Microsoft office Excel

 Week 9

Microsoft office Excel 2010

 To start Microsoft office Excel with a fresh new spreadsheet,with temporary name book 1.Click Start,All programs, Microsfot Office Excel 2010.or double click the icon of Microsfot Office Excel 2010.

The spreadsheet is an EXCEl workbook that contains,initially three worksheets, each of which is blank.The cellls that it contains are empty-all 17  million of them.

The most common use of spreadsheet is for financial planning, for example to keep track of income and expenditure. you can find ready made  budget spreadsheets and templates at the Microsoft Office Website and on other internet locatons.however It is useful to create such spreadsheet from scratch, to illustrate the processes involved.

Data enter

open a blank worksheet,select cell A1 and  type the title for the spreadsheet,e.g.familly badget

Press the Enter or down key to insert the text and move to cell A2, then type the  next entry

repeat this process to add the remaining labels for the income and expense items you want to track, and labels for the totals and balance.If you omit an item,you can insert an additional worksheet row.select a vertical group of cells to insert that many rows above the selected cells.Note that you can insert one or more columns in a similar manner by selecting Insert,Insert Sheet columns.

Sums and Differences

when you've entered the data, and made the changes required, you can introduce functions and formulas to complete the worksheet.The = symbol indicates that the following text is a formula.you can type the cell references,or Click on the cell itself,and Excel will enter the approriate reference.Then Press Enter to complete the formula and display the results

Formatting

Changing the format for Various parts of the worksheet can make it easier to review and assess the results.you can change each cell individually, or press Ctrl and click each of the cells to select them, then apply the changes to all the cells at once.Excel includes a very useful conditional Formatting facility, Where the effect applied depend on the actual contents of the cells being formatted.

In brief i can say that this class and the whole brog things helped me a lot. for instance i could not use at all Excel before but now I guess I can use almost the most essential stuff in Excel.Likewise word and power point. 

Week8

Power point

Microsoft PowerPoint is such a great tool used for so many things:

1. presenting a project at school
2. showing your employees your expectations or plans
3. Even introducing your present day life to your old out of town friends by email.
4. You can put videos on it...music
5. Just about anything! It’s very fun, creative, and useful.

In class we learned how to create a slide show, applying themes, inserting images or clip art.

We also studied how to use transitions, screenshots, word art and shapes.

We did many activities that helped me to understand more it was really good

Working with video

Videos are a great way to make your presentations more engaging for your audience.

PowerPoint allows you to insert a video from a file on your computer or from a web site such as YouTube. You can even edit the video within PowerPoint and customize its appearance with a Video Style. Working with Video includes the following task:

 - Inserting Video

 Preview and resize the video

 Edit and Format

 Formatting the Appearance of the Video

                                   Microsoft Office2010

We are going to go through together, Microsoft office word Microsoft office power point, Microsoft office excel Microsoft office outlook so let start first with word.Microsoft Office is a productivity suite of applications that  share common freatures and approaches. There have  been numerous versions, including Office 95 Office 97,Office 2000,Office XP (also called Office 2002)office 2003 and Office 2007.The latest version released in June 2010,is Microsoft Office 2010.
 

 

                                       Introduction to Microsoft Word

During word class,everything for me was quite familiar. i could easily follow the lecturer and understand the lesson.It is my favorite subject in all what we have learned. 

Using Word, user easily can change the shape, size, color of text, add tables, shading, borders, pictures, charts and Web address in documents. Word is full-featured word processing program that allows user to create many types of personal and business documents including flyers, memos, resumes, reports, mailing labels and etc.

                                        

 

                                  Microsoft Word Window

Word Window includes the document window, Ribbon, Mini toolbar , shortcut menus and Quick Access Toolbar

                               1.Ribbon

Whichever edition you have,the most notable feature of Office 2010 is the graphical user interface based on the ribbon.The ribbon contain command buttons and icons,organized in sets of tabs,each containing groups of commands associated with specific functions.The purpose is to make the relevant features more intuitive, and more readily available.this allows you to concentrate on the tasks you want to perform rather than the detail of how yo will carry out the activities.

                                               Mini Toolbar

Contains commands related to changing the appearance of text in a document
Appears automatically based on tasks perform
Purpose:to minimize mouse movement

                                             Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access Toolbar is a customizable toolbar that contains a set of commands that are independent of the tab that is currently displayed. You can move the Quick Access Toolbar from one of the two possible locations, and you can add buttons that represent commands to the Quick Access Toolbar.

