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Welcome to the second adventure in looptop latteracy ...
Linnet Woods shares a few tips with 'newbies' as the Internet fraternity calls
novices.
When you first start
using a laptop or PC it can seem as though you will never, ever, get used to it.
Go about it with a light heart and in the right way and, in no time at all, you
will be amazed at how far you have progressed since those faltering clicks that
dogged your early computing experiences...
If you're very new to using a computer, you are
probably wondering if the mouse will ever stop feeling alien and start
co-operating... this series of articles is aimed at those who are using a
Windows operating system, since our choice of system is Windows (98 Second
Edition to be specific, having tried all the others, we find we still like this
one best, but it matters not which Windows you have, the instructions are the
same)
One very good way to get used to using the mouse
is by playing some sort of game that involves the use of the mouse. Nothing too
nerve-wracking, the idea is not to put yourself off altogether right at the
start! Have you explored the games that came with your Windows operating program?
Thought not. Shame, because you are missing out on a very easy and quite
enjoyable way to become practiced and at ease with the mouse, quite quickly.
Starting at the bottom left of your Windows
Desktop: Start>Programs> Accessories>Games will reveal a set of games
that may vary depending on which Windows operating system you have. Four are
basic to all current systems though: Solitaire (what the British call Patience,
and this is the commonest version of all), Free Cell - another solo card game;
Minesweeper, where you have to try and pick your way through a grid of squares
without accidentally uncovering a hidden mine and Hearts - a game for four
players. Although the game was originally designed to be played against real
people, via the Internet, the computer will willingly supply the other three
players... you can even rename
them. Mine are now called Cad, Rotter and Trickster and sometimes I even manage to
win a round. Not too often though!
You will find that, by clicking boldly on the
menu options at the left of the upper frame of any of those games that you have
opened from the Start - Programs, you will soon find out all you need to know
about them. One is bound to appeal to you more than another. Hearts get my vote
every time but The Skipper prefers Solitaire.
Far from being a pointless waste of time, these
games allow you to relax, because you are not about to risk losing your
Last Will And Testament or the first chapter of your long-overdue memoirs. Thus
you become familiar with what the mouse does, and does not do, and get over the
feeling of strangeness that goes with performing any entirely new action..
Have fun! It's the best way to make friends with
your computer! If you aren't turned on by any of the games that came with
Windows, you can always purchase a different game or download a free one from
any one of various websites (have a look at Honor Mission's Fun
With Freeware website on the same domain as MarineZine, for example)
If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail us.
If you have any advice to offer, we'd love to hear that, too! In the next issue
we will explore websites that offer tutorials to new Windows users, for those
who are impatient to learn more. If you know of any good websites for the
purpose, we'd appreciate an e-mail with the details.
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