COMPUTER 6

LESSON 1: BUYING A COMPUTER Types of Computers Laptop or desktop Laptop computers are portable and can be taken anywhere you want to. But they are expensive. They are suitable for people who travel lot. And need to carry their computers to different places.

Branded or assembled A branded computer is made by a well-known manufacturer. One is assured that all the components are fitted inside the unit and of good quality. It is only expensive than the assembled ones.

Hardware Processor There are two things to consider about the processor.

Speed. The speed of the processor determines how long it will take to perform a task. A faster processor also allows you to connect to the internet more quickly.

The speed of the processor is measured in megahertz (MHz). Intel, Cyrix and AMD are the three main manufacturers of processors.

Readiness for upgrading. Manufacturers keep producing newer versions like those of the Pentium family made by Intel.

Case of the CPU Tower type or desk type Read/Write Memory One must have an idea of the size of the software and the data that is planned to have in one’s computer. This will help determine the RAM that one must have.

RAM can be easily upgraded. You have to be aware of the number of slots in the CPU at the time of the purchase. Most people go for 64 MB or 128 MB RAM. You can easily increase it later if you want to.

Cache is another type of memory similar to RAM. It is used by the computer to move data faster between the RAM and microprocessor. It stores data and instructions that are most recently and most frequently used.

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Note: Our computer should have a t least 512 KB cache Hard drive Alternatively referred to as a hard disk drive and abbreviated as HD or HDD, the hard drive is the computer's main storage media device that permanently stores all data on the computer. It consists of many disks or platters that store data.

Note: the hard disk that one buys should have a capacity of at least 20 GB. CD-ROM drive A CD can store approximately 650 MB of data .One cannot usually write on a CD-ROM. A CD-ROM drive is used to read data from a CDs. It is available in different rates of speed.

Monitor Size. A 14 – or 15 inch screen is preferable if one use the computer to write or read text. Larger screens of 17 0r 21 reduce eye strain.

Mouse.

Peripherals Modem One needs a modem (modulator/demodulator) to have an internet connection.

One must consider its speed. Find the speed of the modem that its ISP supports.

Internal modems are slightly less expensive that external modems. Most modems come with fax capabilities, a fax modem. One can send text or graphics via the phone line to a fax machine.

Printer Three things to consider when buying a printer: 1. print quality 2. speed 3. cost of maintenance UPS A UPS protects a PC against voltage fluctuations .It also offers backup for sometime in case of power failure. It allows one to save his work and shut down the computer. A 500 VA UPS is sufficient for a PC. Software One has to buy certain software to run the hardware of the computer. The operating system is usually installed free of cost by the computer vendor. The vendor Young Ji International School / College

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may also include software packages like Microsoft Office, Lotus SmartSuite among others. These packages contain all the programs necessary to run a small business.

Therefore they are called business software packages.

Activity I Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words.

1. The speed of the processor is measured in____________.

2. Intel, Cyrix and AMD are companies that manufacture_______________.

3. The full form of the term “modem’’ is __________________.

4. If you have a small desk space, you should prefer__________ type of CPU case.

5. The speed of modem is measured in________________.

6. ____________ is a type of memory, used by a computer to move data between the RAM and the CPU faster.

7. The ________ of the processor is measured in megahertz.

LESSON 2: MICROSOFT EXCEL Microsoft Excel is a powerful spreadsheet program developed by Microsoft Corporation. It integrates graphics and data management. It is designed to ease the task of handling budget preparation, cash flows inventory, financial statements and analysis of numerical data.

Key to the Excel Window 1. Title Bar-displays the program name and the workbook title.

2. Menu Bar –contains the names of the means that are available. The menus change depending on the task at hand.

3. Name Box –displays the cell address and the name box.

4. Toolbar- contains buttons that you can click to carryout command than you use most frequently.

5. Formula bar- displays the cell address or reference as well as the contents of the active cell.

6. Task Pane-Lists commands that relevant to whatever you’re doing in Excel. You can easily hide the task pane if you want to have more room to view a workbook. Simply click the Close button at the upperright corner of the Task Pane.

