Using emoticons in E-mail

Because it's often difficult to convey emotion, intent, or tone through text alone, early Internet users invented emoticons (a combination of the terms emotion and icons)—sequences of keyboard characters that symbolize facial expressions. For example, :) looks like a smiling face when you look at it sideways. Below are some examples of emoticons.

Emoticon	Meaning
:) or :-)	Smiling, happy, or joking
:( or :-(	Frowning or unhappy
;-)	Winking
:-|	Indifferent or ambivalent
:-o	Surprised or concerned
:-x	Not saying anything
:-p	Sticking out your tongue (usually in fun)
:-D	Laughing

All-in-one printers

One of the fastest-growing categories of printers are all-in-one (AIO) printers, also sometimes called multifunction (MFP) printers. As the name implies, these are devices that do everything: they can print, scan photos, make photocopies, and even send faxes.

What's the difference between AIOs and MFPs? Often nothing, although some devices sold as multifunction printers are larger and designed more for office use.

Either way, the main selling point of all-in-one and multifunction models is convenience. What used to take three machines now requires one. Another bonus: Some features—photocopying, for example—don't require a connection to a computer.

Laser printers

Laser printers use toner—a fine, powdery substance—to reproduce text and graphics. They can print in black and white or color, although color models are usually pricier. A laser printer that prints only in black and white is sometimes called a monochrome printer.

Laser printers typically have high-capacity paper trays, so you don't need to add paper as often as you would for an inkjet model. They also can print more pages per minute than most inkjets. In addition, a laser printer's toner cartridge generally lasts longer.

Depending on how much printing you do, a laser printer might be cheaper over time than an inkjet.

Working with digital pictures

Photo printing once required a darkroom or a professional photo lab—not to mention advanced training. But in the last decade, digital cameras and computers have revolutionized the field of photography, making it possible for anyone to print photos at home. In this article, you'll learn how the tools in Windows can help you view, organize, and print your digital pictures.

Getting pictures from your camera into your computer.
Most digital cameras store pictures on a CompactFlash memory card or a Secure Digital (SD) card. When you're ready to view, organize, or print your pictures, you'll need to import the pictures to your computer. Then you can erase the pictures on the memory card and use it to take a new batch of pictures.

Tips for safely using e‑mail and the web

• Use caution when opening e‑mail attachments. E‑mail attachments (files attached to e‑mail messages) are a primary source of virus infection. Never open an attachment from someone you don't know. If you know the sender but were not expecting an attachment, verify that the sender actually sent the attachment before you open it.

• Guard your personal information carefully. If a website asks for a credit card number, bank information, or other personal information, make sure you trust the website and verify that its transaction system is secure.

• Be careful when clicking hyperlinks in e‑mail messages. Hyperlinks (links that open websites when you click them) are often used as part of phishing and spyware scams, but they can also transmit viruses. Only click links in e‑mail messages that you trust.

• Only install add-ons from websites that you trust. Web browser add-ons allow webpages to display things like toolbars, stock tickers, video, and animation. However, add-ons can also install spyware or other malicious software. If a website asks you to install an add-on, make sure that you trust it before doing so.

Tips for using your keyboard safely

Using your keyboard properly can help avoid soreness or injury to your wrists, hands, and arms, particularly if you use your computer for long periods of time. Here are some tips to help you avoid problems:

• Place your keyboard at elbow level. Your upper arms should be relaxed at your sides.

• Center your keyboard in front of you. If your keyboard has a numeric keypad, you can use the spacebar as the centering point.

• Type with your hands and wrists floating above the keyboard, so that you can use your whole arm to reach for distant keys instead of stretching your fingers.

• Avoid resting your palms or wrists on any type of surface while typing. If your keyboard has a palm rest, use it only during breaks from typing.

• While typing, use a light touch and keep your wrists straight.

• When you're not typing, relax your arms and hands.

• Take short breaks from computer use every 15 to 20 minutes.

Using your keyboard

Whether you're writing a letter or calculating numerical data, your keyboard is the main way to enter information into your computer. But did you know you can also use your keyboard to control your computer? Learning just a few simple keyboard commands (instructions to your computer) can help you work more efficiently. This article covers the basics of keyboard operation and gets you started with keyboard commands.

How the keys are organized

The keys on your keyboard can be divided into several groups based on function:

• Typing (alphanumeric) keys. These keys include the same letter, number, punctuation, and symbol keys found on a traditional typewriter.

• Control keys. These keys are used alone or in combination with other keys to perform certain actions. The most frequently used control keys are Ctrl, Alt, the Windows logo key , and Esc.

