1. Computer Fundamental

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COMPUTER FUNDAMENTAL

Desktop

Desktop refers to the surface of a desk. The term has been adopted as anadjective to distinguish office appliances which can be fitted on top of adesk from larger equipment covering its own area on the floor. Therefore,the term may refer to:

Desktop computer, a personal computer designed to fit on a desk Any photocopier meant to fit on a desk Pizza box form factor, a design of computer case

Desktop environment

Desktop environment, software that provides a comprehensivecomputer user interface.

In graphical computing, a desktop environment (DE) commonlyrefers to a style ofgraphical user interface (GUI) that is based onthe desktop metaphor which can be seen on most modern personal

computers today. Almost universally adopted in modern computers,these graphical interfaces are designed to assist the user in easily

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accessing and configuring (or modifying) the most important (orfrequently accessed) specific Operating System (OS) packedfeatures, yet it is not meant to give access to the whole vast featureset found in an OS, reason for which the traditional, yet less intuitive,command-line interface (CLI) is still in use when full control over the

OS is required.

A desktop environment typically consists of followings:

icons,

windows,

toolbars,

folders,

wallpapers,

shortcuts and

desktop widgets.

Software which provides a desktop environment might also provide drag

and drop functionality and other features which make the desktopmetaphor more complete. On the whole, a desktop environment is to bean intuitive way for the user to interact with the computer using conceptswhich are similar to those used when interacting with the physical world,such as buttons and windows.

While the term desktop environment originally described a style of userinterfaces following the desktop metaphor, it has also come to describethe programs that provide the metaphor itself. This usage has beenpopularized by the Common Desktop Environment and the K DesktopEnvironment.

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Desktop Computer

A desktop computer is a personal computer (PC) in a form intendedfor regular use at a single location, as opposed to a mobile laptop orportable computer. Prior to the wide spread of microprocessors, acomputer that could fit on a desk was considered remarkably small.Desktop computers come in a variety of types ranging from largevertical tower cases to small form factor models that can be tuckedbehind an LCD monitor. "Desktop" can also indicate a horizontally-oriented computer case usually intended to have the display screen

placed on top to save space on the desk top. Most modern desktopcomputers have separate screens and keyboards. Tower cases are

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desktop cases in the earlier sense, though not in the latter. Casesintended for home theater PC systems are usually considered to bedesktop cases in both senses, regardless of orientation andplacement.

Comparison with laptops

Desktops have the advantage over laptops that the spare parts andextensions tend to be standardized, resulting in lower prices and greater

availability. For example, the form factor of the motherboard isstandardized, like the ATX form factor. Desktops have severalstandardized expansion slots, like Conventional PCI or PCI express, whilelaptops only tend to have one mini PCI slot and one PC card slot (orExpressCard slot). This means that a desktop can be customized andupgraded to a greater extent than laptops. Procedures for (dis-)assemblyof desktops tend to be simple and standardized to a great extent too. Thistends not to be the case for laptops, though adding or replacing someparts, like the optical drive, rechargeable battery, hard disk, and addingan extra memory module is often quite simple.

Another advantage of desktop is, that (apart from environmentalconcerns) power consumption is not as critical as in laptop computersbecause the desktop is powered from the wall socket. Desktop computersalso provides more space for heat to escape. The two largemicroprocessor manufacturers Intel and AMD develop special CPUs formobile computers (i.e. laptops) that consume less power and lower heat,but with lower performance levels.

Operating systems

An operating system is the program that after being initially loaded intothe computer by a boot program, manages all the other programs in acomputer. (Search CIO- Midmarket.com, 2008)

Most of today's desktop computers have one of the three major operatingsystems available. In order ofusage share, they are Microsoft Windows,Mac OS X, and Linux. Microsoft Windows and Linux can be used for almostany desktop computers. Mac OS is only available for Apple computers.New versions of each of these operating systems are released on a semi-

regular basis. The newest version of Microsoft Windows is called Windows7 and is widely regarded as a marked improvement over the previous

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Windows Vista. The newest version of Mac OS is Mac OS X Snow Leopard.Linux is available in multiple distributions, including Ubuntu and Fedora.Each distribution has its own version number and bundled software, butall distributions of Linux contain a Linux kernel.

Customizing the Desktop Environment

The desktop environment can help a user be more productive byproviding easy access to the most used resources, or it can hinderproductivity by being cluttered, disorganized, and difficult to locate iconswhen you need them. When you customize the desktop environment, youwill focus on making access to resources as easy and efficient as possible.

