Introduction: About this book Foolish assumptions Icons used in this book Beyond the book Where to go from here Part 1: Computer Basics: It's A Digital World: PCs: discovering the personal computing connection Business end: multi-user computer systems Computer software: BIOS Operating system Utilities Applications It's all connected Discovering what's out there: Shopping Fun and games Communicating online Social networking Information, please Education Buying And Setting Up A Computer: Understanding computer hardware: Understanding the CPU Understanding memory Understanding hard drives Understanding input devices Understanding display screens Understanding optical drives Understanding Internet connectivity options Understanding software Choosing a computer: Computer sizes Operating system What do you get for your money? Setting up a computer: Unpack the computer Connect the monitor, keyboard, and mouse Set up the device Using input devices: Using a pointing device Work with a touchscreen Understanding the keyboard layout Using keyboard shortcuts Starting up and shutting down: Signing in Understanding user accounts Shutting down Understanding Operating Systems: What is an operating system? Types of operating systems Operating systems for desktop and notebook PCs: Mac OS X Microsoft Windows Linux Operating systems for netbooks Operating systems for tablets and smart phones Learning how operating systems talk to hardware Window 8-1 Basics: Getting around in Windows 8-1: Understanding the start screen Understanding the desktop Using the charms bar Running applications: Starting an application Switching among applications Closing an application Working in a desktop application Working in a Windows 8 application Controlling application Windows: Managing desktop windows Arranging Windows 8 apps Managing files with file explorer: Understanding file storage Browsing drives and folders Creating a new folder Selecting files and folders Changing the file listing view Searching for files Copying or moving a file or folder Deleting and recovering files Using a home network: Assessing your current network Setting up network hardware Connecting a computer to a wireless network Getting better wireless signal strength Sharing files and folders on a network Browsing other people's shared resources Using a shared printer Sharing your printer with others Part 2: Online Experience: Understanding Internet Basics: What is the Internet? Exploring different types of Internet connections Setting up an Internet connection Trouble shooting an Internet connection Working With The Web: Discovering how the web works Understanding web addresses Checking out Internet Explorer's interface Performing web searches Using a secure site Viewing your history Saving and organizing favorites Creating your own web content Sending And Receiving Email: Understanding Email: Email addresses and mail servers Types of email accounts Signing up for an Email account Setting up an account in your Email client: Setting up an account in mail in Windows 8-1 Setting up an account in Outlook-com Setting up an account in Microsoft Outlook 2013 Composing and sending Email Understanding the inbox interface Replying and forwarding Managing Email messages: Deleting messages Browsing folders Creating folders Moving messages into folders Understanding Email etiquette Clouds And Online Communication: Using cloud-based applications Working with Microsoft OneDrive: Signing into the OneDrive web interface Installing and using OneDrive for Windows desktop Using the Windows 8 OneDrive app Participating in social networking: Facebook and other social network sites Discussion boards Blogging Twitter Using Instant Messaging Using a webcam Part 3: Productivity Programs: Understanding Applications: Types of applications Installing and removing applications What is Microsoft Office? Navigating an office application's interface: Start screen Ribbon and tabs File menu Moving around in an application Changing the zoom and the view Creating a document: Typing text Inserting a picture Opening and saving files: Saving your work for the first time Navigating in the Save As dialog box Opening a document Printing files Creating Personal Documents With Microsoft Word: Creating a New Document using a template Adjusting Page Settings: Setting page margins Setting paper size and orientation Editing and selecting text: Filling text placeholders Typing and editing text Selecting text Formatting Text: Choosing text font, size, and color Applying text attributes and effects Working with themes Applying style sets Formatting Paragraphs: Applying horizontal alignment Indenting a paragraph Changing vertical spacing Creating bulleted and numbered lists Working with Styles: Applying a style Modifying a style Creating a new style Copying formatting with Format Painter Checking Spelling and Grammar Creating a Table: Selecting rows and columns Resizing rows and columns Formatting table borders Working with Pictures: Inserting pictures from the web Understanding vector and raster graphics Inserting photos from files Changing the text wrap setting for a picture Moving a picture Resizing a picture Understanding Desktop Publishing Managing And Calculating Data With Microsoft Excel: Understanding the Excel Interface: Moving the cell cursor Selecting ranges Typing and editing cell content: Editing data in cells Copying and moving data between cells Using AutoFill to fill cell content Changing the worksheet structure: Inserting and deleting rows and columns Inserting and deleting cells and ranges Calculating with Formulas: Moving and copying formulas Introducing functions Using the SUM function Inserting a function Touring some basic functions Formatting a worksheet: Adjusting rows and columns Applying a workbook theme Printing worksheets Creating charts: Creating a pie chart Creating a column or bar chart Switching rows and columns Understanding the elements of a chart Editing the chart data range Changing the chart type Resizing a chart Moving a chart to its own worksheet Adding and positioning chart elements Formatting a chart