7. Row Headings- are the numbered labels that appear on the left side of each row.

8. Status bar- indicates the information about the current worksheet.

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9. Sheet tabs- display the name of the worksheets. The sheet tabs let you move from one sheet to another within the workbook.

10. Worksheet Window- is a window that displays your work in Excel. It has columns and rows that intersect at cells.

11. Active cell- is a cell with a heavy or colored border where you can enter texts and numbers into.

The active cell is recognized by its black outline. Data is always entered into the active cell. Different cells can be made active by clicking on them with the mouse or by using the arrow keys on the keyboard.

Add Sheet Icon  Adding additional worksheets can be done by clicking on the add sheet icon next to the sheet tab at the bottom of the screen or you can use this keyboard shortcut toadd a new worksheet.

Cell 

Cells are the rectangular boxes located in central area of a worksheet.  Data entered into a worksheet is stored in a cell. Each cell can hold only one piece of data at a time.  A cell is the intersection point of a vertical column and a horizontal row.  Each cell in the worksheet can be identified by a cell reference, which is a combination of letters and numbers such as A1, F456, or AA34.

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Column Letters  Columns run vertically on a worksheet and each one is identified by a letter in the column header.

Formula Bar  Located above the worksheet, this area displays the contents of the active cell. It can also be used for entering or editing data and formulas.

Name Box  Located next to the formula bar, the Name Box displays the cell reference or the name of the active cell.

Quick Access Toolbar  This customizable toolbar allows you to add frequently used commands. Click on the down arrow at the end of the toolbar to display available options.

Ribbon  The Ribbon is the strip of buttons and icons located above the worksheet.

When clicked on, these buttons and icons activate the various features of program. First introduced in Excel 2007, the ribbon replaced the menus and toolbars found in Excel 2003 and earlier versions.

Ribbon Tabs  Tabs are part of the horizontal ribbon menu that contains links to various features of the program. Each tab - such as Home, Page Layout, and Formulas - contains a number of related features and options that are activated by clicking on the appropriate icon.

The File Tab  The File tab was introduced in Excel 2010 replacing the Excel 2007 Office Button, and it works differently than the others tabs.  Instead of having its options display on the horizontal ribbon, clicking on the File tab opens a drop down menu on the left side of the screen.  This tab also contains items that are mostly related to file and document management - such as opening new or existing worksheet files, saving, and printing.  The options item, which is also located on the menu, is used to alter the look of the program as a whole by choosing which screen elements to display, such as scroll bars and gridlines. It also contains options for activating a number of settings - such as automatic recalculation of worksheet files and choosing which languages to use for spell check and grammar.

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Row Numbers  Rows run horizontally in a worksheet and are identified by a number in the row header.

Sheet Tabs  By default there is one worksheet in an Excel 2013 file.  The tab at the bottom of a worksheet tells you the name of the worksheet such as Sheet1, Sheet2 etc.  Renaming a worksheet or changing the tab color can make it easier to keep track of data in large spreadsheet files.  Switching between worksheets can be done by clicking on the tab of the sheet you wish to access or by using this keyboard shortcut to change between worksheets.

Status Bar  The status bar, located at the bottom of screen displays the status of the options chosen to appear there by the user.  Customizing the bar to display specific options, such as the zoom slider, the cell mode, or macro recording, is done by right click clicking on it with the mouse pointer and then clicking on the desired options.  By default, a number of options are pre-selected for display on the status bar. The default options include Average, Count, and Sum, which are linked to the Excel functions by the same name.  If two or more cells containing number data are selected in a worksheet, by default, the status bar displays: o the average value of the data in the cells selected o the number of cells selected (count) o the total value of the data in the cells selected (sum) Zoom Slider  Located in the bottom right corner of the Excel screen, the zoom slider is used to change the magnification of a worksheet by dragging the slider box back and forth or by clicking on the Zoom Out and Zoom In buttons located at either end of the slider.

Excel Formulas One of the most powerful features of any spreadsheet program is the ability to calculate numerical information using formulas. Just like a calculator, spreadsheets can add, subtract, multiply, and divide. In this lesson, we'll show you how to use cell references to create simple formulas.

