The Laptop…

..One of the modern every-day devices guaranteed to find their way into the homes of many. The idea of a laptop is portability: that you can do whatever computer work you want/need in any place you like. It is definitely ideal for people on the move who want to work during travel or while on breaks from their work hours. This idea has grown and developed so that laptops are more specifically made to suit the needs of the customer. What I mean is the functionality, portability and customisation options available today in all laptops equate to a device that has outgrown its original purpose.

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There are various kinds of specifications that are tailored to certain types of people:

High Speed Internet – Bloggers, socialites and Video Streamers.

HD Graphics – Artists, Gamers and Graphic Designers.

Surround HD Audio Quality – Musicians, Music Lovers and budding Actors.

Size & Portability – Business people, bloggers and journalists.

Large Hard Drive Memory – Moviemakers and programmers.

There is a small power icon that starts-up the laptop and is a common symbol for all powered devices, being it is an open circle like the letter C with a line going through the middle into the centre.

This is commonly found on the keyboard face of the laptop somewhere near the hard drive (CD Slot), or can be found on the side of the laptop sometimes. Depending on how you want to use your laptop, there are different models that can fulfil those needs better than some of the more commonly purchased ones. I suggest visiting your local computer hardware store and inquiring about laptops that are best suited to your criteria, since the staff are largely obligated to assist you in terms of customer service and professionalism. Don’t feel embarrassed to ask questions as not everyone is not technologically sound.

(above) Windows 7 control panel. (above right) Power Button, regular symbol.

Generally, any laptop with the Windows 7 OS (Operating System) will have a control panel similar to this, being the benefits that it’s clean, tidy and easy to use. Also shown in the control panel, it looks at all the basic functions and options for your laptop and a lot of these settings can be changed to provide a custom experience. Changing the settings is as simple as clicking one of the options in the control panel, which can be found in the start menu, conveniently located in the bottom left hand corner as the windows icon.

As mentioned earlier, depending on your needs, different laptops fulfil those needs better so going to a computer store and experimenting on the laptops on display will give you a feel of which ones you like best. Obviously, the more expensive, the better the quality but sometimes you may find a cheap one that does everything you expected it to do AND more. Just look around and see what best suits you.

Windows 7 is the most commonly used operating system and another suggestion would be to dabble around on your new device (especially in the control panel) and just have a play around on it. Automatically in the start menu, you should find that the pre-requisite internet browser is in the menu, as well as basic functions that are key-noted for the laptop’s initial purpose. Hope this helps you all get a little more insight on laptops, but don’t be afraid to experiment.

Digital Communication: What is email? How Do I Use it?

This post will describe what an email is, where to get an email account, how to use email, pros and cons as well as local slang. They will be quick and easy to understand so everyone can grasp the concept in good speed. Ok, to put it in the simplest definition I can think of… An email is simplified from “Electronic Mail” and is used to send a digital letter between contacts via email addresses. These emails can be sent with additional attachment files that can contain images, videos and audio. Emails use accounts called “addresses” to send information from one computer to another by using a web mail service and a stable internet connection. You find web mail clients as a web mail application which can be accessed via a web browser. There are many sites on the web that offer web mail services, but here are a few well-trusted websites that offer user-friendly functionality:

Google Mail – Launched April 1st 2004     mail.google.com

MSN Hotmail – 4th July 1996     www.hotmail.com

Yahoo Mail – October 8th 1997     mail.yahoo.com 

AOL Mail – March 21st 2004     mail.aol.com

Example: When you create an account, this is the overview of your Hotmail email account and your emails will appear in the bulk of the page in center. To create a new email, click on “New” up in the email options and it will take you to the email page.

From here, you can create an email to send to your contact. It is pretty simple: Enter the contact’s address of who you want to send it to in the box next to “To:” and add a subject underneath. After that, feel free to type your message in the large text box located below and attach any files you like with the attachment options shown above the text box. Once that is done, click “Send” in the email options box and… Congratulations! You have sent your email to your contact successfully. Emails that YOU receive will be shown in your inbox, which is the orange highlighted box underneath “Hotmail” in the sidebar of the webpage.  That is all there is to it really.

This was a basic help guide on what emails are and how to send one. Everything else is pretty straightforward, clear and easy to read, so it’s just a matter of playing around and experimenting with all the settings to customise how you want your account to be run. Hope you have gained some insight and if you become stuck, make sure to contact support or forums dedicated to the particular web mail service… Or ask me for help.