Computers for Seniors

Computers for Seniors

by Carrie Ewin, Cheryl Ewin, Chris Ewin
Released August 2017
Publisher(s): No Starch Press
ISBN: 9781593277925

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Book description

Computers for Seniors is a step-by-step guide that will take you all the way from pressing the "On" button on your new computer to being a confident user who can send email to family and friends, shop online safely, read the latest news, watch funny YouTube videos, share cute pictures of your grandkids, check the weather forecast, and much more.

You'll learn to:

  • Plug in, set up, and turn on your computer
  • Print and share photos of your grandkids, vacations, pets, friends, and special life events
  • Install helpful tools like a calendar, money manager, and weather tracker
  • Search the internet for news, recipes, gardening tips, sports updates, and anything else that interests you
  • Watch entertaining YouTube videos or educational lectures and make video calls to anywhere in the world
  • Find and listen to new music (or your favorite classics) and read electronic books
  • Email your friends and family
  • Stay safe online and keep your private information secure
Computers for Seniors will show you how to get what you really want from your PC, with the help of full-color illustrations, friendly instructions, and a touch of humor. Each lesson has small exercises to test your skills and help you practice, to make sure you feel comfortable with what you've learned before you move on.

It's never too late to have fun and get more out of your PC - Computers for Seniors will ease you into the computer generation by guiding you every step of the way.

