are spread primarily by file attachment. They come in attached to innocent looking emails and invite you to click them. There's a powerful psychological force called curiosity that may cause you to do what you know you shouldn't.
Be aware of performance. Computer viruses manifest themselves in countless ways. Generally, unstable performance online is an indicator that your machine may have a virus. Get used to how your computer works. If you see anything weird or different happen, run, or update, your anti-virus software.
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Progressive Learning Series: Word Processing
Word Processing means using a computer to create, edit, and print documents. Of all computer applications, word processing is the most common. To perform word processing, you need a computer, a special program called a word processor, and a printer.
A word processor enables you to create a document, store it electronically on a disk, display it on a screen, modify it by entering commands and characters from the keyboard, and print it on a printer.
The great advantage of word processing over using a typewriter is that you can make changes without retyping the entire document. If you make a typing mistake, you simply back up the cursor and correct your mistake. If you want to delete a paragraph, you remove it, without leaving a trace. It is just as easy to insert a word, sentence, or paragraph in the middle of a document. Word processors make it easy to move sections of text from one place to another within a document, or to another. When you have made all the changes you want, you can send the file to a printer to get a hardcopy.
Word processors vary considerably, but all word processors have the following basic features:
Insert Text: Allows you to insert text anywhere in the document.
Delete Text: Allows you to erase characters, words, lines, or pages as easily as you can cross them out on paper.
Cut and Paste: Allows you to remove (cut) a section of text from one place in a document and insert (paste) it somewhere else.
Copy: Allows you to duplicate a section of text.
Page Size and Margins: Allows you to define various page sizes and margins, and the word processor will automatically readjust the text so that it fits.
Search And Replace: Allows you to direct the word processor to search for a particular word or phrase. You can also direct the word processor to replace one group of characters with another everywhere that the first group appears.
Word Wrap: The word processor automatically moves to the next line when you have filled one line with text, and it will readjust text if you change the margins.
Print: Allows you to send a document to a printer to get hardcopy.
Word processors that support only these features (and maybe a few others) are called text editors. Most word processors, however, support additional features that enable you to manipulate and format documents in more sophisticated ways. These more advanced word processors are sometimes called full-featured word processors.
Full-featured word processors usually support the following features:
File Management: Many word processors contain file management capabilities that allow you to create, delete, move, and search for files.
Font Specifications: Allows you to change fonts within a document. For example, you can specify bold, italics, and underlining. Most word processors also let you change the font size and even the typeface.
Footnotes and Cross-References: Automates the numbering and placement of footnotes and enables you to easily cross-reference other sections of the document.
Graphics: Allows you to embed illustrations and graphs into a document. Some word processors let you create the illustrations within the word processor; others let you insert an illustration produced by a different program.
Headers, Footers, And Page Numbering: Allows you to specify customized headers and footers that the word processor will put at the top and bottom of every page. The word processor automatically keeps track of page numbers so that the correct number appears on each page.
Layout: Allows you to specify different margins within a single document and to specify various methods for indenting paragraphs.
Macros: A macro is a character or word that represents a series of keystrokes. The keystrokes can represent text or commands. The ability to define macros allows you to save yourself a lot of time by replacing common combinations of keystrokes.
Merges: Allows you to merge text from one file into another file. This is particularly useful for generating many files that have the same format but different data. Generating mailing labels is the classic example of using merges.
Spell Checker: A utility that allows you to check the spelling of words. It will highlight any words that it does not recognize.
Tables of Contents and Indexes: Allows you to automatically create a table of contents and index based on special codes that you insert in the document.
Thesaurus: A built-in thesaurus that allows you to search for synonyms without leaving the word processor.
Windows: Allows you to edit two or more documents at the same time. Each document appears in a separate window. This is particularly valuable when working on a large project that consists of several different files.
WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get): With WYSIWYG, a document appears on the display screen exactly as it will look when printed.
The line dividing word processors from desktop publishing systems is constantly shifting. In general, though, desktop publishing applications support finer control over layout, and more support for full-color documents.
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Today's Featured Website: Underwater Archaeology
"Beneath the waters of the Mediterranean lie vast amounts of relics from the region's maritime history. Undisturbed for centuries, these items are painstakingly uncovered, identified, catalogued, photographed, and analyzed by teams of intrepid marine archaeologists from France and other countries.
This site highlights some daring expeditions and pays homage to past discoverers who brought the complicated craft of modern diving to the fore. Like their dry-land counterparts -- these marine archaeologists are concerned with more than human artifacts. While visiting the undersea world, they also note the unique topography of a site and survey the terrain surrounding the excavations."
http://www.culture.fr/culture/archeosm/en/ |
