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COMPUTER BITS BY JENNIFER BONNITCHA Installing Windows on your PC Windows 3.0 provides you with a consistent application interface. It is easy to learn and use, and features Dynamic Data Exchange for efficient transfer of data between programs. Naturally, to achieve the best from Windows, some training is essential. Windows is an operating environment that works in conjunction with your computer and the MS-DOS or PC-DOS operating system. It has an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI) that resembles and works like a desktop in that you can perform multiple tasks at the same time. You can share text, data and graphics between applications and perform most of your work and file maintenance without returning to DOS. Windows has a "What You See Is What You Get" (WYSIWYG) display, which means that all the on-screen text and graphics appear the way they will look when printed. The conventional DOS PC looks pretty ordinary to most users - when you press a key· you see a character and if you get all the keys in the right sequence, you get a result. Windows has changed all that for the PC user by establishing a more acceptable common appearance across many applications. You will soon get the hang of a new Windows application since many of the menus provide identical commands - although each application will have its own particular menus and the options contained within the menu will vary. The installation procedure couldn't be easier. You place Disk 1 of the disc _!Seyboard .!;!asic Skills _Qommands _erocedures Qlouary !,!sing Help l'!bout Program Manager ... ~ .1.§§.§J -. Main ~ -~ Accessorit-s ~ ~ ~ ~ v./indows ApplicatiOf'IS Non-'w'indow$ Ai:,pllcauons The Program Manager starts automatically when you start Windows and it continues running for as long as you use Windows. The program group icons are shown along the bottom of the screen but you can customise Windows so that the Program Manager opens any or all of the groups as windows at startup. Note the drop-down menu that appears when Help is clicked. set into the appropriate disc drive and then type SETUP at the DOS prompt. You are guided through the installation which first evaluates your computer system to determine what kind of equipment you have at your disposal. The essential Windows files are copied onto your hard disc and you are asked to verify vital information - although you can make any changes you feel are necessary. Following the preliminary installation, Windows starts (courtesy of the Setup program) so that you can choose and configure your printer, install any software programs and view the supplied on-line documents . During Setup, you are asked whether you want Windows to install all programs it can find on your hard disc. Let Windows do the work For your first-time installation you may prefer to let Windows do all the work since it is quite easy to add (or delete) further applications. Most of the questions Setup asks are self-explanatory, however Help is always just a key away - press Fl at any time for on-line Help. Following installation, you can run Setup again at any time to review or change some of the options you originally selected - you may take delivery of a shiny, new printer or a next-generation mouse for example. Windows ' GUI helps you to operate your corpputer using graphic symbols or icons. The mouse enables you to point at and select the necessary objects to complete a task with ease. Windows also provides two basic types of windows - the application window and the document window. The application window displays a currently running application (like Wipdows Word or Excel), while the document window displays informaAUG UST 1991 55 1#1&1<at><at> Control Panel Print Manager Clipboard • DOS Prompt Windows Setup m m Accessories Games ~ ~ Windows Applications Non-Windows Applications The various group windows (in this case, the Main window) are opened by double clicking on the Program Group icons. By now double clicking on the Control Panel icon, you can customise the way Windows appears and operates. ..,. Accessories .... tions to run in windows rather than as a full-screen application. Windows applications which have not been updated to run with Windows-3.0 require Real Mode. Typing WIN causes Windows to look at your computer's configuration and start in the most appropriate mode. You may want Windows to start in different modes, even though it may not be the most appropriate for your computer. These switches are available for you to use: • /R Real Mode - useful for running applications designed for earlier versions of Windows. • IS Standard Mode - the "usual" mode for Windows on 80286 or higher computers with at least 1Mb of memory. Windows runs faster in this mode on an 80386 computer with between 2-3Mb of memory - provided you use only Windows applications otherwise choose 386 mode. Windows is also capable of automatically starting an application such as Windows Word. The following command starts Windows then runs the application: WIN C:\WINWORD\ WINWORD.EXE Write PIF Editor Terminal lfili1I R:!l 11111 ~ Calendar Recorder Cardfile Notepad Calculator Clock • Paintbrush The Accessories window contains a number of programs, including Write, Terminal (for communications), Recorder, Cardfile & Calculator. The group window can be enlarged to full screen size by clicking on the up-arrow symbol in the top righthand corner, or shrunk to an icon by clicking on the downarrow. tion about or for an application (like a Windows Word document or an Excel . worksheet). Document windows lack a menu bar since all the commands for controlling the application are provided on the Application (eg, Excel, etc) menu bar. Operating modes Windows starts in one of three modes, depending on your computer's hardware configuration. You can check which mode Windows is running on your computer by selecting Help from the Program Manager menu bar, then About Program Manager. These modes were described in detail last month but are in summary: 56 SILICO N CHIP • Real Mode: 8086 