You
Tech high tech twilight zone to Star Trek hardware software
Take a seat if you dare power up download database
Break the code CD-ROM super slick point and click take the spin now you're in really techno hit all the cards of a computer chip
It's another day in the life of a family maybe a little bit like yours
Hi, we're the Jamison's and if you're like us until recently we didn't know much about computers
But a few months ago
We decided to join the information age and we'd like to share with you what our family has learned about computers
Well, the first thing you need to do is set up your new computer system
It's really exciting to take the computer out of the box
And it's also a little bit confusing because there's so many cables to plug in and you're not sure what to do, right dad
Well, I recommend that first you make sure all the parts are there before you start to get underway
That's right, and everyone can help you know
They've made it so much easier than in the old days now most computer systems are sold with a lot of software programs already installed
And the installation of additional software is made automatic with Microsoft Windows 95 plug-and-play technology
So first you'll need to connect up the individual components of your system
If you're lucky your system will have color-coded cables that enable you to put your pieces together easily
It's so simple. Even your kids can do it. Tell them Peter first you hook up your mouse
That's the pointer your monitor and speakers if you have them then connect your printer
And if you got lucky, you got a scanner too. It's fun because it lets you put photos and images inside your computer
That's good advice Peter. That way you can make sure all of your equipment is working correctly
So after you've got everything installed you'll be excited
Yeah, the computer comes on you see the icons on the screen. They represent the programs you have. It's cool
It really is now you'll use the mouse to navigate around the screen get used to clicking and double clicking with your mouse to select
The things you want now if you're having installation problems, you may want to check the following
All of your components plugged in properly are they getting power are the contacts on your system clean and well seated in their outlets?
Oh also if a modem is involved is your telephone line connected are the cables between your components short enough to avoid signal loss
And finally has your system been moved around so the pieces may have come loose
If problems persist you'll need to contact the help desk of your computer manufacturer or your retailer
Be ready to tell them the specifics of the problems that you've had that will help them to get to the bottom of your problem more quickly
Now here's an efficient solution for at-home computer problem solving semantic PC handyman
It can help solve simple problems before you have to go to the trouble to take your computer in for repairs
You simply install PC handyman and when you type in your problem you're having it gives you some possible solutions and then it helps you solve it
That's right it also includes an application called crash guard to help you recover from computer freeze-ups
So remember as you watch this tape if you're serious about learning about your computer it can be a real asset to you both personally as well as professionally
In fact it can change your life but first you really need to start out with an understanding of the basics of your system and how to use each program
So let's dive right in
All because of a computer chip
One of the most basic computer applications is word processing
In the good old days this was known as typing
And the most fortunate used the IBM Selectric which allowed you to go back and correct your mistakes without using that chalky white stuff
But then along came computers and word processing and it revolutionized the old way of typing documents
Word processing not only types letters but it also helps to format school reports resumes and business proposals and much much more
I did a great report for school on surfing complete with footnotes a table of contents
I was even able to spell check and format it to look very professional it caught me an A
And I did a newsletter for Girl Scouts complete with pictures
That's great
That's great honey
Now to mention all the use I get out of word processing program in my decorating business
Even though I work out of the home professional word processing makes my company look as big as the others
Almost long
So I'll bet our viewers want to know how to get underway in working with a word processing program and how you choose one in the first place
The first question you need to answer is to determine whether your needs are simple or more complex
If you're going to be using your system in a pretty basic way you may find that the word processor included in your computer startup package is sufficient for your needs
One program that's included in many computer bundles is Microsoft Works
Works and products like it include several programs in addition to the basic word processing program
Or you might need a more sophisticated program if you'll be using the word processor for a lot of different projects
Then you should consider a more deluxe application like Microsoft Word or Corel Word Perfect
These sophisticated word processing programs give you additional features like style templates, graphics and other desktop publishing features
However, they take more time to learn and require more computer memory and disk space
Look how easy it is to word process a letter of school report
Yeah, you just type
The word processor's special features like spell check and cut and paste make your document look like it was professionally printed