Four areas that you can customize are the:

Start menu

Startup folder

Taskebar

My Documents folder

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Start Menu

The Start Menu and Start Button are user interface elements used in the laterversions of the Microsoft Windowsoperating systems and in some X windowmanagers. The Start Button provides a central launching point for applicationand tasks.

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On Windows operating systems before Windows Vista, the Start Buttonconsists of the word "Start" and the Windows Logo (the word "Start" waslocalized for each different language version of the system, for instancereading "Avvio" in Italian). On the Windows Vista and Windows 7 desktop,the word "Start" has been replaced by a blue Windows "orb" logo.However the user can revert to displaying the word "Start" and theWindows Logo by setting the theme to Windows Classic.

Traditionally, the Start Menu provided a customizable nested list of

programs for the user to launch, as well as a list of most recently openeddocuments, a way to find files and get help, and access to the systemsettings. Later enhancements via Windows Desktop Update includedaccess to special folders like "My Documents," "Favorites" (browserbookmarks), etc. Windows XP's Start Menu was expanded to encompassvarious My Documents folders (including My Music and My Pictures), andtransplanted other items like My Computer and My Network Places fromthe Windows desktop.

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The Start Menu is not a truly essential feature, as programs and files canalso be opened by navigating to them in the Windows Explorer interface.However, the Start Menu provides a much quicker and easier way to openprograms, even for experienced users, and consolidates a list of programsinto one place. Microsoft uses the Start Menu more in each version ofWindows as a way to shield novice users from the complexities of theoperating system. For example, in Windows XP, the root, Program Filesand Windows folders are hidden from the user by default, and access toprograms is expected to be achieved through the Start Menu.

Customizing the Start Menu

Clicking Start displays a menu that enables users to easily gain access tothe most used items on the computer. The following sections describe theorganization of the Start menu and provide instruction about how tocustomize it.

Examining the Windows XP Professional Start Menu

The right frame of the Start menu consists of three sections that displaystandard folders and utilities. The left frame also consists of three

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sections. The top section displays the pinned programs, which areprograms that are manually attached to the top left of the Start menu.The default e-mail program and browser always appear in pinnedprograms. Beneath the pinned programs, recently used programs appear.

The Start menu is color-coded. The white area of the Start menu is user-based, while the light blue area is operating-system-based. The light bluearea can only be customized in limited ways. When customizing thedifferent sections of the Start menu, you have the choice of customizing itfor the user who is currently logged on, or for all users on the computer.

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Customizing the Start Menu for All Users

When you customize the Start menu for all users, you are adding an itemthat anyone logged on to the computer can use.

You can add a submenu to the Start menu for easy access to a group ofprograms. For example, if everyone who uses a computer performs thesame job function, you might want to add a submenu that contains theprograms that the employees use most. You can also add to the Startmenu a shortcut to a specific program or resource, or drag a frequentlyused item in a submenu onto the main Start menu.

Adding a Submenu for All Users

To add a submenu for all users, perform the following steps:

1. Right-clickStart, and then clickOpen all Users.2. Double-click the folder to which you want to add the submenu

If you place the submenu in the Start Menu folder, it becomespinned to the top of the All Programsmenu. If you place the submenuin the Programs folder, it will be placed alphabetically in the list ofprograms.

3. On theFilemenu, point toNew, and then clickFolder.

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4. Type a name for the folder, and then press ENTER.5. In My Computer or Windows Explorer, drag any programs or

shortcuts that you want to appear on the menu into the folder thatyou just created.

Adding a Shortcut for All Users

To add a shortcut for all users, perform the following steps:

1. Right-clickStart, click Open All Users, clickFile, point toNew, and thenclickShortcut.

2. Type the location of the item for which you want to create ashortcut, or clickBrowseto locate the item, and then clickOK.

3. ClickNext, type a name for the shortcut, and then clickFinish.

Customizing the Start Menu for Individual Users

There may be instances when you will want to customize theStartmenufor a particularuser only. You can add shortcuts and submenus, and pinprograms to an individual'sStartmenu.

Adding a Submenu for an Individual User

The process for adding a submenu to an individual's Start menu is similarto adding a submenu for all users. The difference between the twoprocedures is the first step of the process, which changes as follows:

Right-clickStart, clickExplore All Users, expand the folder of the userwhoseStartmenu that you want to customize, and then clickStartMenu.