• Function keys. The function keys are used to perform specific tasks. They are labeled as F1, F2, F3, and so on, up to F12. The functionality of these keys differs from program to program.

• Navigation keys. These keys are used for moving around in documents or webpages and editing text. They include the arrow keys, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, Delete, and Insert.

• Numeric keypad. The numeric keypad is handy for entering numbers quickly. The keys are grouped together in a block like a conventional calculator or adding machine.

The following illustration shows how these keys are arranged on a typical keyboard. Your keyboard layout might be different.

Tips for using your mouse safely

Holding and moving your mouse properly can help you avoid soreness or injury to your wrists, hands, and arms, particularly if you use your computer for long periods of time. Here are some tips to help you avoid problems:

• Place your mouse at elbow level. Your upper arms should fall relaxed at your sides.

• Don't squeeze or grip your mouse tightly. Hold it lightly.

• Move the mouse by pivoting your arm at your elbow. Avoid bending your wrist up, down, or to the sides.

• Use a light touch when clicking a mouse button.

• Keep your fingers relaxed. Don't allow them to hover above the buttons.

• When you don't need to use the mouse, don't hold it.

• Take short breaks from computer use every 15 to 20 minutes.

what is System unit?

The system unit is the core of a computer system. Usually it's a rectangular box placed on or underneath your desk. Inside this box are many electronic components that process information. The most important of these components is the central processing unit (CPU), or microprocessor, which acts as the "brain" of your computer. Another component is random access memory (RAM), which temporarily stores information that the CPU uses while the computer is on. The information stored in RAM is erased when the computer is turned off.

Almost every other part of your computer connects to the system unit using cables. The cables plug into specific ports (openings), typically on the back of the system unit. Hardware that is not part of the system unit is sometimes called a peripheral device or device.

What is a driver?

A driver is software that allows your computer to communicate with hardware or devices. Without drivers, the hardware you connect to your computer—for example, a video card or a printer—won't work properly.

In most cases, drivers come with Windows or you can find them by going to Windows Update in Control Panel and checking for updates. If Windows doesn't have the driver you need, you can usually find it on a disc that came with the hardware or device you want to use, or on the manufacturer's website.

Wireless router

A router sends information between your network and the Internet. With a wireless router, you can connect computers to your network using radio signals instead of wires. There are a few different types of wireless network technologies, including 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g. We recommend using a router that supports 802.11g because it is fast and provides a strong wireless signal. For more information about wireless network technologies, see Wireless networking: frequently asked questions.

Broadband Internet connection and modem

A broadband Internet connection is a high-speed Internet connection—in contrast to a dial-up connection, which is slower and not powerful enough to support a wireless network. Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) and cable are two of the most common broadband connections. You can get a broadband connection by contacting an Internet service provider (ISP). Typically, ISPs that provide DSL are telephone companies and ISPs that provide cable are cable TV companies. ISPs often offer broadband modems and might even install it for you. Some ISPs also offer combination modem/wireless routers. You can also find these at computer or electronics stores.

Setting up a wireless network

Imagine sitting on the couch in your living room browsing the web, or chatting with friends online while relaxing in bed at night, or sending documents from the computer in the kitchen to the printer in your home office. A wireless network provides the ultimate in networking flexibility, and setting one up is easier than you might think. This article walks you through the steps to set up your wireless network and start using it.

Once you have all of the equipment, you'll need to set up your modem and Internet connection. If your modem wasn't set up for you by your Internet service provider (ISP), follow the instructions that came with your modem to connect it to your computer and the Internet. If you're using Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), connect your modem to a phone jack. If you are using cable, connect your modem to a cable jack. For more information, see Set up a broadband (DSL or cable) connection.

Shared resources management

You can share the content of folders and volumes on your server over the network using the Provision a Shared Folder Wizard, which is available in Share and Storage Management. This wizard guides you through the necessary steps to share a folder or volume and assign all applicable properties to it. With the wizard, you can:

• Specify the folder or volume that you want to share or create a new folder to share.

• Specify the network sharing protocol used to access the shared resource.
• Change the local NTFS permissions for the folder or volume you will be sharing.
• Specify the share access permissions, user limits, and offline access to files in the shared resource.
• Publish the shared resource to a Distributed File System (DFS) namespace.
• If Services for Network File System (NFS) has been installed, specify NFS-based access permissions for the shared resource.
• If File Server Resource Manager is installed on your server, apply storage quotas to the new shared resource, and create file screens to limit the type of files that can be stored in it.