And today many of these applications come bundled together with other programs in money saving packages called suites
And they can represent some real savings
You know Anne, you get more today for $250 than you used to get for twice that amount
Suites today typically include a word processing program, a database program which is great to keep track of people and things
And a spreadsheet program that helps you analyze your finances
Now let's take a look at the basics of getting started with Microsoft Word
First, to launch the program, you click on Start with your mouse, then select Programs, then select Microsoft Word
To open a new document, you click on File, then New
Or to open an existing document, you click on File, then New
Or to open an existing document, you click on File, then Open
Then select your document from the list
To save your document, select File, then Save, and type in a name for the document that you will recognize, then select OK
Or, if you want to, say, save an alternate version with a different name, choose Save As, then select OK
To print, simply select File, then Print
Then select the pages or the number of copies you wish to print, even change the printer if you wish, then select OK to go ahead and print
It's easy to edit your document. You can move text by highlighting your selection, then choosing Edit and Cut
Or, copy text by highlighting your selection, then choosing Edit and Copy
Then find the location you wish to move or copy the text to, and select Edit and Paste
To spell check, you select Tools, then Spelling, and Microsoft Word asks for confirmation or correction of any questionable words
To insert a picture, select Insert, then Picture
Then select the Clip Art Gallery or another graphics folder, and select a graphic image, then click OK
To insert a picture, then select the Clip Art Gallery or another graphics folder, and select a graphic for your document, if you wish
To place a border within your document, highlight the text you want to border, then select Format, then Border, then the type of border you wish, and any shading, then select OK
To insert a table within your document, select Table, then Insert Table, then choose the number of columns and rows you wish, then select OK
Remember though, there are many, many more features in Word that you will find useful once you get familiar with the basics
And there are shortcuts for many of the commands. To find them, consult your manual or the on-screen help feature
To use a spreadsheet, you place the information into what are called cells. Input the formula, and the program does the math for you. It's great!
And spreadsheet and database programs can do complex calculations if you learn how to program them. They're used in big businesses, the military, and the government to do these same types of analyses, only much bigger. Why wasn't I that smart when I was a kid?
Now, let's take a look at the basics of getting started with Microsoft Excel. First, to launch the program, you click on Start with your mouse, like you're selecting Word, then select Programs, then select Microsoft Excel
To open a new document, you click on File, then New
Or to open an existing document, you click on File, then Open
Then select your document from the list
Similarly, to save your document, select File, then Save, and type in a name for the document that you will recognize, then select OK
Or, if you want to, say, save an alternate version with a different name, choose Save As, then select OK
To print, simply select File, then Print, again, just like Word, then select the pages or the number of copies you wish to print, even change the printer if you wish, then select OK to go ahead and print
You may find it useful to use the templates provided as examples to get started. Assuming that you are using the complete Microsoft Office package, you will typically find the examples under MS Office, Templates, Spreadsheet Solutions
That's what we've done here. For this fictitious business, we can input various forecasts and actual sales of different products for different periods, by month and by year, and the Excel spreadsheet program automatically tallies our results
For more complex calculations, you'll need to learn how to construct your own formulas, but Excel's Function Wizard and other tools can help
And, like Word, it's easy to edit your document in Excel. You can move text by highlighting your selection, then choosing Edit and Cut
Or, copy text by highlighting your selection, then choosing Edit and Copy
Then, find the location you wish to move or copy the text to, and select Edit and Paste
Finally, you can attractively format the text in your spreadsheet with the Auto Format Tool. You simply highlight the section you want to format, then select Format, then the type of format you wish, then select OK
Remember, though, there are many, many more features in Excel that you will find useful once you get familiar with the basics, and there are shortcuts for many of the commands
To find them, consult your manual or the on-screen Help feature
All because of a computer chip
You may also get a graphics program to produce charts and pictures for your business presentations
And a database can help your business track its inventory and do lots of other useful things
That's true, or you can keep up to date on your telephone calls and correspondence list
Microsoft calls their suite the Microsoft Office, and there are several other good ones out there, too
All because of a computer chip
OK, but I'll bet our viewers want to know how to install one of these suites, Dad
Well, the first thing you need to determine is your system resource availability
What's that?