Adding a Shortcut for an Individual User

To add a shortcut to an individual'sStart menu, perform the followingsteps:

1. Right-click the object for which you want to create a shortcut, and

then clickCreate Shortcut.2. Drag, or cut and paste, the shortcut into the individual'sStartmenu

or Programsfolder.

Changing Start Menu Properties

You can alter the properties of theStartmenu; for example,you canchange whether itemsare displayed as links or menus or not displayed atall. When you make this type of alteration, the change affects only thelogged on user.

To make changes toStartmenu properties, perform these steps:

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Right-clickStart, clickProperties, clickCustomize, make desired changeson theGeneralandAdvancedtabs, and then clickOKtwice.

Note:You can use the Start menu that is used in previous versions ofMicrosoft Windows instead of the Start menu in Windows XP by changing

the properties of theStartmenu.

Pinning a Program to the Start Menu

Programs are the only items that you can pin to theStartmenu. When youpin a program to theStart menu, it applies only to the user that iscurrently logged on. To accomplish this task:

Right-click the program that you want to pin to theStartmenu, andthen clickPin to Start menu.

Customizing the Startup Folder

If users always use a particular program or programs as soon as they logon, it is convenient to have those programs automatically start when theuser logs on. To enable a program to start automatically when a user logson, place a shortcut to that program in the appropriate Startup folder. Youcan customize the Startup folder for all users or individual users.

To enable programs to start automatically upon logon, perform thefollowing steps:

1. Right-clickStart, and then clickExplore All Users.

2. Expand eitherAll Usersor a specific user.

3. ExpandStart Menu, and then clickProgramsin the left pane.

4. In the right pane, copy the shortcut for the programs that you wantto start automatically upon logon.

5. ExpandPrograms, right-clickStartup, and then clickPaste.

The shortcuts to the desired programs will now appear in the Startupfolder. When the user whose Startup folder you have customized next logson, the programs will automatically start.

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Taskbar

In computing, ataskbaris a bar displayed on a full edge of a GUI desktopthat is used to launch and monitor running applications. Microsoftincorporated a taskbar in Windows 95 and it has been a defining aspect ofMicrosoft Windows's graphical user interface ever since. Some desktopenvironments, such as KDE and GNOME, include a more configureabletaskbar. Other operating systems may use different methods for taskmanagement or application launching such as a panel or a dock.

The original implementation of the Windows taskbar in Windows 95, with one task running.

A standard Windows XP taskbar with two tasks running. Note the Quick Launch toolbar,

introduced in Windows 98.

The taskbar in Windows 7 hides application names in favour of large icons that can be

"pinned" to the taskbar even when not running.

A standard Windows Vista (with Aero) taskbar with two tasks running.

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Customizing the Taskbar

The taskbar in Windows XP Professional is substantially different than it isin previous versions of Windows.

Adding Programs to the Quick Launch Toolbar

To add frequently used icons to the Quick Launch toolbar for easy, one-click access, perform the following steps:

1. Right-click an empty area of the Quick Launch bar, and then clickOpen Folder.

2. On theFilemenu, clickNew, and then clickShortcut.

3. Type the location of, or browse to, the desired program, clickNext,and then clickFinish.

Alternately, you can drag any program icon onto the Quick Launchtoolbar, which will automatically create a shortcut to the program.

Customizing Taskbar Properties

You can easily customize the properties of the taskbar. For example, youcan control whether the taskbar is automatically hidden, whether inactiveicons are hidden, and when individual icons should display in thenotification area. To customize taskbar behavior:

1. Right-click an empty area on the taskbar, and then clickProperties.

2. Make desired changes on theTaskbar tab, click Customize, makedesired changes to individual notification icons, and then click OKtwice.

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Adding Toolbars to the Taskbar

There are a number of different toolbars that you can add to the taskbar.The following table delineates the functionality of those toolbars, and howto customize them.

Toolbar Function To customize

Address

Provides a Web browseraddress bar into whichyou can type the URL(uniform resource locator)

to a Web site that youwant to open.

Each time you type a URL into thistoolbar, that URL will become part of a

list from which you can choose.

Links

Provides a quick way toopen Web pages,shortcuts, and otheritems.

Drag the Web page's icon from theAddress bar directly to the Links bar.Or drag any link from a Web page,your Favorites bar, or your desktoponto the Links bar.

