All These Things on My Computer Screen

Stuff About Windows:

All the different rectangles which appear on your computer screen are called windows. You can think of your computer screen as a desktop, which you are viewing from above. Then, each window can be thought of as a piece of paper lying on the desktop.

You probably have a number of different windows on screen right now: a clock window, a Netscape window, a terminal window, and maybe more. These windows all have some things in common:

Top Border:

Each window has a ``border" along its top edge.

You can move a window to another location on the screen by placing the cursor (almost) anywhere within this border, holding down the left mouse button, and moving the mouse on the mousepad. When the window is where you want it, release the mouse button. (Try it!)

Icons:

Each window can be made into an icon, to get it out of the way when it is not being used. Just click on the spot on the top border that looks like a square with a dot in it:

Try this now with one of the windows on your screen. (But not the Netscape window, since you are using it now.) The window has changed into an icon, and now lives somewhere along the left edge of your screen. To get the window back, double-click on the icon. (Try it!)

Selecting a Window:

To select which window you want to work in, just place the cursor anywhere within that window, then click the left mouse button. The top border will change color, indicating that this is the selected window.

Closing Windows:

Each window can be closed (i.e. made to disappear). On the top border, click on the little square that has the ``minus sign" in it:

A menu will appear, on which you will find ``Close". Click on it, and the window will vanish.

Note: Two windows should stay open all the time: the clock and the ``File Manager".