Making
Your Computer Work with You - Not Against You
Although
you did not design or build your computer, you can turn it into a device that
responds to your way of using it as if you were its original engineer or
programmer. This is because the computer is a mere platform - a blank canvas,
if you will - waiting for you to direct its operation or paint the picture of
the perfect machine. All this is possible from making just a few changes in
your computer's current configuration.
Your
computer's main configurations are housed in Windows Control Panel. Within this
small section of Windows, you can make some major changes from the way that
your computer looks to the way that your computer responds to the people who
use it. But your specifications don't just apply to Windows, they also apply to
the many software programs that are installed onto the computer (not to mention
that many software programs can be further customized through their own
configurations). We aren't going to cover them all, but we will introduce some
of the most popular so that you can get a feel of the control over your system
that these configurations give you.
Users. Before we get into the individual
settings, it's important that you understand that each set of configurations
you make is specific to the users that sit down in front of a computer. Changes
made to a system by one person will differ from the changes made by another.
Enabled by a username and password, individual desktop settings (icons,
background picture, and other settings) are available after logging onto
Windows.
Display Properties. Through Display Properties, a user can
change the background of the Windows Desktop, add a screensaver, change the
overall color scheme and fonts of Windows, and adjust a computer's color depth
and/or resolution (screen area). Not just a bunch of preference settings,
display properties help individuals who have to deal with visual problems.
Accessibility Options. Speaking of visual problems, another
setting that's useful is accessibility options. This setting allows people with
disabilities to use a computer that accommodates vision and hearing problems.
Keyboard and Mouse Options. The keyboard and mouse controls give
users the option of speeding up or slowing down the movements of both of these
peripherals. For those entering the United States from a foreign country, users
will appreciate how Windows grants use of keyboard layouts native to their
original language. Other uses will appreciate the different selection of
cursors and the ability to add additional ones.
Passwords. Since the computer in use may be
shared with others, Passwords gives the almighty administrator the means to
determine whether all users will share the same preferences and desktop
settings or if users can customize preferences and desktop settings.
Regional Settings. Things get really personal in Regional
Settings - as this configuration makes changes according to a user's location
and language. Options available can accommodate a person's preference for the
display of numbers, currency, time, and date format.
Sounds Properties. Multimedia fans can create a rich PC
environment filled with sound through this setting. Sounds can be assigned to
numerous events and they don't even need to be the default sounds installed by
Windows. Users can download sounds from the Internet or create their own sounds
with a microphone.
Dialing Properties. Even the way a user connects to the
Internet can be customized. Through Dialing Properties, users can determine how
a phone and modem dials into an Internet service provider.
From just these basic configuration options, you can
create your own experience with a computer each time you sit down in front of
one. Customizing your PC is what makes using a computer truly unique and
enjoyable, so have fun and build a situation at home or a work in which you'll
love to work with everyday. Should you feel a little nervous about it at first,
remember that your computer's original configuration can be saved to a back up
file should you ever want to restore it to the same state that it was in when
you first bought it.
This is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Accordingly, it is difficult to figure out when to end it. But then, this is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Period.
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