or 8088 processor, 640Kb RAM; 80286, 386 or 486 with less than 256Kb extended RAM. This mode provides maximum compatibility with previous versions of Windows applications, however any extended memory is ignored. • Standard Mode: 80286 or higher processor with a minimum 1Mb RAM (640Kb conventional, 256Kb extended). This is the normal operating mode for Windows and is the best mode for running DOS applications. • Enhanced Mode: optimum operating mode - 80386 or higher processor with 640Kb conventional and at least 1024Kb extended memory. This mode enables most non-Windows applica- Similarly, the following command line tells Windows to start Windows, then Windows Word and finally to load the SAMPLE.DOC file: WIN C:\WINWORD\ WINWORD.EXE SAMPLE.DOC There are many other options for starting Windows by modifying the initialisation files, WIN .INI and SYSTEM.INI - all of which will be covered in more detail next month. Windows De~ktop Once -you start Windows , you will be presented with a desktop containing several more windows. You can change the size and location of any window at any time and when you exit from Windows, you have the option to save any changes you may have made. The Program Manager starts automatically when you start Windows and it continues running for as long as you use Windows. It is the centre of Windows since all applications are started from here. You should see a group of Program Group icons at the bottom of the Program Manager window with names such as Main, Accessories, Windows Applications, Non-Windows Applications, Games, etc. Your computer may contain more or less icons, depending on which applications you told Windows to install from your hard disc. The very first time you start Windows, the Program Manager opens the Main window for you. The Program Groups are windows containing program item icons for the applications you installed and the applications you use to manage and operate Windows. The Accessories program group contains the productivity tools - Windows Write, Paintbrush, Calculator, Cardfile, etc. Next month, you will see how to create a new program group, place program items, copy and move program icons between groups, and delete icons no longer required. Operating the desktop is relatively easy with the mouse although a little practice is required if you are new to the rodent. The main mouse operations are clicking and dragging. To choose an item, position the mouse pointer (the tip is the most sensitive area) then click (press the left button and release) the mouse. You click to open menus, choose items from the menus and dialog boxes, scroll windows and to select windows. Double ~licking (quickly pressing the left button twice) enables you to select items from the Program Group windows - to run a program, for example. Dragging involves moving the mouse to the required position and then pressing and holding the left mouse button. You can drag a window to a new location and/or change its size, for example. You can open the Main window if necessary by double clicking on the Main icon. By now double clicking on the Control Panel icon, you can customise the way Windows appears and operates. You can adjust many hardware and software settings, including which button is the main working button on the mouse. Mouse dialog box Double clicking on the mouse icon opens the Mouse dialog box. Now you can change the tracking speed (how fast the mouse moves across the screen) and the double click speed (use the TEST button to determine how fast you need to double click to highlight and un-highlight the box). And for the long-neglected left handers, Mouse - Mouse Tracking Speed Slow Fast OK L L.,. t+~~~*#i JTTt±i::t~#t~ ~ - Doubre Click Speed Slow I TEST I R I Cancel j Fast I D Swap Left/Right Buttons You can change the speed of your mouse by double-clicking on the Control Panel icon in the Main window, then double-clicking the Mouse icon to open the mouse dialog box. This box also lets you swap the left & right buttons. you can swap the left and right buttons! When you are satisfied, click on OK to save the changes and return to the Control Panel. You now double click on the Application Menu icon (the large minus sign at the top left of the Control Panel window) to close the Control Panel and return to the Main window. Con- tinue double clicking on any remaining windows to close each in turn. When the Program Manager remains, double clicking will close Windows. There are many other customisation features available on the Contol Panel, including selecting windows colours and customising the design and operation of your desktop. We'll discuss these options next month. SC Product Showcase -from page 54 meability ferrite material optimised for 200kHz. Called T3 7, it is optimised for frequencies to about 200kHz, has a maxi mum initial permeability of typically 6500-7000, and supplements the existing T35 and T38 range. The T35 material is suitable for frequencies up to 400kHz but exhibits lower permeability. The T38 material, however, has a permeability in excess of 10,000 and is suitable up to lO0kHz. For further information, contact Robert Fontana at Siemens Ltd, 544 Church St, Richmond, 3121. Phone (03) 420 7313. SC around in the drawer, and there is provision to use a thermistor temperature probe covering the range from -30°C to +200°C. For $37.95 , it's a good investment in learning how multimeters are designed and built. You can see it at any Jaycar Electronics store. New ferrite material optimised for 200kHz Siemens Matsushita Components (S & M) has developed a new high per- * * * For all your: Electronic Components Tools & test equipment Kits Security Remote Control and Computer accessories. You can also get us to design and service your equipment. * * •·=-· ~•· 1~ ·~-~I IJ.~-, - .• Iii,_~;-~'11[~I:- re_.·..___---.. .-- -■ lot . y!'..t-1 ---- Call I-JE I ·- = ----- s.-·. ----_- -_ ~: : ~--~ , - -- OT • ... s 131 Pacific Hwy Charlestown, NSW, 2290 ·" "v -----· - - · Mail order from your phone Tel: (049) 439 600 or by Fax: (049) 439 809 __________________ A UGUST 1991 __, 57