                                                   Key Tips

Key Tips replace keyboard shortcuts in Word 2010. Press ALT to make Key Tips appear for all ribbon tabs, and then press the Key Tip for the tab that you want to display. Okay, keyboard people, this section is for you. You should know that with the ribbon design, there are a few updates to keyboard shortcuts. First off, don’t worry: Shortcuts that start with the CTRL key — for example, CTRL+C for copy, or CTRL+ALT+1 for Heading 1 — remain the same as in previous versions of Word.

Finally, let take look on some text basis that are crucial in routine word usage. It is important to know how to perform basic tasks with text when working in a word processing application. Basic Text Operations are:



• Insert

• Delete

• Select

• Copy, cut and paste text

• Drag and drop text

• Find and Replace Text

• Save

• Printing



Use of computer software to enter and edit text offers a number of new features and approaches which improve student understanding, retention, transference and skill in using Microsoft word.

Contains commands related to changing the appearance of text in a document

Appears automatically based on tasks perform

Purpose: to minimize mouse movement

Operating system (OS)

                                             Week 6

 Operating system (OS)

in this week we had a debate on explaining how between wired internet connection and wireless which one is better.i was supporting wireless is better reason being wireless facilitate mobility means that you can access internet on the go for instance mobile we use everyday can be a good example.the debate ended in 30 minutes and my side won one of the example that made us win this debate is this example given by one student:-if there was no wireless people to make a call there should need long cables. this was the point that was not easy to answer for the opponent group.

after debate we studied week five lesson:Operating system

Microsoft released a number of Windows operating systems ranging from Windows xx, NT, Server from 1985 till now. The latest is Windows 8. Microsoft created the operating system, Windows, in the mid-1980s. They have a version of the operating system that is designed for the home user, and a professional version, which is intended for businesses. The versions differ in the depth of networking, security, and multimedia support.

Windows is proprietary software, which means that Microsoft has placed restrictions on how people can use or copy the software. Windows comes preloaded on most of the PCs sold today, and can also be purchased separately.

Windows aims.

                                       Decrease Start Up and Shutdown times by 20 secs

                                       Go to Sleep and Resume faster

                                       Use up less Memory

                                       Pop up Search results faster

                                       Reconnect to your Wireless Network more quickly

                                       Recognize USB devices faster

Windows 7 also saves time by not booting up various devices during Start Up unless they are currently being used. In other words, if you are not using a Bluetooth device at the moment then Windows 7 will not waste time by running that program in the background. It will wait until you have plugged it in. However, performance tests of Windows 7 indicate that actual improvements vary and greatly depend on the conditions of your specific computer and the programs you are running. We will go into more detail regarding your computer's ability to run Windows 7 in future lessons
We’ve seen that windows seven has new upgrades from vista and Xp such as :

• New Taskbar and System Tray
• Quick Desktop View button
• Improved Start Up, Sleep and Resume performance
• Improved power management saves memory and battery life
• Libraries to improve file access and organization
• Action Center for system maintenance, backups, troubleshooting and more
• User Account customization of notifications
• Improved back up
• New wallpapers and themes
• Improved Gadgets
• New premium games include Chess Titans, Mahjong Titans and Inkball
• Advanced Calculator functions including saving history
• Improved networking via HomeGroups
• Passkey protection with networks
• Device Stage for recognizing USB devices faster
• Windows Mail replaced by Windows Live

                                        Anatomy of windows 7

1.Aero view

2.Taskbar  
3.Search
4.Libraries
5.Gadgets

Windows7 File Management

The Windows 7 environment is not an extension of XP; it’s an entirely new interface. Although the underlying file structure is the same, there’s less to file management compare to XP. Windows 7 doesn’t require the knowledge of storing and accessing files as in XP and earlier versions — the file hierarchy is behind the scenes. Windows 7 is in fact easier to use, but you need to be acquainted with it.

Finding Files and Folders

Most users access their files through "My Documents", the "C" drive, or from other locations like a server or back up drive. You are likely accustomed to sorting through tiered stacks of folders to get to your content. This process can be time consuming, especially if you cannot remember where an item is filed. Microsoft wanted to make "finding your stuff" easier, so they developed Libraries.

   

Libraries are collections of your stored content that can be easily accessed through the Desktop Search function. Libraries do not replace your folders, they simply house them in a single collection.

When files are placed in a Library, their properties are indexed by the Search function. This indexing makes accessing files in Search quick and easy.

A New Approach to Accessing Content

Libraries have automatic default save folders. Unless specified, your content will be saved in the default folder of the Library it matches.You can change the default save folder by selecting Locations in the Tool Bar.You are not required to save or access your content through Libraries. The Navigation pane gives you access to Computer where your folders and drives are stored. You may still sort through the tiered stacks of folders in the classic way to save and access content.

Computer Network

                                              WEEK 4

 Computer Network

It is simply a group of interconnected computers.Two or more computers are connected via hardware or software, and able to communicate with each other.

