Is this thing on?

497 Pages·2015·16.28 MB·English

by  Stokes, Abigail

“IS THIS
THING ON?”
A Friendly Guide
to Everything Digital
for Newbies, Technophobes,
and the Kicking & Screaming
ABBY STOKES
Illustrations by Michael Sloan and Susan Hunt Yule
workman publishing • new york
Copyright © 2008, 2011, 2015 by Abigail P. Stokes
Illustrations copyright © 2008, 2011, 2015 by Michael Sloan and Susan Hunt Yule
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced—mechanically,
electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying—without written
permission of the publisher. Published simultaneously in Canada by Thomas
Allen & Son Limited.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
Paperback ISBN 978-0-7611-8380-8
Hardcover ISBN 978-0-7611-8494-2
Cover illustrations by Michael Sloan
Trademarks: All brand names, product names, and logos used or illustrated in
this book are trade names, service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks
of their respective owners. Neither Workman Publishing Co., Inc., nor Abby
Stokes is associated with any of such owners and no endorsement by such
owners has been made or implied.
Design by Janet Vicario
Cover photo by Jim Franco
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for premiums and sales promotions as well as for fund-raising or educational
use. Special editions or book excerpts can also be created to specification. For
details, contact the Special Sales Director at the address below, or send an email
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Workman Publishing Company, Inc.
225 Varick Street
New York, NY 10014-4381
workman.com
WORKMAN is a registered trademark of Workman Publishing Co., Inc.
Printed in the United States of America
First printing February 2015
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
In memory of Peter
A quirky, lovely giant of a man who,
though a technophobe,
conquered the computer beast
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You
I thank my lucky stars every day for the incredible group of family
and friends that I am privileged to call my loved ones. My lucky
stars also have me dividing my time between the most exciting city
in the world and a little piece of heaven on the water. Above and
beyond my lucky stars I thank the following people: Mom, Eve, and
Sherri, whose unwavering support is always felt and appreciated;
Dan Tucker whose sage advice guided me through every aspect of
the book; Suzie Bolotin, Margot Herrera, Michael Rockliff, and Janet
Vicario, along with their colleagues Orlando Adiao, Danny Cooper,
Heather Schwedel, Joan Giurdanella, Beth Levy, Emily Krasner,
Jenny Mandel, Deborah McGovern, Selina Meere, and Patrick Scafidi;
illustrators Michael Sloan and Susan Hunt Yule; the amazing digital
team of Andrea Fleck-Nesbit, Kate Travers, Molly Kay Upton, Anthony
Foti, and the folks at Being Wicked for all of their help designing
AskAbbyStokes.com; and the entire Workman family for over a decade
and a half of support and enthusiasm; all of my students, who make
going to work a pleasure; and above all, you, the reader, for having
enough faith in this book to open your wallet or being smart enough
to know someone who would buy it for you.
Contents
Here’s What You Can Expect . . . ................................. viii
There Is Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself
CHAPTER 1
Bring the World to Your Fingertips
Research, find, and buy anything you can imagine, and communicate
with loved ones, without leaving home—what technology and the
Internet offer .......................................................3
CHAPTER 2
Hardware: The Thigh Bone’s Connected to the . . .
A simple introduction to the parts of a computer and how they relate to one
another ...........................................................11
CHAPTER 3
Software: Feeding the Computer’s or Tablet’s Brain
An explanation of software and how it is used ..........................24
Where Will It Sleep and How Often Do I Need to Water It?
CHAPTER 4
There’s No Place Like Home vs. Taking Your Show on the Road
Desktop vs. laptop vs. tablet .........................................33
CHAPTER 5
Creating a Computer Comfort Zone
Tips on finding a comfortable and safe work area .......................40
Go for a Test-Drive
CHAPTER 6
Apples and Oranges
Mac vs. PC ........................................................51
CHAPTER 7
Would You Buy a Car Without Test-Driving It?
What to look for when you get behind a keyboard .......................56
CHAPTER 8
Choosing the Best Route
What software and Internet connections fit you best .....................71
Let the Shopping Begin
CHAPTER 9
Make Your Purchase
Old vs. new, extended warranties, store vs. mail order, and what questions
to ask.............................................................81
Baby’s First Day Home
CHAPTER 10
Counting Fingers and Toes
Taking your new technology out of the box and connecting all the parts ....95
CHAPTER 11
Shaking Hands
Meet your device ..................................................104
CHAPTER 12
Getting to Know You
Experimenting with what you can do with a tablet and computer .........153
The Newlywed Game
CHAPTER 13
Spanning the Globe
“Surfing the net”—traveling around the World Wide Web ................199
CHAPTER 14
Shall We Dance?
Let’s send email ...................................................220
CHAPTER 15
Mind Your P’s & Q’s
An introduction to word processing ..................................232
CHAPTER 16
Practical Precautions
Secure your identity and your computer ..............................252
Make New Friends and Keep the Old
CHAPTER 17
Advanced Email
Let’s go to the next level—web links, attachments, and more ............273
CHAPTER 18
Phone It In
The scoop on cell phones and smartphones ...........................295
CHAPTER 19
Picture This
Digital and scanned photos from A to Z ...............................314
CHAPTER 20
Join the Conversation
Skype, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, online dating, and more................331
CHAPTER 21
Put It All in Order
Use your computer and the cloud to create a filing system to keep
everything backed up and organized .................................368
Exploration and Discovery
CHAPTER 22
Detective Work with Your Technology
Get the most out of your searches ...................................385
CHAPTER 23
Shop Till You Drop
Shopping, auctions, airline reservations, prescriptions,
and online banking ................................................403
CHAPTER 24
Extra! Extra! Read All About It!
The wide, wide world of entertainment, fun on the Web, and what’s new...430
CHAPTER 25
Troubleshooting
“I think it has a fever”—what to do if something doesn’t seem right .......444
Appendices
Over 200 Recommended Websites ..............................466
Over 100 Free Apps .............................................468
Glossary ........................................................469
Keyboard Shortcuts .............................................478
Index ...........................................................479
Here’s What You Can Expect . . .
P revious editions of this book were primarily about computers
with a smattering of other tech gadgets. This new edition is more
of a “total tech” guide. As before, I’ll hold your hand, help you decide
which tech device would benefit you most, and stay by your side while
you make your purchase and bring the new addition to your family
home or workplace. We’ll set it up together and get familiar with how
everything works. This book is intended to demystify technology, not
explain the gory inner workings of it. Every day, we use contraptions
such as a car, telephone, and TV, but have no idea how they really
work. Technology is no different. You don’t need to know how it
works in order to operate it.
Be forewarned that once you arrive at Chapter 10, it is all
hands-on instruction and might be overwhelming if you try to visualize
what is being discussed without having the actual technology in front
of you. Go ahead, though, and scan each chapter to pick up some
basic and helpful information, but be sure to return to the chapters
when you have your technology in hand. Later in the book, we’ll delve
into digital photos, social networking, file management, and streaming
movies and TV shows, along with wearable technologies and voice
recognition.
If, when you look at your tech toy, you find that what’s described
in the book differs a bit from what you see, don’t panic. Websites and
technology change. I’m going to regularly encourage you to visit my
website, AskAbbyStokes.com, for the most current, step-by-step video
tutorials specifically tailored to your device and the task at hand. It’s
the next best thing to me being in the room beside you.
Take a deep breath and let’s begin our journey. You’re going to
be pleasantly surprised at how soon you will skillfully “surf the net,”
email your friends, take photos to share online, and conquer your fear
of technology!
THERE IS
NOTHING TO FEAR
BUT FEAR ITSELF