You bought a computer, contacted an Internet Service Provider, and now you are online. E-mail is great, and the Internet is fun, but you encounter numerous errors that you don't understand. In discussing your problems with other PC users, someone asks what operating system you are using or how much memory your computer has. You cringe. You know you cannot finesse this one so you change the subject. Don't worry; if my e-mail inbox is any indication, you are not alone.
Look how many times you have to produce your birth date or social security number. You will need to know the vital statistics about your computer as well. But don't fret; finding out about your computer is an easy chore if you know where to look. Let's start with your computer's operating system. This is the basic program that runs the computer. To find out which operating system your PC uses, click on the Start Button. Choose Settings, then Control Panel. A screen full of icons appears; double-click on the icon that is labeled System. (Windows XP users will choose Start, then Control Panel, then Performance & Maintenance, then "See basic info about your computer"). You will see a screen that shows your operating system (Windows 95/98, etc.). This window will also tell you what type of processor your computer has (486/Pentium, etc) and how much memory is installed (32, 64, 128 MB RAM). Windows XP will also show the speed of the processor (500, MHz, 700 MHz, etc.).
As you know, all of the information in your computer is stored on the hard disk. To find out the size of your hard disk, double-click on My Computer. The hard disk is usually labeled "C:". Look for the icon shaped like a rectangular box. Right click on the "C:" icon and choose Properties. You then see a pie chart that shows the size of your disk, how much space is used, and how much is available. Note: If you see more than one hard disk icon, it is likely your hard disk has been divided into multiple partitions or you have more than one hard drive. Right-click on each icon to see the size and the space available.
Have you ever been asked which Internet Browser you use? To find out, simply get on the Internet as you usually do. Then look at the Title Bar, which is the blue bar at the top of the screen. This bar will state the title of the Web page on your screen followed by the name of the browser. Most probably, you will see Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. (If you are using America Online, you will see AOL on the Title Bar at the top of the screen and the title of the Web page on the Title Bar farther down on the screen.) If you would like to know the version of the browser being used, click on Help at the top of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear. Click on the item that starts with the word About. It will say something like About Internet Explorer or About Netscape Communicator (or Netscape Navigator on older versions). This will bring up a screen that shows you exactly which version of the program you are using. By the way, this works for most programs including word processors and e-mail programs.
Armed with just a little knowledge, you can now be more confident about your computer. And when your golf buddies or your bridge group start talking computer-eze, you can join in with information on operating systems, hard disk capacity, and browsers. Just know the vital statistics of your trusty computer, and you are all set.
