Most of your interaction with your computer will be via the mouse, keyboard and screen. If you're a poor typist, do yourself a very big favor and buy a typing tutor program for your computer. You can pick up a good one for under 20 bucks, either from a computer store or through online retailers such as Amazon.
The mouse is used to move a pointer, or cursor, on the screen. To learn mousing technique, try playing some of the simple games supplied with Windows. Click the Start button and then click Games to open the Games Explorer. (In Windows XP, it's Start button -> Programs -> Games.) A game like Minesweeper will give you practice with clicking quickly and accurately and using the right mouse button as well as the left; the card game FreeCell will help you learn how to click and drag. You'll find instructions on how to play in each game's Help Menu.
Basic pointers
Hand position. Place the back of the mouse so it sits near the heel of your palm, with your thumb resting gently down one side and your fourth and little fingers down the other. Your index finger should be positioned on the left mouse button and your middle finger on the right button.
For lefties, the index finger is on the right mouse button and the middle finger on the left, so you use the middle finger to click; the index finger to right-click (see the descriptions of click and right-click below).
If there's a middle button and/or wheel on the mouse, use your index finger—regardless of whether you're a right- or left-hander—to manipulate it.
Typical mouse orientation for a right-hander. To get a better grip, you should bend your thumb at the first joint so it rests firmly against the side of the mouse.
Orientation. Keep the mouse facing directly forward, with its cord at the top (if it has a cord, that is; some mice are cordless). Keeping that orientation, move the mouse north/south, east/west, or diagonally across the mouse pad. Don't try to skew the mouse around.
If there's a middle button or wheel on the mouse, use your index finger (for right and left handers) to manipulate it. It's important that you keep the mouse stationary when you double-click.
| Geekgirl.tip: The leftie switch |
| Many left-handers prefer to switch
the button functions so they use the index finger to click and the
middle finger to right-click, just as right-handed users do. I normally
advise against this for beginners, because it makes for confusing
terminology; for example, if you make this switch, when you're
instructed to "right-click the file" you'll actually need to left-click
it. If you decide to make the switch anyway, here's how:
Note, if you can't find the setting mentioned in step 3, it could be that you're using a non-Microsoft mouse that has its own settings. In that case, locate the settings that let you adjust the mouse button assignments and switch the button functions so the left button is right-click and the right button is click. |
Typical mouse orientation for a left hander. To get a better grip, you should bend your thumb at the first joint so it rests firmly against the side of the mouse.
| Geekgirl.tip: Get a wheel |
| Does your mouse have a wheel? If it doesn't, junk it (or donate it) and get yourself a mouse with a wheel. The wheel is a simple invention that has revolutionised the way we interact with our computers. You will save yourself a huge amount of time and much frustration if you invest a few dollars in a wheel mouse. |
Mouse terminology & techniques
Your mouse is capable of quite a few different actions. Here's a guide to the mousing techniques you'll need to master.
Note: If you're a left-hander who has switched mouse button assignments as described in the sidebar, you'll need to adjust these instructions to allow for the reversed button positions. For example, to click you'll use the right mouse button instead of the left.
click: Press and release the left mouse button once. Clicking is useful for highlighting (selecting) an object on the desktop or in a window, 'pressing' buttons in dialog boxes, selecting items from menus and a variety of other tasks.
right-click: Press and release the right mouse button once. Right-clicking often gives you access to special advanced menus relevant to the current activity (these are known as 'context-sensitive menus'). For instance, if you right-click a Web page, you'll see a menu of options that let you add the page to your browser bookmarks, print the page, and so on; if you right-click in a Microsoft Word document, you'll see options that let you change the font you're using or copy text.
double-click: Press and release the left mouse button twice in rapid succession. Make sure you don't move the mouse at all between clicks. Even a very slight movement between clicks will make Vista think you've done two, separate clicks instead of a single double-click.
Double-clicking an object lets you open it. If you double-click a document, the document is opened; if you double-click a program, the program is launched.
Ctrl+click: Hold down the Ctrl key (sometimes labelled Control) while clicking with the mouse button. This technique is useful when selecting multiple files or folders. Normally, when you click one item and then click another item, the second item is selected the the first item is deselected. That is, you can select only one item at a time in this manner. If you Ctrl+click an item and then Ctrl+click another item, both of them are selected. You can Ctrl+click any number of items.
When is Ctrl+clicking handy? Say you'd like to know how much space several folders in your Documents folder occupy. Ctrl+click each of those folders and then right-click any one of them and choose Properties from the context menu. You'll get information about all of the folders, including how much space they occupy in total. Ctrl+clicking is also useful when you want to open several documents at once: Ctrl+click each then press Enter to open them all. Don't try this with too many documents simultaneously, though, or your computer might wilt under the pressure.
shift+click: Hold down the Shift key while clicking with the mouse. Shift+clicking lets you select a series of contiguous files. For example, if you want to select a dozen files listed one after another in a folder, instead of Ctrl+clicking each file, do this: Click the first file in the list and then Shift+Click the last file in the list.
scroll: Roll your mouse wheel back and forth to scroll it. Roll the wheel away from you to scroll up, roll it towards you to scroll down. You'll use this scrolling technique frequently on web pages and in any document longer than a single screen. Some mouse wheels even let you scroll sideways by pushing the wheel side to side.
hover: Move the mouse pointer over an item and let it remain there without clicking either mouse button. When you hover over certain items, extra information is displayed such as a description of the item's purpose (known as a tooltip), or a sub-menu of choices.
drag-and-drop: Also called 'click-and-drag'. Depress the left mouse button and, while keeping it depressed, move the mouse pointer to another location, then release the mouse button. Drag-and-drop is used to move items about on the Desktop or within programs, for copying or moving files, and for placing one object onto another. For instance, you can drag-and-drop a file onto the Recycle Bin to delete the file. You can tell when you have the dragged object correctly positioned over the target because the target will be highlighted. Once the target is highlighted, release the mouse button to drop the object you're dragging.
right drag-and-drop: Also called 'right-click-and-drag'. Same as drag-and-drop, but using the right mouse button. Right dragging-and-dropping an object pops up a menu of options that let you choose what to do with the object when it reaches its destination. Your choices are usually to Copy the object to the destination, to Move the object to the destination, or to Create A Shortcut to the dragged object at the destination.
select: Click an object once to select it. For example, if you click a file in a list of files, that file is selected and any subsequent actions you take will affect that file. You can identify a selected file because it will be highlighted.
open: Double-click an object—a file, a folder, a program—to open it.
Use the Mouse applet in the Control Panel to adjust the settings for your mouse. Depending on the brand and model of mouse you have, this dialog box may look a little different.
© 2009, Rose Vines
Support geekgirl'sDo you find the tutorials on this site useful? If so, please show your support by kicking in a few bucks to help buy computers for the wonderful orphanages run by the Afghan organisation, afceco.org. For a small amount, it is possible to make a difference in an area of the world which is hurting badly. |
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| Want to know more? Read this post on my blog. |
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