User:Jwmh/Class Drafts/Module:hardware interface
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)
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
- sometimes on laptops, these overlap w/ the function keys -- dual-purpose
- 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)