Jwmh: added notes at top: thoughts re relevance of content

2013-02-05T16:02:29Z

added notes at top: thoughts re relevance of content

Jwmh: initial page creation

2013-02-04T20:13:34Z

initial page creation

New page

==Module: hardware interface (mouse and keyboard)==
This is about describing the mouse's and keyboard's physical layout/features/functions.
* get Mac keyboard also
* This is *not* about the effects it has on the software interface -- this is *only* about visually examining these devices. [....? Really? Is this even possible? Maybe this should go somewhere else, under UI / Software / Navigating....]

===Different types of keyboards and mice===
First:
*There is no 'universal' keyboard or mouse -- there are the most common ones, but there are many types.
However, almost all of them have certain features in common, so we'll go over those.

* All mice can be used interchangably -- there is no "special" compatibility that makes them only work with certain computers; you can use them with any type of computer *software* -- as long as you physically have the right connector on the back to plug them into.

* Same goes for keyboards, although some of the more 'special' buttons on keyboards get switched up a little bit between Macs and PCs.

===Mouse===
* Most mice that come with PC's (Microsoft- or Linux-based computers) have two buttons, plus a scroll wheel. On some mice, this wheel also can be "clicked," or pressed as a third (middle) button.

* Conversely, most mice that come with new Macintosh (Apple) computers only have a single button. (Some of them also have a scroll wheel, that sometimes acts as a second button.)

* However, in both cases, the 'primary' button performs the same primary action.
The second (and sometimes third) buttons perform different, "special" actions.

* [advanced:
There are even fancier mice you can buy which have four or five or six buttons; usually there is software to go with these, that lets you assign more customized "special" actions to those buttons.
]

===Keyboard===
Again, there are different types of keyboards.
However, there is far less distinction between Mac keyboards vs PC keyboards, than between mice.

* Most keys on the keyboard, when you press them, do sometime directly -- like type a letter or number.
* Other keys, like Shift, *don't* do anything directly -- instead, they *modify* other keys... changing what happens when you press them.
** some of these "modifier" keys (like Shift) just make the output different -- so you type a capital letter, instead of a lowercase one.
** other "modifier" keys (like Ctrl) are even more special -- when you press them in combination with another key, they don't actually "type" anything -- but instead, they send a signal to the system, telling it to *do* something (like reboot the whole computer).
*** fortunately, most of the "crazy" options (like rebooting an entire computer just by pressing some keys) have been taken away -- the computer programmers decided it was too easy to do accidentally, even for someone really familiar w/ the system, so they've mostly taken those sorts of options out.
*** even if you do accidentally reboot a machine, typically the worst that will happen is you might lose whatever you were in the middle of -- but you can't really *harm* a computer by pressing keys.
**** There are NO "wrong" keys to press! I promise. [needs to be a little more persuasive/supportive/encouraging than that...]

Extra keys:
* Ctrl
* Alt (on Macs, this is the Apple key, a.k.a. the "Command" key)
* ESC

* Arrow keys
* Number keys

* "Lock" keys:
** Capslock
** NumberLock
** ScrollLock

* Other special keys:
** Insert (INS)
** Delete (DEL)
** Home / End
** PgUp / PgDn

* PrtScn
* Pause/Break

* Function keys (F#)

System-specific:
* Top-row keys: laptop-keys and Mac-keys that adjust the hardware -- like the Volume, or the Screen Brightness
** sometimes on laptops, these overlap w/ the function keys -- dual-purpose
*** then, depending on the keyboard, you sometimes have an extra "Fn" key, needed to activate the "alternate" functions of these keys
* Windows/"Special" key (on Macs, this is replaced by the Option/Alt key)
* Context/Alt-mouseclick key (some keyboards only; usually rightside of spacebar only)

Mac-specific:
* Option/Alt (where the Windows-logo key is on PC keyboards; but will function as an Alt key if you hook it up to a Microsoft Windows box)
* Command (where the Alt key is on PC keyboards)

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:02, 5 February 2013
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		+	NB: Wait, wait, wait.. All of this is a ton of info, and good to know, but... Does the average computer user really know (or need to know) this?
		+
		+	Most folks just stick w/ one mouse/keyboard the whole time -- they don't go switching around.
		+	And how many folks really need to know about the Scroll Lock? (okay, if they accidentally hit it, i suppose... but that's more of troubleshooting!)
		+	And really, keyboard combinations? (e.g. Ctrl-Alt-Del)
		+	Those are more 'advanced' topics... you can get around just fine without keyboard combos.
		+
		+	Conclusion: So, maybe some of this stuff shouldn't be taught in a beginners/entry-level course -- it could easily be delayed until we're more in the 'advanced' topics.
		+	I actually begin to doubt that all this is really relevant to the beginner...
		+
		+	More to the point: Once folks feel comfortable w/ the interface ''in general,'' '''then''' they're often excited to see a quicker, easier way of doing things (a la keyboard/mouse shortcuts).
		+
		+	TL;DR: Useful, but not necessarily pertinent to the absolute beginner.
		+	2TL;DR: More relevant perhaps to a comfortable user... but still not "necessary."
		+
		+	Would be given as an "optional - learn some tricks" class.
		+
		+	But isn't this all about what we're trying to teach?
		+	To become savvier -- to learn how to do things with greater ease, without struggling? Greater confidence?
		+
		+	Q: Is this a potential confidence-booster (for those who aren't overwhelmed as complete beginners)?
		+
	==Module: hardware interface (mouse and keyboard)==		==Module: hardware interface (mouse and keyboard)==
	This is about describing the mouse's and keyboard's physical layout/features/functions.		This is about describing the mouse's and keyboard's physical layout/features/functions.

User:Jwmh/Class Drafts/Module:hardware interface - Revision history

Jwmh: added notes at top: thoughts re relevance of content

Jwmh: initial page creation