The computers of a network may be located nearby to each other or at different geographic locations.Example of a computer network:

the Internet, ATM, school network, e-banking, home network, etc.

well the computer network is quit import we use it in our everyday routines you know! ressources sharing information sharing and ofcourse emailing.

now let see what opponents that are required to computer network.first and first Communication Media,Interconnecting Devices,Computers,Applications and finally Networking Software.

Every computer Networking must have these three concepts which are Topology(the physical layout of the network).Protocol (the rules in data communication)and

Architecture(how the hardware and software are integrated to form a working.)

A computer network involves communicating data between computers.Three elements at least must exist:

Sender,medium and receiver

we've also learned some characteristics data  transmission,the first one is analog  transmission the data are transmitted in form of continuous waves transmitted over a medium at a certain frequency rage,

the rate of transmission is called bandwitch. The other sort of  transmission is Digital transmission: sends data in the form of bits.sorted by signal.

ordered by bits there is serial and parallel;series one bit is sent after another,but parallel all bit are sent at once a long multiple paths.

again Bandwidth is the range that a medium can correctly transmit data.The rate at which the signal changes is known as Baud

Some type of link through which the data can be transmitted or transferred from one computer to another. To send data through the channel requires some type of transmission media, which may be either physical or wireless.

Computers share access to common network medium that carries signals from one computer to another. Medium may be physical cable, such as twisted pair, coaxial, or fiber-optic. Medium may also be wireless. Physical interface to medium is usually network interface card (NIC) or network adapter. Kind of medium dictates type of connector and limits number and type of devices as well as distance a single LAN can span

Twisted-pair cable – consists of two independently insulated wires twisted around each other (least expensive type of cable—the kind that is used in many telephone systems)

Coaxial cable – consists of an insulated center wire grounded by a shield of braided wire (the primary type of cabling used by the cable television industry;  it is more expensive than twisted pair)

Fiber-optic cable – contains hundreds of clear fiberglass or plastic fibers (threads) (made from thin, flexible glass tubing; bandwidth is greater, so it can carry more data; it is lighter than metal wires and is less susceptible to interference; it is fragile and expensive)

ISDN line – a special digital telephone line that transmits and receives information at very high speeds

                                                Wireless Media

Also known as unguided medium.

Microwave system – transmits data via high-frequency radio signals through the atmosphere.Satellite system – receive transmitted signals, amplify them, and then transmit the signals to the appropriate locations Cellular technology – uses antennae resembling telephone towers to pick up radio signals within a specific area (cell)Infrared technology – transmits data as infrared light waves from one device to another, providing wireless links between PCs and peripherals

Digital Communication

Communication has changed radically in today’s digital age and our lifestyle.Today, we are talking about digital communication, digital entertainment, digital mobility and so forth.It’s already happening accessing home computer from our cell phone. This is the era of digital telephony.

Challenging question J :

Can you describe the communication medium involved in digital telephony?

                                       Wireless Networking : Wi-Fi

•Wi-Fi is an abbreviation for Wireless Fidelity and a catch all phrase for the several different standards and recommendations that comprise wireless networking. 

–IEEE 802.11.b –2.4GHz – 11Mbps

–IEEE 802.11.a – 5GHz – 54 Mbps

–IEEE 802.11g – 2.4Ghz – Hybrid 11/54Mbps 

•Wi-Fi enables the user to deploy a computer network without needing to run cable throughout the facility.

•Microwave ovens, cordless phones, medical and scientific equipment, as well as Bluetooth devices, all work within the 2.4 GHz frequency band.

  

Application-Any application currently used on a traditional wired network can be used on a                                  wireless network. New applications may be available or can be developped to 
                                 take advantage of wireless, such as Wireless PDA access to a card catalog.

However, Wi-Fi has limitations such as:

–The effective coverage is 300-1400ft. from access point

–Structural interference

–Interference from other devices such as cordless phones.

this the end of this week, andIi guess you are enjoning this lesson  i ll see you nest week chao!

   

Computer software

On this Tuesday we learned computer software. quite interesting! 
This was quite important and i was really happy because the teacher explained this part very well.i am  going to summarize what we learned in this way: 

What is Software?
•The intangible part of a computer.

•It tells what a computer supposed to carry out, and how to do it.

•It drives the hardware.

A collection of computer programs together with the related data.

Categories of Software
Software is divided into three categories: System Software

                                                          Application Software

                                                          Programming Language
System software controls and maintains the operations of the computer and its devices.

     Application software makes users more productive and assists them with their tasks.

     Programming Language enables people (called programmers) to communicate instructions to         a computer.