Creating Presentations With Microsoft PowerPoint:
Exploring the PowerPoint Interface:
Moving around in a presentation
Understanding PowerPoint views
Creating a New Presentation:
Manipulating slide content
Formatting a presentation:
Manipulating slide content
Formatting a presentation:
Applying a background fill
Applying and removing borders
Turing text Autofit on or off
Inserting an online image from Office-com
Inserting your own pictures
Adding Slide Transition Effects
Setting slides to advance manually or automatically
Inserting sounds and videos:
Inserting a sound clip on a slide
Inserting a video clip on a slide
Printing handouts and notes
Storing And Retrieving Data With Microsoft Access:
Understanding database and Access basics
Creating relationships between tables
Entering and editing records
Creating a query with the simple Query Wizard
Creating a query in Query Design View
Part 4: Digital Security And Privacy:
Protecting Your computer And Data From Harm:
Protecting against natural risks:
Creating a computer-friendly workspace
Protecting against human-created threats:
Virus and malware protection
Adjusting settings to increase security:
Web browser security settings
Following best practices for safer web use:
Enter financial information only on secure sites
Pay attention to security certificates
Be careful with online payments
Be stingy with the information you provide
Stay away from "vice sites"
Safeguarding Your Privacy:
Understanding why personal information is big business
How advertisers target consumers
Minimizing the information advertisers gather
Limiting third-party cookies
Oversharing on social media
Increasing your privacy on the web:
Browser settings for increasing privacy
Instant messaging privacy settings
Protecting children from Online Threats:
How online predators operate
How children leak information
Best practices for keeping children safe
Using family safety applications
Avoiding Copyright Violations:
Keeping on the right side of the law
Expanding Computing To Other Devices:
Getting a handle on Tablet Computer basics:
Tablet computer operating systems
Navigating a tablet computer OS
Understanding Smart Phone basics:
Navigating a smart phone interface
Grasping digital TV and movie basics:
Signing up for online movie and TV services
Watching TV on a computer
Showing computer content on a TV screen
Digital Cameras And Photography:
Learning how digital imaging works
Choosing a digital camera:
Choosing a photo organizer program
Transferring photos from camera to computer:
Transferring photos with file explorer
Transferring photos with a photo organizer program
Copying photos from a memory card
Storing and managing digital images:
Previewing and viewing photos
Moving and copying images
Color-correcting an image
Checking out our printer's setting
Selecting a photo printer
Printing from Windows Live Photo Gallery
Choose a photo sharing service
Resizing a photo for sharing
Working With Music And Video:
Understanding digital audio:
What you need for digital audio
How digital audio is recorded
Organizing and playing digital music:
Applications for play digital music
Organizing digital media on your computer
Using Windows Media Player:
Playing stored music tracks
Buying digital music online
Copying music from another computer
Burning a CD with Windows Media Player
Synchronizing a portable device
Streaming music to other people
Understanding speech technologies:
Reading written text aloud
Dictating test using a microphone
Controlling Windows using a microphone
Understanding digital video:
Applications for playing videos and movies
Streaming audio and video on the web
Creating and editing audio and video:
Audi editing applications
Video editing applications
Editing a digital video with Windows Movie Maker
Outputting your digital video project
Ten Computer Problems (And How To Solve Them):
Your computer has no power, no nothing
Windows won't start up normally
Everything's running slower than normal:
You have no Internet access:
Check your Internet connection
Application stops responding
You get the blue screen of death
You see frequent pop-up ads on the web
Video in a game is messed up
Ten Tips For Working With Windows 8-1:
Use search to start applications
Reorganize the start screen
Pin shortcuts to the taskbar
Make icons and text larger
Switch between programs quickly
Right-click the start button
Save location favorites in file explorer
Uninstall unwanted applications
Prevent programs from loading at startup
Appendix: Making a living in digital technology