That's fancy computer talk for whether you have enough processing power, disk space, and memory to handle the application you're going to run
With today's more powerful programs, they do require a lot more memory and storage
I still remember back in the old days of computers when 40 megabytes was a lot
Geez, Dad, that's ancient history. Did you have black and white televisions back then, too?
No, and we didn't have Duke Nukem either, and if you're not careful, neither will you
Sorry
Busted
Anyway, let's show the folks at home just how easy it is to install today's programs
To install a suite of Office applications, you use the same type of installation process as for most other programs
You click on My Computer, then select Add and Remove Programs, then click ahead to install the application from your CD or disk
You'll simply select the default locations most of the time. That allows the computer to make the most likely settings automatically
Then you remove your disks, reboot your system, and you're on your way
You better explain how to reboot your computer. Sounds like we're getting our shoes resold
To reboot, you simply choose Yes if the computer asks you whether to turn itself off and then on again
It's the way the computer gets started with your program
But what if you're still having trouble?
That's where the helpline comes in handy
Each manufacturer provides free technical help for a limited amount of time when you first purchase your computer or software
After that, you pay for it, but it can sure make it easy if you have a difficult question
Also, it can be helpful to buy a book with some specifics on your application
All because of a computer chip
Now here are some applications that can bring hours of enjoyment to every member of the family
They're called graphics programs. They give you the chance to be really creative by using the computer to help you draw and paint digitally
I love graphics on the computer. Even with my limited artistic ability, I can create great documents right here at home
For example, I prepared this club newsletter last month using Microsoft Publisher
And there are other great home graphics software programs out there too
Tell them how you did it, Dad. Everyone was so impressed by how professional it looked
Well, Microsoft Publisher program has helpers that are called wizards
You use them to select a predetermined format, then input your data, maybe add a picture, voila! It looks just like a professional, doesn't it?
Having experience with computer graphics is great for all sorts of documents
I prepared a sales document for my decorating firm, as well as our company's stationery and billing forms
I even helped my sister create a new resume when she was looking for a job
Isn't she still out of work?
And I made balance for the school elections
And you can make reading cards, party invitations, posters, logos, doll clothes
All you need is a little imagination and the help of your computer's graphics programs
And then you can print them all out in life-like color
You'll feel like a professional graphic designer
Depending on the application, you'll have some different tools, but all the programs have a lot in common
Some allow you to reduce and enlarge pictures, others can cut or erase parts, and they all have a lot of clipart images that you can use
Sample images come with most applications when you buy them
Your entire family will enjoy being creative, using a graphics program on the computer
All because of a computer chip
One of the most popular programs for home computers is money management
After all, aren't most of us perplexed about where all the money goes?
It's one of the things I like best now that I've become a computer whiz
It helps me stay close and up to date with our family's finances
While there are several programs out there, I like to use Quicken
It's known to be one of the most popular and convenient software packages on the market
Putting our household finances on the computer was one of the best things we ever did
Our kids quickly learned that money doesn't grow on trees, and we all became better at budgeting our finances
To use Quicken, you simply type in the information like you're using a checkbook
Boop!
It's really easy
Keeping it up to date is easy too
I simply input our earnings on a weekly basis and record each check I've written
And enter the information from each credit card statement
This gives me a good understanding of how our family spends its money
And it's helped me save and plan up for our kids' education
And even a fund for the family vacation
Show them the graphs you always do, Mom
Ta-da!
