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CD Computers
CD Computers
Using a computer
When your computer is ready to use, the first thing you see is the desktop. This is an
area of the screen that displays icons of programs installed on your computer.
All the programs on the computer are called software.
To start using a program, click on its icon. This should open in a new area of the
screen called a window.
When you save information, you can save it to your hard disk (also called a hard
drive) or on a floppy disk. Large amounts of information can be copied (also
written or burned) onto a CD. Most computers also have a DVD drive so that you
can play DVDs.
If your computer crashes, you might have to restart it.
The Internet
To surf the Internet (also called the Web), you need to be connected to it with a
modem. You will also need a browser, which is software that enables you to view
web pages.
To go to a particular website you need to type in its URL or web address. If you are
not sure of the exact web address or want to search for particular information, you
can use a search engine. Once you have found the site you want, you can browse
the pages using menus and links. If there is too much text on the screen, you may
have to scroll down to find what you need.
You can download software (programs) from the Internet. This includes freeware
(which is free) and shareware (which you can try for free and pay for later).
You need to be careful not to get a computer virus from the Internet. You can buy
anti-virus software to help you do this.
Text messages
Text messages are short written messages between mobile phones. Text messaging is
sometimes called SMS (short messaging service). Because it takes a long time to type
in full words, text messages often contain abbreviations:
B = be U = you @ = at
C = see 2 = to or too CU @ 7 = See you at seven.
R = are 4 = for How R U? = How are you?
It is common to miss out vowels in some words:
txt = text msg = message
other abbreviations include:
b4 = before l8r = later gr8 = great 2day = today 2morrow = tomorrow
S T U D Y PA G E S centre 25
Email
In email and other computer applications (for example chat rooms) people also use
unusual kinds of English. Internet abbreviations are sometimes used, taking the
first letter from longer phrases: Emoticons or ‘smileys’ are also common. These are
punctuation marks used to show your feelings. Here are some examples:
Writing emails
People communicate using email for many different reasons. It can be used to send
single word answers, formal documents or even jokes. The way you write your email
depends on how well you know the person you are sending it to. People often write
emails in the same way they speak so it is typically less formal than other forms of
writing.