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Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Brief Contents
  5. Contents in Detail
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. Introduction
    1. About This Book
    2. Who Should Read This Book?
    3. What You’ll Need
    4. How to Read This Book
    5. What’s in This Book?
    6. What Else Do You Need to Know?
  8. Buying and Setting Up Your Computer
    1. Choosing a Computer
      1. What Kind of Computer Do I Need?
      2. What Specifications Do I Need?
    2. Unboxing Your Computer
      1. Meeting the Ports
      2. Plugging It In
    3. Turning On Your Computer
    4. Your Main Tools
      1. The Mouse
      2. The Keyboard
    5. Setting Up Your Computer
      1. Setting Up an Internet Connection
      2. Connecting to the Internet
      3. Choosing Your Keyboard Settings
      4. Creating a Microsoft Account
      5. Managing Your Advertising Options
      6. Skipping PIN Setup
      7. Skipping OneDrive Setup
      8. Your Own Digital Assistant: Cortana!
      9. Privacy Settings
    6. Phew, We Did It!
  9. Lesson 1: Getting Started
    1. Starting Your Computer
      1. Logging In
      2. Navigating the Desktop
      3. Navigating a Windows Tablet
    2. Finding Apps from the Start Menu
      1. The Full Apps List
      2. The Popular Apps Tiles
      3. * Activity #1
      4. Using the Search Box
    3. Using Your First App
      1. Opening the App
      2. Maximizing an App
      3. Closing an App
      4. * Activity #2
      5. Restoring Disappearing Apps
    4. Shutting Down Your Computer
    5. Phew, We Did It!
    6. Lesson Review
  10. Lesson 2: Introducing Apps
    1. What Is an App?
    2. The Microsoft Solitaire Collection App
      1. Playing a Game
      2. Closing a Game
      3. Opening Solitaire Again
      4. * Activity #3
    3. The Weather App
    4. The Calendar App
      1. Setting Up the Calendar App
      2. Meeting the Calendar App
      3. Adding an Event
      4. Deleting an Event
      5. * Activity #4
    5. More Apps, More Fun
    6. Phew, We Did It!
    7. Lesson Review
  11. Lesson 3: The Photos App
    1. Why Should I Use the Photos App?
    2. From Film Photos to Digital Photos
    3. Connecting Your Camera or Phone
    4. Importing Photos
      1. * Activity #5
    5. Viewing a Photo
    6. Deleting Unwanted Photos
      1. * Activity #6
    7. Let’s Get Editing!
      1. Crop and Rotate
      2. Improve Quality with Enhance
      3. Adding Effects with Filters
      4. Further Adjustments
      5. Saving Your Edits
    8. Printing Old-Fashioned Hard Copies
    9. Phew, We Did It!
    10. Lesson Review
  12. Lesson 4: Email
    1. What Exactly Is Email?
    2. Opening the Mail App
    3. Setting Up the Mail App
    4. Checking Your Email
      1. Receiving an Email
      2. * Activity #7
      3. Opening an Email
      4. Reading an Email
      5. Switching to Another Email Account
    5. Sending an Email
    6. Replying to an Email
      1. * Activity #8
    7. Sending Pictures and Other Files
      1. * Activity #9
    8. Opening Attachments
    9. Deleting an Email
      1. * Activity #10
    10. Searching for Emails
    11. Staying Safe with Emails
    12. Phew, We Did It!
    13. Lesson Review
  13. Lesson 5: Introducing the Internet
    1. Opening Microsoft Edge
    2. What Is a Website?
      1. * Activity #11
    3. Opening a Site
      1. * Activity #12
    4. Navigating a Site
      1. Opening a Link
      2. * Activity #13
      3. Using the Back and Forward Buttons
      4. * Activity #14
      5. Zooming In and Out
      6. * Activity #15
    5. Using Tabs
    6. Printing a Page
    7. Making Shortcuts with Favorites
      1. Adding Sites to Your Favorites
      2. Returning to a Favorite Site
      3. Deleting a Favorite Site
      4. * Activity #16
    8. Sites to Explore
    9. Phew, We Did It!
    10. Lesson Review
  14. Lesson 6: Exploring the Internet
    1. Using a Search Engine
      1. Creating a Search
      2. Examining the Results Page
      3. Opening a Search Result
      4. Finding a Different Search Result
      5. * Activity #17
    2. Searching for Images
      1. * Activity #18
    3. Explore: Google
    4. Explore: Facebook
    5. Explore: Amazon
    6. Online Shopping Tips
    7. Phew, We Did It!
    8. Lesson Review
  15. Lesson 7: Watching TV and Videos Online
    1. Watching Videos on YouTube
      1. Playing a Video
      2. Meeting the Video Page
      3. YouTube Video Controls
      4. * Activity #19
    2. Searching for a YouTube Video
      1. * Activity #20
    3. Explore: TED Talks
    4. Explore: Netflix
    5. Explore: Crackle
    6. Phew, We Did It!
    7. Lesson Review
  16. Lesson 8: Downloading New Apps
    1. Why Add More Apps?
    2. The Store
      1. Meeting the Store
      2. Finding Apps and Games
      3. Searching Using Categories
      4. * Activity #21
      5. Searching Using the Search Box
    3. Choosing an App or Game
    4. Installing an App
      1. * Activity #22
    5. Reopening an App
    6. Removing an App
    7. Explore: Paid Apps
    8. Apps to Try
    9. Phew, We Did It!
    10. Lesson Review
  17. Lesson 9: Listening to Music Online
    1. Signing Up for Spotify
    2. Using Spotify
      1. Searching for Music
      2. Browsing for Music
      3. * Activity #23
    3. Logging Back In to Spotify
    4. Explore: Buying Songs
    5. Explore: TuneIn Radio
    6. Phew, We Did It!
    7. Lesson Review
  18. Lesson 10: Reading Ebooks with OverDrive
    1. Installing and Signing Up for OverDrive
    2. Adding a Library to Borrow From
    3. Signing In to a Library
    4. Finding and Borrowing a Book
      1. Searching for a Book
      2. The List of Results
      3. Browsing for a Book
      4. Borrowing a Book
      5. Downloading a Book
      6. * Activity #24
    5. Reading a Book
      1. Changing the Font Size
      2. Closing a Book
      3. Returning a Book
      4. * Activity #25
    6. Explore: Audiobooks
    7. Phew, We Did It!
    8. Lesson Review
  19. Lesson 11: Making Calls with Skype
    1. What Is Skype?
    2. What Do I Need to Use Skype?
    3. Setting Up Skype
      1. Adding a Profile Picture
      2. Adding Friends as Skype Contacts
      3. * Activity #26
      4. Accepting a Contact Request
      5. * Activity #27
    4. Let’s Start Calling!
      1. Audio Calls
      2. Video Calls
      3. * Activity #28
      4. Responding to a Call
      5. Sending Written Messages
      6. Sending Smiley Faces and Emoticons
      7. * Activity #29
    5. Deleting Skype Contacts
    6. Staying Safe with Skype
    7. Phew, We Did It!
    8. Lesson Review
  20. Lesson 12: Typing Letters and Documents
    1. Why Use WordPad?
    2. Meeting WordPad
      1. * Activity #30
    3. Typing Your First Document
      1. * Activity #31
    4. Fixing Mistakes in Your Document
    5. Formatting Your Document
      1. Text Formatting
      2. * Activity #32
    6. Paragraph Formatting
      1. * Activity #33
    7. Undoing a Mistake
    8. Zooming In or Out
    9. Saving Your Document
    10. Printing Your Document
    11. Phew, We Did It!
    12. Lesson Review
  21. Lesson 13: Files and Folders
    1. Exploring File Explorer
    2. Opening a Folder
      1. * Activity #34
    3. Working with Files and Folders
      1. Viewing Files Within a Folder
      2. Opening a File
      3. Creating New Folders
      4. Renaming a File or Folder
      5. Deleting a File or Folder
      6. Restoring a Deleted File or Folder
      7. * Activity #35
    4. Organizing Your Files
      1. Saving Files into Folders
      2. * Activity #36
      3. Moving Files into Folders
      4. * Activity #37
      5. Closing a Folder
    5. Searching for Elusive Files
    6. Taking Your Files on the Go
      1. Storing Files on a USB Flash Drive
      2. * Activity #38
      3. Storing Files Remotely with OneDrive
    7. Explore: The OneDrive Website
    8. Phew, We Did It!
    9. Lesson Review
  22. Lesson 14: Staying Safe Online
    1. Protecting Against Viruses
      1. Recognizing the Symptoms of a Virus
      2. Performing a Scan with Windows Defender
      3. How Else Can I Protect Myself?
    2. What Else Should I Be Aware Of?
      1. Avoiding Scams
      2. Avoiding Phishing Attacks
    3. Getting Help
    4. Phew, We Did It!
    5. Lesson Review
  23. Connecting a Printer, Scanner, Webcam, or Other Device
    1. Connecting Your Device
    2. Installing Your Device
  24. Switching to a Microsoft Account
    1. Do I Have a Microsoft Account?
    2. Creating a Microsoft Account
  25. Connecting to Wi-Fi Outside Your Home
  26. Solutions
    1. Lesson 1
    2. Lesson 2
    3. Lesson 3
    4. Lesson 4
    5. Lesson 5
    6. Lesson 6
    7. Lesson 7
    8. Lesson 8
    9. Lesson 9
    10. Lesson 10
    11. Lesson 11
    12. Lesson 12
    13. Lesson 13
    14. Lesson 14
  27. Index
  28. Updates

Product information

  • Title: Computers for Seniors
  • Author(s): Carrie Ewin, Cheryl Ewin, Chris Ewin
  • Release date: August 2017
  • Publisher(s): No Starch Press
  • ISBN: 9781593277925