And this is the best part
The program automatically draws graphs showing where you've spent your money
And when I started my decorating business here at home, Quicken was an easy way for me to set up the books
Dad told me he's going to help me get a checking account and use Quicken on the computer to track my funds
What about me, Mom? I have money too
Well, I guess you'll have to ask your dad if you can get one
All because of a computer chip
Unfortunately, viruses in our computers are as real as viruses in our families
Excuse me
Bless you, honey
And a program to scan and remove a computer virus is an essential tool to consider
In this case, we've chosen the Virus Scan Deluxe program from McAfee
What do viruses do to the computer?
Well, honey, they can make your computer sick
They can erase your entire hard drive, make strange messages come up on your screen, and
Ooh, all sorts of weird things
How do you get them?
By loading counterfeit software and hackers that get into the system
And with everyone in the family sharing files, the best way to guard against the problem is to know who you're getting any shared programs from
And to use a Virus Scan program on anything you've been given
You should make it a practice to regularly scan your system
In fact, McAfee Virus Scan Deluxe can be set to automatically scan each new file as it's introduced into your system
Installing anti-virus program software is easy
In this case, you simply double-click on the CD-ROM drive
And the software checks for viruses and installs to keep your system virus-free
And it's important to regularly download information on new viruses because viruses are always changing
Sorry
All because of a computer chip
Two more key tools I find essential on my system are an un-erase program
Symantec makes an excellent one from Peter Norton and a tape backup system
These will save you untold headaches when you have computer problems
What do they do?
I can explain that, Dad. An un-erase program allows you to restore files you have deleted
And that regular intervals backup system copies all the information on your computer
So that if you have a crash, you won't lose any valuable data
Very good, Peter
On a serious note, I want you children to learn to be very regimented about backing up your data on a regular basis
If you don't, someday you're going to lose a very important document that you might have been working on for a couple of days
And there will be nothing I can do to help you retrieve it
Your daddy's right, kids. Backing up your data is very important
And it is a habit you should get into when you're working on the computer
And I can tell you about a disaster from first-hand experience
Remember the time...
I thought we weren't going to talk about that
You're right, honey. I don't need to bring up a sore subject
You just make sure that you get a program that regularly captures all of your input
It'll save you a lot of heartache
How often do we actually have to back things up?
At school they told us we should do it every few minutes
That's a good idea
And you usually set your scheduled tape backup system to backup your changed files every day
Just use your brain, sis
Yes, your honor
That's enough out of you two. We have another very important topic to cover
What's that, Dad?
I want the two of you kids, and you too, Anne, to be very, very careful about installing or buying counterfeit disks
They can introduce computer viruses and they're against the law
You may find them for sale at school or a friend might offer to lend them to you
Please, if you have any doubts whatsoever about the source of a disk, let's examine it together
Or just say no
Okay, Dad
All because of a computer chip
You know, Dad, almost all the cool stuff for computers these days comes on CD-ROMs
Games, shareware, phone books, multimedia, music, everything
That's true, son
CD-ROMs hold an incredible amount of data and they're relatively inexpensive
Fortunately, most computers today have CD-ROMs built right in
But if your computer doesn't have one, CD-ROMs aren't very expensive
And they can usually be installed easily through Windows 95's plug and play by just plugging them in
We highly recommend that you add one to your system
We should give all the parents out there a tip
Installing the new CD-ROM technology can certainly make a difference in your child's performance in school
I became better in math because I used Mighty Math Calculating Crew when I was only three
That's true, honey
It really gave you a great foundation for early math skills
And there are hundreds of other educational software titles that can help give your children a head start with their education
Oh, Peter, show them the Life Magazine CD-ROM with the contents from the past 50 years
That we got free with a computer
Cool
And again, how do you install a CD-ROM?
