Is This Thing On?: A Late Bloomer's Computer Handbook - Softcover

Stokes, Abby

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0761146199 ISBN 13: 9780761146193

Publisher: Workman Publishing Company, 2008

Synopsis

"Stokes gives the feeling that a friend is explaining it all to you."
— The New York Daily News

Is This Thing On? is a reassuring, jargon-free, and totally straightforward nuts-and-bolts guide that introduces late bloomers, grandparents, technophobes, and the digitally challenged to all the wonders of using a computer, and will even have them using digital cameras and PDAs with ease.

Written for the reader who did not grow up with personal computers, this book updates and expands on Stokes's previous title, It's Never Too Late to Love a Computer. It covers everything you need to get wired: how to select, buy, and set up a computer; how to sign up for e-mail and internet access, and how to use the world wide web. There's information on peripherals—printers, scanners, wireless routers—and basic software, such as word processing programs. Plus, this new edition delves further into the online world to cover search engines and web navigation, information on online banking, shopping, travel planning, and dating. It covers security issues, "netiquette," instant messaging, and blogs, and there's an entire chapter devoted to digital photos—transferring them from camera to computer and sending them as attachments. Abby Stokes—who has a gift for taking the terrified by the hand and teaching old dogs new tricks—branches out into other essential digital accoutrements: cell phones, iPods, and Blackberries. A companion website, www.abbyandme.com, offers a safe place to practice and keep learning. Appendices include recommended websites, a resource list, and more.

About this title

From the Back Cover

Plug in, boot up, and get online!

·    Email and receive pictures of the kids and grandkids
·    Enjoy the convenience and bargains of online shopping
·    Search for recipes, health and travel information
·    Look up old friends and make new friends
·    Read the latest news, sports, weather reports, stock quotes, and          commentary
·    You can even start a blog

It’s your turn now, and you won’t believe how much you can do and how easy it is to do it. Written for the reader who didn’t grow up with a personal computer or use one in the office, this book is everything you need to get wired.

You’ll learn how to shop for a computer that’s just right for you, and how to set it up for maximum comfort and safety. How to sign up for email and Internet access. How to use the mouse, a printer, a scanner, and how to get started with essential skills like word processing and using search engines. Plus: the A to Z’s of digital photos, a guide to online shopping, over 200 recommended websites, and much more. Before you know it, you’ll be clicking away to a whole new world.

About the Author

Abby Stokes has taken on the role of the Johnny Appleseed of technology, crisscrossing the country to help “digital immigrants” conquer their fear. She has visited more than 20 states, 120 public libraries, and 100 senior centers/computer clubs, and has hosted webinars across the country. She has taught courses at both Cooper Union and NYU’s School of Lifelong Learning, and has also taught private and corporate clients. Ms. Stokes divides her time between New York City and Niantic, Connecticut.

Edition details

• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0761146199
• ISBN 13: 9780761146193
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 408