Mathematical operators All spreadsheet programs use standard operators for formulas, such as a plus sign for addition (+), a minus sign for subtraction (-), an asterisk for multiplication (*), a forward slash for division (/), and a caret (^) for exponents.

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All formulas must begin with an equals sign (=). This is because the cell contains, or is equal to, the formula and the value it calculates.

By combining a mathematical operator with cell references, you can create a variety of simple formulas. Formulas can also include a combination of cell references and numbers, as in the examples below:

To create a formula: In our example below, we'll use a simple formula and cell references to calculate a budget.

1. Select the cell that will contain the formula. In our example, we'll select cell B3.

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2. Type the equals sign (=). Notice how it appears in both the cell and the formula bar.

3. Type the cell address of the cell you wish to reference first in the formula, cell B1 in our example.

4. Type the mathematical operator you wish to use. In our example, we'll type the addition sign (+).

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5. Type the cell address of the cell you wish to reference second in the formula, cell B2 in our example.

Press Enter on your keyboard. The formula will be calculated, and the value will be displayed in the cell.

If the result of a formula is too large to be displayed in a cell, it may appear as pound signs (#######) instead of a value. This means the column is not wide enough to display the cell content. Simply increase the column width to show the cell content.

Modifying values with cell references

The true advantage of cell references is that they allow you to update data in your spreadsheet without having to rewrite formulas. In the example below, we've modified the value of cell B1 from $1,200 to $1,800. The formula in B3 will automatically recalculate and display the new value in cell B3.

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Your spreadsheet will not always tell you if your formula contains an error, so it's up to you to check all of your formulas.

To learn how to do this, check out the Double-Check Your Formulas lesson.

To create a formula using the point-and-click method: Rather than typing cell addresses manually, you can point and click on the cells you wish to include in your formula. This method can save a lot of time and effort when creating formulas. In our example below, we'll create a formula to calculate the cost of ordering several boxes of plastic silverware.

1. Select the cell that will contain the formula. In our example, we'll select cell D3. Select the cell you wish to reference first in the formula, cell B3 in our example. The cell address will appear in the formula.

2. Type the equals sign (=).

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3. Select the cell you wish to reference first in the formula, cell B3 in our example. The cell address will appear in the formula.

4. Type the mathematical operator you wish to use. In our example, we'll type the multiplication sign (*).

5. Select the cell you wish to reference second in the formula, cell C3 in our example. The cell address will appear in the formula.

6. Press Enter on your keyboard. The formula will be calculated, and the value will be displayed in the cell.

Formulas can also be copied to adjacent cells with the fill handle, which can save a lot of time and effort if you need to perform the same calculation multiple times in a spreadsheet. Review our lesson on Relative and Absolute Cell References to learn more.

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To edit a formula: Sometimes you may want to modify an existing formula. In the example below, we've entered an incorrect cell address in our formula, so we'll need to correct it.

1. Select the cell containing the formula you wish to edit. In our example, we'll select cell B3.

2. Click the formula bar to edit the formula. You can also doubleclick the cell to view and edit the formula directly within the cell.

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3. A border will appear around any referenced cells. In our example, we'll change the second part of the formula to reference cell B2 instead of cell C2.

4. When finished, press Enter on your keyboard the Enter command in the formula bar (if available).

or

select

The formula will be updated, and the new value will be displayed in the cell.

If you change your mind, you can press the Esc key on your keyboard to avoid accidentally making changes to your formula.

To show all of the formulas in a spreadsheet, you can hold the Ctrl key and press ` (grave accent). The grave accent key is usually located in the upperleft corner of the keyboard. You can press Ctrl+` again to switch back to the normal view.

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Challenge!

1. Open an existing Excel workbook. If you want, you can use the example file for this lesson.

2. Create a simple addition formula using cell references. If you are using the example, create the formula in cell B4 to calculate the total budget.

3. Try modifying the value of a cell referenced in a formula. If you are using the example, change the value of cell B2 to $2,000. Notice how the formula in cell B4 recalculates the total.