Just like the other programs we've been talking about, sis, you click on My Computer, then select Add and Remove Programs
Then click ahead to the Install Application from your CD or disc
It's fun to do installations
You know, since we're talking about all the great documents you can create with a good graphics program
This is probably the best time to talk about all the advances that have been made in printers
You know, Anna's right, things have changed a lot from the days of the old dot matrix printers
First, they introduced the laser printer, which in itself made a remarkable difference in the time it took to print documents and the quality of the printing itself
But that's nothing compared to all the new color printing technology since
We own the new Epson Stylus Color 500 printer
For all the professional sales material I've developed on it and the money I have saved from the local quick print stores, this printer has been worth its weight in gold
Honey, don't you think that's because you're already such a good artist?
Well, that's true. Actually, dear, you know what they say about an artist and her tools?
Without this fabulous printer, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to track the high-end clients like I have
It is really cool for school reports. I downloaded a picture from the internet and I included it in my social studies report
It looks so great that I got an A
Uh, wasn't that an A minus?
So I forgot to spell check, an A is still an A
That's right, son. Hey, why don't you go and grab that picture so we can show it to our viewers?
In the meantime, let's print something else for them to see. Dasha, what would you like to print?
How about my invitation to my birthday party?
Oh, that's perfect. I'm sure everyone would like to see that
Here it is
And mine too
I'm proud of you kids
And you know, I'm proud of you, honey, because after all, you bought us our new color printer
Us too
I do think that a little information on how to set up the new color printer would be helpful though
I agree
How about you, Peter?
I can handle it. When you get your new printer, you may need to install some new software
It depends on the model, but you will need to set up so that Windows 95 can recognize the printer and automatically install the proper drivers as they're called
You should have your Windows installation disks nearby in case they're needed
All because of a computer chip
Once installed to print, you will select your new printer from the file print menu within your application
If you plan to use that printer exclusively, then select it as your default printer
I don't know what you mean by default printer, Dad
Well, honey, some people might have more than one printer. For example, they may have a black and white printer and a new color printer like ours
See, I told you it was easy
All because of a computer chip
And what would computers be without a few games for the family to play together?
You'll find games bundled in with Windows 95 like Minesweeper, FreeCell, Heart, Solitaire, and 3D Pinball
To get these games, you press the start button, then select the programs, then select accessories, and then games
And there are probably a lot of other games that come bundled with your computer on a CD-ROM or a floppy disk
They're easy to install, too. You just launch them in the add-remove program section of your settings group
And I got a free golf program on CD-ROM
Yes, honey, and knowing how you play golf, it's probably a good thing. You'll be a lot less frustrated
All because of a computer chip
Dad, what is that? You look like you're ready to decode secret messages on a submarine
Ah, that's very funny. You all love making fun of old Dad
For your information, young lady, this is a very exciting application
This is the Kurzweil voice recognition system
Well, hasn't voice recognition been around for a while, honey?
Until now, it's never been affordable nor accurate enough for the everyday user
With this system, I can dictate a letter or draft a report without using a keyboard or a secretary
It's a great time saver, and it allows me to concentrate and communicate my ideas more efficiently than when I'm typing
Lawyers, teachers, and business people all love it
See? I'm doing it now
Oh, isn't that the piece of equipment you said was really easy to set up?
Yep. The Kurzweil voice system installs easily right out of the box
And you can train it to increase its accuracy to 97%
Do you think you could help me with my project on the United Nations?
No, son, but I have some great ideas how you can research that report using your CD-ROM encyclopedia program
I still think you could help me with my homework
This whirlwind tour has been fun, but we're just about out of time
But gee, Dad, I wanted to tell our viewers some more about some great computer programs
And what about CD bundle bargains?
I guess that's just going to have to wait until next time
Oh, but honey, before we go, let me show them the invitation I've been working on for your birthday party
I've included the email address so that relatives can respond quickly
I've been budgeting on our spreadsheet, and I even have a fax number for the grocery store so I could be...
Cool
Well, as you can see, our home computer really has touched our lives
And we hope it will change yours, too, for the better
See you next time!
Thanks for watching!