By Ken Adelglass
Adelglass Computer Training and Consulting
Greetings and welcome to my very first article in my brand new column, The Home Technology Zone! For those of you who don't know me, I am a PGA National resident and I provide computer training, consulting, and programming services to many individuals, families, and businesses in the local area. My goal for this column is to provide a user-friendly format where you can come to find answers to common computing questions as well as keep up to date with tips on how to make your computing time more productive and interesting.
I want to dedicate this first column to those of you who don't have a computer or perhaps never have used one or owned one. You may be thinking about buying one someday because you may have been told that, "You need to get a computer!" by your friends or family. If this profile sounds like it fits you and you are reluctant to buy a new computer because you constantly hear conflicting information and opinions - I have a simple suggestion to help allay your fears:
Visit Your Local Palm Beach County Library!
That's right! Libraries are not just card catalogs and aisles of books anymore. They have changed with the times. The Palm Beach County Library now offers free classes geared especially toward beginners. I highly recommend the free one-hour course titled Basic Computers that will help you to demystify some of that seemingly scary computer terminology. They also offer beginner and intermediate Internet classes. In addition, you can also utilize the library's computers to get some hands-on experience with the Internet.
The bottom line is that you do not have to own a computer or make a big investment to start learning. These classes will help you become a more informed computer user and will empower you to make a smart decision when you decide it is time to take that plunge and buy your own computer system.
While you are at the library you might want to check out a couple of helpful beginners books as well. One that I highly recommend is
How Computers Work : Millennium Edition by Ron White. This book has easy to follow illustrations accompanied by plain English descriptions that will help you understand what the computer is actually doing when you click your mouse or tap a key on the keyboard. It makes an excellent companion for the Basic Computer class.
Another book that would complement the library Internet classes is
Internet and World Wide Web Simplified published by Hungry Minds books. Hungry Minds has a series of "Simplified" books that I recommend because they provide step-by-step instructions accompanied by excellent illustrations. They are written in a manner that is easily accessible to beginning users and cover a thorough amount of topics that make them an excellent reference even for a more experienced user. To find out more about this and other "Simplified" titles visit
http://www.hungryminds.com/visual/simplified.html
As you begin to master the essentials, you will find that learning to use a computer is similar to learning how to drive a car - it may seem tricky at first but after awhile you will see it is just a simple series of steps. Through repetition it will soon become second nature to you. Good luck on your journey into the world of computers!
See you next month and be sure to send any of your topic ideas, questions and suggestions to
questions@adelglass.com or call me at 389-9052. I would love to hear from you!
Contact or visit the North County Regional Library for more information about upcoming computer and Internet classes:
North County Regional Library
11303 Campus Drive
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
Phone:
(561) 626-6133
Web site:
http://www.pbclibrary.org/branch-ncr.htm