4. Try using the point-and-click method to create a formula. If you are using the example, create a formula in cell G5 that multiplies the cost of napkins by the quantity needed to calculate the total cost.

5. Edit a formula using the formula bar. If you are using the example, edit the formula in cell B9 to change thedivision sign (/) to a minus sign ().

Excel 2013 Getting Started with Excel Page 1 Introduction Excel 2013 is a spreadsheet program that allows you to store, organize, and analyze information. While you may think that Excel is only used by certain people to process complicated data, anyone can learn how to take advantage of Excel's powerful features. Whether you're keeping a budget, organizing a training log, or creating an invoice, Excel makes it easy to work with different kinds of data.

Getting to know Excel 2013 Excel 2013 is similar to Excel 2010. If you've previously used Excel 2010, Excel 2013 should feel very familiar. But if you are new to Excel, or if you have more experience with older versions, you should first take some time to become familiar with the Excel 2013 interface.

The Excel interface When you open Excel 2013 for the first time, the Excel Start Screen will appear. From here, you'll be able to create a new workbook, choose a template, and access your recently edited workbooks.  From the Excel Start Screen, locate and select Blank workbook to access the Excel interface.

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If you've previously used Excel 2010 or 2007, Excel 2013 will feel very familiar. It continues to use features like the Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar, where you will find commands to perform common tasks in Excel, as well as Backstage view.

The Ribbon Excel 2013 uses a tabbed Ribbon system instead of traditional menus. The Ribbon contains multiple tabs, each with several groups of commands. You will use these tabs to perform the most common tasks in Excel.



The Home tab gives you access to some of the most commonly used commands for working with data in Excel 2013, including copy and paste, formatting, and number styles. The Home tab is selected by default whenever you open Excel.

Certain programs, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, may install additional tabs to the Ribbon. These tabs are called Add-ins.

To minimize and maximize the Ribbon: The Ribbon is designed to respond to your current task, but you can choose to minimize it if you find that it takes up too much screen space.

1. Click the Ribbon Display Options arrow in the upper-right corner of the Ribbon.

2. Select the desired minimizing option from the drop-down menu:

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

Auto-hide Ribbon: Auto-hide displays your workbook in full-screen mode and completely hides the Ribbon. To show the Ribbon, click the Expand Ribbon command at the top of screen.



Show Tabs: This option hides all command groups when not in use, but tabs will remain visible. To show the Ribbon, simply click a tab.

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Show Tabs and Commands: This option maximizes the Ribbon. All of the tabs and commands will be visible. This option is selected by default when you open Excel for the first time.

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The Quick Access Toolbar Located just above the Ribbon, the Quick Access Toolbar lets you access common commands no matter which tab is selected. By default, it includes the Save, Undo, and Repeat commands. You can add other commands depending on your preference.

To add commands to the Quick Access Toolbar: 1. Click the drop-down arrow to the right of the Quick Access Toolbar.

2. Select the command you wish to add from the drop-down menu. To choose from more commands, select More Commands.

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1. The command will be added to the Quick Access Toolbar.

Backstage view Backstage view gives you various options for saving, opening a file, printing, or sharing your workbooks.

To access Backstage view: 1. Click the File tab on the Ribbon. Backstage view will appear.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about using Backstage view.

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Worksheet views Excel 2013 has a variety of viewing options that change how your workbook is displayed. You can choose to view any workbook inNormal view, Page Layout view, or Page Break view. These views can be useful for various tasks, especially if you're planning toprint the spreadsheet.  To change worksheet views, locate and select the desired worksheet view command in the bottom-right corner of the Excel window.

Click the arrows in the slideshow below to review the different worksheet view options.

Normal view: This is the default view for all worksheets in Excel.

Challenge!

1. Open Excel 2013.

2. Click through all of the tabs, and review the commands on the Ribbon.

3. Try minimizing and maximizing the Ribbon.

4. Add a command to the Quick Access Toolbar.

5. Navigate to Backstage view, and open your Account settings.

6. Try switching worksheet views.

7. Close Excel (you do not have to save the workbook).

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