GUI basics

Windows 95 basics

Windows 95 shortcut keys

Mouse problems

Mouse adjustments

Monitor adjustments

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Windows Basics

Jeff Williamson
Northern Virginia Community College
www.nvcc.edu/home/nvwillj/windows-basics/
nvwillj@nvcc.edu

Mouse problems

Mouse devices are a breakthrough in some ways for computer use.  Before them, users had to memorize dozens of key combinations to make programs work.  Modern GUI interfaces allow users to point and click to activate program functions.

However mouse devices are not completely intuitive.  Many users have problems

holding mice,
double-clicking and
pointing them

Changing cursor size is covered in mouse adjustments

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Holding mice

The left and right mouse buttons are for your first and second fingers.  New users often put their first finger on the right mouse button, or it drifts there while using the computer.

Wrong way; index finger on right mouse button	Right way, first two fingers on left and right mouse buttons

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Double-clicking

Senior users often have two concerns about this: when to double click, and how to double click.

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When do you single click, and when do you double-click?

You double-click to start programs and single-click everything else.

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How do you know what is a program and what isn't?

It's a bit tricky - icons in windows represent programs, but that may not tell you much.

As a general rule, single click.  If nothing happens, double-click.

Neat trick: If double-clicking is hard, single-click (to set focus), then press the Enter key.

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Pointing

New users often have trouble getting the right part of the mouse pointer onto links and other clickable items.

no link selected	link 3 selected (finger on 3)	link 2 selected (finger on 2)

As the examples above show, it's the position of the finger - not the fist - that determines what you are clicking on.

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