The Visible PC

Computing Parts Hardware – stuff you can touch and would hurt if you dropped it on your foot Operating System – controls the hardware to allow us to do things Applications – directed software to accomplish a task(s)

Computing Stages Processing Input(Storage) Output

Common OS Functions The OS communicates with the hardware and is designed for specific hardware The OS creates a User Interface (UI or GUI) The OS enables users to determine the available installed programs and run them The OS enables users to add, move and delete the installed programs and data The OS provides a method to secure a system from all sorts of threats such as data loss

User Interfaces Vista/7 Uses a graphical user interface so we use a mouse The background is called the Desktop Notice the transparency of Aero Glass in the following slide The Start button, pinned applications, task bar, notification bar/tray

Interacting with the GUI Use a mouse or touchpad (portable) Left-click to select Double left-click to open Right-click to open Context Menu Both Vista and 7 have similar look and feel and have Sidebar Vista’s Sidebar was locked to the right; 7 could use the whole screen Inherent security flaws ended Gadgets and Sidebar with 7

Windows 8x Uses tiles for programs, called apps Interface called Metro UI – but then they dropped it for “Modern” No Start button (use the windows logo key) until you get to 8.1 and then it just toggles between modern and desktop

Windows 10 Blends the traditional Win 7 with Win 8x Metro/Modern UI Charms bar is gone Windows key brings up the Start menu with tools and apps Click on Task View button to create and manage multiple desktops

Mac OS X Desktop; Dock for applications (or the Applications folder) Mission Control button (F3 key) to cycle through Spaces (desktops and applications) Single-button mouse: Magic Mouse

Linux If they could get together, world domination Desktop Environments (DEs) – a variety of them Mike likes Ubuntu.com for the tour it offers

File Structures and Paths Start with a drive, or disc, that gets a name like C: You can have files under the drive name, but just a few and keep the names short Usually you follow a path to a file as in – C:\Windows\System32 for windows files – C:\Users\Joe\Documents for Joe’s documents

Windows folders Windows Explorer for Vista/7; File Explorer in 8x/10 C:\Program Files – most programs you install have a folder here for main components C:\Program Files(x86) – for 32-bit applications on a 64-bit OS

Personal Folders C:\users\mike\desktop – stores all the items on your desktop C:\users\mike\Documents – stores your files and is generally not accessible by other users C:\users\mike\downloads – preferred location for downloads \Music – for music files (unless you have iTunes which uses its own structure) \Pictures and \Videos – you can guess these

Mac OS X The Finder holds the keys to files and folders Functionally similar to Windows Each user has a unique Users folder inaccessible by others

Tech Launch Points Windows Vista/7: Control Panel, System Tools and Command Line Interface – Control Panel gives you graphical windows into the Registry and allows maintenance, upgrade and configuration. Start | Control Panel – Allows for Category view or Classic view – Applets (found in C:\windows\system32) have.CPL extension

Vista/7 System Tools Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools Good place to start if you don’t remember where something is Another good place is MSCONFIG’s Tools tab

Command Line Back to the keyboard – and no mouse DOS may be dead, but the command line is not and sometimes the only way to get a task done We have a chapter (16) on this

Windows 8x Control Panel, Administrative Tools and Command line Tap the down arrow on the lower right of the Start screen and scroll all the way to the right in the list of Apps. In the Windows System category, click on Control Panel Type Control Panel in the Search field in Apps list Right-click on the Start button and select Control Panel

Win 8x Administrative Tools: Start Screen, click on the down arrow to open the Apps list; scroll a little to the right and you will find Administrative Tools and its list Type Administrative tools in Start Screen Right-click the start button; select Control Panel and then Administrative Tools

8x Command Line Scroll all the way to the right in Apps; in Windows System category, click on Command Prompt Right-click the Start button and select Command Prompt from the list In the Start screen, type CMD or Command Prompt into the search charm

Win 10 Keeps Control Panel and command line Settings app for administration Right-click on Start button to open Tech Essentials menu and select Control Panel Type Control Panel in Search Administrative Tools in Control Panel Settings app is its own listing; from Start

Mac OS X System Preferences and Utilities Folder Click on Apple in upper left corner and choose System Prefs From Finder, Go menu shows Utilities folder

Linux Unity: System Settings from gear on upper far right of display GNOME 3: All Settings (like System Settings). Down arrow icon on the far right of menu bar and select wrench and screwdriver icon KDE Plasma Desktop: Kickoff menu on far left of the panel