What is a computer?
A computer is an electronic device that manipulates or processes information or data that are stored in it. It performs operations based on instructions provided by hardware that is connected to the computer or software that is programmed in it. Computers can store, retrieve, and process data. Why should you have computer knowledge?
1. Job
Certainly, most jobs today require some technical knowledge, and the major technical knowledge someone can have today is computer skill. It increases your chance to secure a good job.
It is not hidden that a good, payable, and stress-free job is scarce. Meanwhile, a job is a competitive edge against others who are applying for the same job. Before you can get the job, you need to provide what makes you qualify for the job than others
Your ability to make use of a computer device and its programs is an essential skill to put on your CV. Not only does computer literacy help secure a good job, but it may also increase your level at work which automatically increases your salary because you will take more responsibility.
2. Research
With a computer connected to the Internet, you can find answers to many questions likewise solutions to many problems. So having access to a computer and the Internet helps achieve this. With this, you just need is to open a browser, go to Google search engine, Youtube, or other websites or blogs and search for whatever comes to your mind. This gives you more ability to find answers to questions or to get problems solved than someone without this knowledge.
3. Resolve problems
A person with a basic knowledge of computers has more ability in solving problems they may have encountered, either life or technical problem. Life problem problems can get solved by the research as mentioned above while the technical problems can also be resolved in the same way. For instance, someone with experience of getting an error message while logging into their Facebook account, sometimes it happens due to their lack of computer knowledge.
4. Make money
A computer can make you money and also save you money, you can start blogging and allow affiliate programs to advertise on your blog or you can improve your computer skill by learning some programming languages, from this you can create a website for people and earn your cool money.
Computer knowledge can also save you money in such a way that you can compare prices while shopping online like Amazon, Aliexpress and others because you will know how to surf the internet and visit many sites. Again you can easily order goods at the best price and get them shipped to your place without having to leave your house.
So, computer knowledge can get you self-employed and you make your money without stressing much stress. For instance, you can establish a computer center, where you do document typing, graphics designing and you can also do programming, as mentioned above.
Now let’s go to the topic, below are the basic computer knowledge you need to know:
1. How to operate a computer
The first and foremost to know is how to operate a computer because without this knowledge you can not do anything advanced. It is like a student that doesn’t know how to make writing material like Pen, pencil, cleaner, and others. You also need the following basic knowledge:
- How to On and Shutdown a computer.
- Identify computer components
- Commonly used Computer abbreviation and their meanings
- Identify different connectors (USB, HDMI, VGA, Video port (DisplayPort), etc
- Know different icons and Programs on a system with different OS
- Connecting some external devices like printer, scanner, flash drive, mobile phones, etc
- How to copy, move, paste, and delete files
- Microsoft word keyboard shortcut
- How to print out, scan documents, etc.
- Download, install, Upload documents.
- Upload documents/images/scanned files etc . as attachments to your mail/online forms etc.
- Surf the internet, like making use of google search, making online payments, visiting different websites, shopping, etc.
- Ways to play some simple games
- Search for content on a computer
- How to connect the modem to yourÂ
- How to use your phone Hotpot with a computer Wi-Fi
- Ways to convert files from one format to another
2. Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office is a suite of office-related applications that are designed specifically by Microsoft for business and office use. If you are interested to know more about Microsoft office, you can click here
It is the collection of different applications for different purposes. It contains applications like Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Access, and Outlook.
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is used to create documents, letters, reports, and other typed contents. It is very easy to use, it has some features that can guide you to create professional documents, following are the outlined uses of Microsoft word
- Making text documents.
- Modifying and arranging the existing documents.
- Making a document with the integration of some other tools.
- Making and editing Graphical content and Images
- It is used by writers to make their work available.
- It autocorrects typo errors and also detects grammatical errors in a text document. You can read more here. You can also learn Microsoft word keyboard shortcut
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft PowerPoint is used to create presentations. It is a powerful slide show presentation program.
It is a software application that is mainly used to present data and information by using a combination of text, graphs, diagrams, images, transitional effects, and some other visual contents for presentation analysis. Here are the outline uses of Microsoft PowerPoint:
- Presentations
- Animation
- Vector Art
- Video recording
- Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook is used to manage email and calendars. Therefore, it allows you to send and receive email messages, manage your calendar, store and organize the names and numbers of your contacts, and track your tasks.
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel is the spreadsheets software that is used to organize data with formulas and functions to get a particular solution. Its uses are not limited to that but also:
- Data management
- Data Entry and Storage
- Performing Calculations
- Data Analysis and Interpretation
- Reporting and Visualisations
- Accounting and Budgeting
- Collection and Verification of Business Data
- Calendars and Schedules
- Administrative and Managerial Duties
- Forecasting
- Automating Repetitive Tasks
- Financial analysis
- Charting and graphing
- Programming
- Time management
- Task management
- Financial modeling
- Customer relationship management (CRM)
3. Internet Surfing
Internet surfing is going from one site or page to another on the Internet, it simply means browsing for different topics on the internet. It usually involves: opening an Internet browser like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and any other browser. You can get a lot of things done easily with internet surfing. With internet;
- You can also get the news of current events instantly on the Internet
- Students can share information with their Teachers or colleagues
- You can easily communicate with friends, family and meet new people through social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others.
- Sharing your contacts Address
- Paying of Electric bills, taxes, and other online subscriptions
- You can do online business
- It also provides connectivity between all employees and employers, through which they all can easily communicate.
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4. Multimedia application
A multimedia application is an interactive software that has a combination of multi-media sources to convey information to an audience. This includes different types of media like videos, Images, Animation, Audio, text, and many others.
So, everyone should have this basic computer knowledge, you should know how to play videos on a computer, how to play audios, how to view images and others. There are many applications available for this, for example, Windows media players, VLC Player, windows movie maker, MediaMonkey, Adobe flash, and many others.
5. Computer Shortcuts
A Computer shortcut is a set of one or more keys that is revoked to generate a particular command to be executed in software or an operating system. There are simple shortcuts all computer operators should now, for example, you can copy content by pressing the CTR button with C and so on. You can learn keyboard shortcuts,