DesktopProvides easy access to allitems on the desktop.

Because this toolbar shows all itemson the desktop, you can change what

is available on the toolbar by addingor removing items from the desktop.Users who do not like a crowdeddesktop can hide all items on thedesktop and open them from thistoolbar.

Language Band

Provides easy access totext tools such as IMEsand writing and speechrecognition programs. Italso provides a way toswitch between languagesand keyboard layouts.

This bar automatically displays whenyou have any of the appropriateprograms installed. The buttonsdisplayed depend on which programsare installed.

NewToolbar

Provides a quick link toany folder or networkplace on your computer.

Right-click the taskbar, point toToolbars, click New Toolbar, move tothe desired resource, and then clickOK. The toolbar will be named thesame as the resource, and you will beable to gain access to everythingwithin that resource from the toolbar.

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Customizing the My Documents Folder

My Documents is a commonly used folder for storing a user's data.Customizing this folder can improve a user's productivity by enabling thatuser to more easily and efficiently store and gain access to data.

A user's My Documents folder is by default available only to that user andadministrators when on an NTFS file system partition. However, MyDocuments can be shared, and another user can be given specificpermissions to the folder.

You can change the default properties of the My Documents folder. Togain access to these configurable properties, click Start, right-clickMyDocuments, and then clickProperties.

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Changing Folder Location

You can change the location of the My Documents folder from its usualposition within Documents and Settingsuser_nameMy Documents (whereuser_name is the user's logon name). You may want to change thelocation of the folder when you want to move the storage of documentsto:

A local drive other than the one on which programs reside, so thatprograms and user data are stored separately.

A network share, to prevent the loss of data if the local diskbecomes corrupted.

Note: If you choose to remove My Documents to a server, be sure that both

the local computer and the server are configured for caching.To change the location of the My Documents folder:

1. Click Start, right-click theMy Documentsfolder, and then clickProperties.

2. On theTargettab, clickMove.

3. In theSelect a Destinationdialog box, browse to the desired location,and then clickOKtwice.

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Customizing Folder Attributes

The My Documents folder, like all other folders, has four importantattributes that can be customized:To change the attributes of the My Documents folder:

1. Click Start, right-click theMy Documentsfolder, and then clickProperties.

2. On theGeneraltab, clickAdvanced, select or clear the desiredattributes, and then click OK twice. (The Advanced button does notappear on drives formatted with a FAT file system.)

If you do need to configure security parameters at the folder level, use theSecurity tab in theMy Documents Propertiessheet.

10 Steps To Customize Your Desktop

Follow these 10 easy steps to get a great looking desktop!

1. Wallpaper

The simplest and most common first step to customizing your desktop isto get a new wallpaper.

2. XP Theme

Next up youll definitely want to get rid of the standard windows theme infavor of something that goes with your wallpaper.

3. Icons

With a nsew wallpaper and theme, youll probably notice that thosestandard icons are starting to look a bit out of place on your desktop.

4. Firefox Theme

If youre not already using Firefox, we highly recommend it. Its safer (andall around nicer) to use than Internet Explorer_, and best of all you cangive it a new theme!

5. Logon & Boot Screen

The standard Windows XP logon screencan be changed using LogonStudio,

You can also change the standardboot screen(shown when starting up your

computer) using BootSkin.

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6. Dock & Launcher

A Dockis a program launcher, similar to the animated dock used inMac OS X. We recommendRocket Dock which supports skins for both

Object Dock andYz Dock. Icons for these docks can be downloadedfrom our Icons section.

App Launchersare programs that offer a quick way to find and openapplications and documents. Launchy and Colibri are both skinnableapp launchers.

Quick Launch the standard Windows toolbar can be replaced usingTrue Launch Bar , which offers support for menus, hotkeys andwidgets.

7. Widgets

Rainlendar is a feature rich calendar application that is easy to useand doesnt take much space on your desktop. It runs on bothWindows and Linux. To use Rainlendar Skins youll first need toDownload Rainlendar and install it on your PC.

Rainmeter and Samurize are system monitors, with a wide variety ofplugin and skins for displaying information on CPU and RAM, amongothers.

8. Media Player

Winamp was the first skinnable application, and media players have along history of using non-standard interfaces.

9. ResHack and Tweak

Finally, theres an endless amount of hacking and tweaking that can bedone to make Windows look exactly how you want it to.

10. Take a Screenshot!

Got your desktop looking respectably cool?