Nancy C. Muir - Laptops For Seniors For Dummies

Laptops For Seniors For Dummies, 4th Edition

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Copyright 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2015952893

ISBN 978-1-119-04957-9 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-04952-4 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-04956-2 (ebk)

1. Table of Contents

Computers for consumers have come a long way in just 25 years or so. Theyre now at the heart of the way many people communicate, shop, and learn. They provide useful tools for tracking information, organizing finances, and being creative. And, theyve become far more portable with all sizes and weights of laptops available.

During the rapid growth of the personal computer, you might have been too busy to jump in and learn the ropes, but you now realize how useful and fun working with a computer can be.

This book can help you get going with your laptop quickly and painlessly.

This book is specifically written for mature people like you folks who are relatively new to using a computer and want to discover the basics of buying a laptop, working with software, and getting on the Internet. In writing this book, Ive tried to take into account the types of activities that might interest a 55-plus-year-old who's discovering computers for the first time.

This book is organized by sets of tasks. These tasks start from the very beginning, assuming you know little about computers, and guide you through the most basic steps in easy-to-understand language. Because I assume youre new to computers, the book provides explanations or definitions of technical terms to help you out.

All computers are run by software called an operating system, such as Windows. The latest version is Windows 10. Because Microsoft Windowsbased personal computers (PCs) including laptops are the most common type, the book focuses mostly on Windows 10 functionality.

Extra online content supplements this book to help you go further. Go online to take advantage of these features:

Cheat Sheet (www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/laptopsforseniors): This books Cheat Sheet offers a list of Windows 10 shortcut keys you can use to perform common operations more quickly and a checklist of what to look for when buying a computer.

Dummies.com online articles: The Parts pages of this book provide links to helpful articles on Dummies.com. These articles are listed on the books Extras page at www.dummies.com/extras/laptopsforseniors . Topics include tips for creating strong passwords and useful ways to adjust Microsoft Edge settings.

Whether you need to start from square one and buy yourself a laptop or youre ready to just start enjoying the tools and toys your current laptop makes available, its time to get going, get online, and get computer savvy.

Part I

Visit www.dummies.com for more great content online.

Chapter 1

Get ready to...

If youve never owned a laptop and now face purchasing one for the first time, choosing a laptop can be a somewhat daunting experience. There are lots of technical terms to figure out and various pieces of hardware (the physical parts of your laptop such as the monitor and keyboard) and software (the programs that allow you to use the computer to get things done, such as creating documents and playing games, for example).

In this chapter, I introduce you to the world of activities your new laptop makes available to you, and I provide the information you need to choose just the right laptop for you. Remember as you read through this chapter that figuring out what you want to do with your laptop is an important step in determining which laptop you should buy. You have to consider how much money you want to spend, how youll connect your laptop to the Internet, and how much power and performance you need from your laptop.