Windows operating system

WINDOWS is an operating SYSTEM.

In 1995 the corporation Microsoft has decided to release a new operating system Windows 95, which was including a graphics user interface.

This graphics interface was borrowed from other operating systems for another personal computer (MacOS, Commodore Amigo etc.), because they were more comfortable for use.

The other Microsoft operating systems (Windows NT, Windows 98/2000/ Millenium/XP) were released later. However, all of them have a lot of commons and are similar with Windows 95. Therefore we shall call all of them as a Windows.

Merits and demerits of the windows

As well as any software product, Windows has advantages and disadvantages.

Now I would like to list some advantages of this OS:

1. The work with files became easier. Many limitations of a file name (8 characters in the name and 3 in the extension etc.) have disappeared.

2. Uniform program interface. Now, if you want to use new software, it will be easier then in DOS. Because all Windows-applications have the similar interface.

3. Multitasking Windows. It means that with Windows you can work with a few programs at the same time.

4. Support of different devices. If you install on your computer the new device, for example, printer, it is enough to load driver for this device and after that all your applications can use it without problem.

5. Ease of data exchange between various applications. In Windows it is easiest to insert picture drawn in the graphics editor into the processed text.

6. Support TrueType fonts. TrueType fonts are scaled fonts, which contain the description of characters outlines and rules of their drawing. And you can change size of them, as you want without problem. These fonts can easily be deformed (underline, bold, italic).

7. Built-in support of multimedia (audio and video). You can easy use sounds and video with Windows-applications.

Now about disadvantages.

1. It is necessary to have a powerful hardware for using Windows. Windows is requiring higher speed of the CPU, big size of the RAM and much more free space on the HDD.

2. One more minus of Windows is it the incomplete multitasking. If the incorrect operation stops one of applications, Windows most likely will break normal work.

3. At last Windows has many errors and the Windows applications too.

Base operations in windows operations With the mouse

In addition to the keyboard, you can use a pointing device to give your computer instructions.

The most popular type of pointing device is the mouse.

You should know all main operations with the mouse. Because, it is possible to work in Windows without the mouse, but it is very difficult.

There are some basic actions:

pointing, clicking, right-clicking, double-clicking, and dragging.

The mouse controls a pointer that identifies your location on the screen.

Think of the mouse as an extension of your hand !

When you move the mouse on your desk, the pointer moves as well.

Some objects are changing when your pointer passes over them.

You can select and move items on your screen by working with one of the buttons on your mouse.

The first action you will learn is called clicking.

Clicking means pressing and releasing a left mouse button one time.

The result of this action varies depending on the software you are using and the button you click.

You can use a right button for doing right-clicking.

A second thing you can do with a mouse is called double-clicking.

Double-clicking means to press and release the left mouse button twice as quickly as possible.

Another action you can perform using the left mouse button is moving items around your screen by dragging them.

To do this, position the pointer over an object, press and hold down the left mouse button, move the mouse to the desired place on your screen. Release the button.

FILE NAME

In an operating system Windows a file name together with the extension can be less or equal

255 characters.

It is impossible to use characters

? * : \ / | < > and "(character of quotes).

Windows distinguishes the large and small characters in a file name, but at call to the file the register is ignored.

For example,

My Text For Sasha.txt MY TEXT FOR SASHA.TXT

my text for sasha.txt MY text FOR sasha.TXT etc.

Now about the extension. As you see, the name together with the extension can have length up to 255 characters. But the points in a file name now can be used. And the characters after the last point are considered as the extension.

For example, in the name

My plan. 1997. 01.0401.06.txt

extension will be txt.

However, it is not recommended to use a point in a file name.

To use in the extension more than three characters it is not recommended too.

ICON, SHORTCUT And FOLDER

Icon

In a Windows operating system to each program or document is correspondence with icon (иконка). The icon represents small picture, which visually characterizes the given program or document.

Shortcut

A shortcut (ярлык). The shortcuts provide fast access to files, directories, disks etc.

In any place you can create a shortcut referring on any object. If you delete a shortcut, your will not delete your program.

Folder

The folder (папка) represents the same directory on the disk.

But there are a few special folders like Control Panel (Панель управления), Printers (Принтеры) etc.

DESKTOP

After start Windows you get on a desktop (Рабочий стол).

Here are some units of the interface Windows. Usually there are:

My computer (Мой компьютер) – contains a tree of all folders and files of the computer;

Recycle Bin (Корзина) – allows deleting files and folders. If you drag any file (folder) on an icon of a Recycle Bin, you delete it from the disk;

Network Neighborhood – allows looking through network resources, if you are

(Сетевое окружение) connected to the network;

Inbox (Входящие) – it is like a mail box. If you have not network and Internet, you can delete Inbox in a Recycle Bin;

The Internet – allows working with Internet. If you are not the client of Internet, the given icon also can be deleted.

At the left on the panel of the tasks the button Start (Пуск) is set. The click on this button allows starting any application, having help, finding the files etc.