History of computer

Pre-computers and Early Computers (before 1940s)

Before the development of the general-purpose computer, most calculations were done by humans. Mechanical tools to help humans with digital calculations were then called "calculating machines", by proprietary names, or even as they are now, calculators. It was those humans who used the machines who were then called computers. Aside from written numerals, the first aids to computation were purely mechanical devices which required the operator to set up the initial values of an elementary arithmetic operation, and then manipulate the device to obtain the result. Abacus was the earliest recorded calculating device. there were others in the following years : slide ruler, mechanical calculator, Punch card tabulating machine (by Dr. Herman Hollerith, 1890s) and Sorter

Hollerith’s company eventually became IBM (International Business Machine). Computer was not created by one person or in one shot,the creation of computer is divided in five successive generations:

First Generation (1940-1956) Vacuum Tubes

The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory, and were often enormous, taking up entire rooms. They were very expensive to operate and in addition to using a great deal of electricity, generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of malfunctions.

First generation computers relied on machine language, the lowest-level programming language understood by computers, to perform operations, and they could only solve one problem at a time. Input was based on punched cards and paper tape, and output was displayed on printouts.

The UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are examples of first-generation computing devices. The UNIVAC was the first commercial computer delivered to a business client, the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951.

Second Generation (1956-1963) Transistors

Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation of computers. The transistor was invented in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until the late 1950s. The transistor was far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to become smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable than their first-generation predecessors. Though the transistor still generated a great deal of heat that subjected the computer to damage, it was a vast improvement over the vacuum tube. Second-generation computers still relied on punched cards for input and printouts for output.
Second-generation computers moved from cryptic binary machine language to symbolic, or assembly, languages, which allowed programmers to specify instructions in words. High-level programming languages were also being developed at this time, such as early versions of COBOL and FORTRAN. These were also the first computers that stored their instructions in their memory, which moved from a magnetic drum to magnetic core technology.

Third Generation (1964-1971) Integrated Circuits

The development of the integrated circuit was the hallmark of the third generation of computers. Transistors were miniaturized and placed on silicon chips, called semiconductors, which drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers.

Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with third generation computers through keyboards and monitors and interfaced with an operating system, which allowed the device to run many different applications at one time with a central program that monitored the memory. Computers for the first time became accessible to a mass audience because they were smaller and cheaper than their predecessors.

 Fourth Generation (1971-Present) Microprocessors

 

The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip. What in the first generation filled an entire room could now fit in the palm of the hand. The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, located all the components of the computer—from the central processing unit and memory to input/output controls—on a single chip.

In 1981 IBM introduced its first computer for the home user, and in 1984 Apple introduced the Macintosh. Microprocessors also moved out of the realm of desktop computers and into many areas of life as more and more everyday products began to use microprocessors.

As these small computers became more powerful, they could be linked together to form networks, which eventually led to the development of the Internet. Fourth generation computers also saw the development of GUIs, the mouse and handheld devices.

Fifth Generation (Present and Beyond) Artificial Intelligence

Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial intelligence, are still in development, though there are some applications, such as voice recognition, that are being used today. The use of parallel processing and superconductors is helping to make artificial intelligence a reality. Quantum computation and molecular and nanotechnology will radically change the face of computers in years to come. The goal of fifth-generation computing is to develop devices that respond to natural language input and are capable of learning and self-organization.

Glossary:
An integrated circuit (IC) is a small electronic device made out of a semiconductor material. The first integrated circuit was developed in the 1950s by Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments and Robert Noyce of Fairchild Semiconductor.

Computer and internet

Week 1 and 2

hello !I am Raj from Rwanda !I am doing computer and internet course.I am going to be sharing with you what I will be learing in this class within twelve weeks. At the end of every single week I will post what we learnd in class.after twelve weeks,I will be given marks according to my works as well as my classmates. I hope you will enjoy it and please comment on my blog if you find it intresting or if yo have enquiries.

The fist day of my class,the lecturer took some few minutes for introduction.we were briefed aboout some rules in the class and the outline of the hole trimester.From the articulate speech he gave us,Azamuddin Abdul Rahman, I found him friendly.After that we started the first week which was quite interesting."the computer hadware" we were given this first definition a computer is a programmable machine or an electronic device that carries out what It has bben instructed.it store program and processing data, typically in binary form, according to instructions given to it in a variable program.the hardware is the tangible part of the copmuter.

Hardwares are dived into two major parts,there are inputs an outputs.

•       Input is any data and instructions entered into the memory of a computer – can be in the form of programs, commands, and user responses

•       An input device is any hardware component that allows users to enter data and instructions into a computer

Now let's talk about storages,here some storages that are often used:

Hard disks, Flash Memory storage, Optical discs, Tape, Magnetic stripe cards & smart cards, Microfilm & microfiche, Enterprise storage.