Datasheet

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8
Part I: First Steps with Your Computer
Understand All You Can Do with Computers
In just a couple of decades, computers have moved from being expen-
sive behemoths that lived in corporate basements to being personal
productivity and entertainment tools. They have empowered people to
connect around the world in unprecedented ways, and they’ve made
common tasks much easier to handle.
The following list walks you through some of the things your com-
puter will enable you to do. Depending on what activities are impor-
tant to you, you can make a more informed purchasing choice.
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Keep in touch with friends and family. The Internet
has made it possible to communicate with other
people via e-mail; share video images using webcams
(tiny, inexpensive video cameras that capture and
send your image to another computer); and make
phone calls using a technology called VoIP (Voice
over Internet Phone), which uses your computer and
Internet connection to place calls. You can also chat
with others by typing messages and sending them
through your computer using a technology called
instant messaging. These messages are exchanged in
real time, so that you and your grandchild, for exam-
ple, can see and reply to text immediately. Part III of
this book explains these topics in more detail.
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Research any topic from the comfort of your home.
Online, you can find many reputable Web sites that
help you get information on anything from expert
medical advice to the best travel deals. You can read
news from around the corner or around the world.
You can visit government Web sites to find out infor-
mation about your taxes, Social Security, and more,
or even go to entertainment sites to look up your
local television listings.