| Part 1: Firing Up Your Computer: Bare-Bones Basics |
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1 | (44) |
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Setting It Up and Turning It On |
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3 | (10) |
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Plug it in, turn it on, and tune it in |
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Meeting Windows: Up Close and Personal |
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13 | (14) |
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Navigate your new onscreen desktop with a mouse and keyboard |
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Launching Your First Program |
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27 | (8) |
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Use your mouse to kick programs into gear |
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Warming Up with Some Computer Games |
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35 | (10) |
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Have fun while you learn the basics and master some free games |
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| Part 2: Personalizing Your Work Space |
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45 | (44) |
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Using a Cool Desktop Background |
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47 | (12) |
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Pick a theme for your desktop and decorate it to suit your tastes |
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Making Your Computer Play Cool Sounds |
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59 | (8) |
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Replace the beeps with burps, giggles, and other cool sounds |
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Taking Control of Your Menus and Programs |
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67 | (6) |
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Rebuild Windows to make it work the way you do |
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Giving Yourself More Room to Work |
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73 | (6) |
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Stretch your desktop for a little more elbow room |
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Installing and Removing Programs |
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79 | (10) |
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Buy and install a new program and get rid of programs you no longer use |
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| Part 3: Creating Letters, Greeting Cards, and Other Documents |
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89 | (58) |
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I Just Want to Type a Letter! |
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91 | (12) |
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Editing and Printing Your Letter |
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103 | (12) |
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Overhaul your text and get it on paper |
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Designing Personalized Greeting Cards, Banners, and Other Publications |
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115 | (10) |
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First encounters with a desktop publishing program |
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Creating an Address Book and Other Listy Stuff |
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125 | (12) |
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Make lists and manage your personal records |
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Form Letters, Mailing Labels, and Envelopes |
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137 | (10) |
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Merge lists with documents to automate mass mailings |
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| Part 4: Getting Wired to the Internet |
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147 | (92) |
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Connecting to the Outside World with a Modem |
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149 | (12) |
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Get your computer its own phone |
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Finding an Information FREEway |
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161 | (16) |
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Get your feet wet with some free trial offers from America Online, CompuServe, and Prodigy |
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Sending E-Mail: Postage-Free, Same-Day Delivery |
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177 | (16) |
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Send your first e-mail message in less than five minutes |
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Chatting with Friends, Relatives, and Complete Strangers |
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193 | (12) |
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Find friends, relatives, and strangers online, and type messages back and forth |
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205 | (10) |
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Use your computer and modem to connect to the Web and experience multimedia sites online |
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Shopping, Investing, Traveling, and Other Cool Web Stuff |
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215 | (14) |
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Invest, plan your vacation, shop, and research topics on the Web |
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Publishing Your Own Web Page in Ten Minutes or Less |
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229 | (10) |
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Establish your presence on the Web by building your own Web page online! |
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| Part 5: Kids and Other Homey Stuff |
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239 | (80) |
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241 | (18) |
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Computerize your checking account, manage your budget, and track your investments |
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Finding and Playing Cool Games |
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259 | (10) |
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Equip your system to play the coolest games, get free games online, and find the best tips and cheats on the Web |
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Tapping the Power of Educational Software |
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269 | (10) |
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Use your computer as a library, information kiosk, and interactive teaching tool |
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Safely Introducing Your Child to the Internet |
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279 | (14) |
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Savvy parent's guide to protecting your child on the Internet and exposing your child to the good stuff |
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Making a Family Photo Album |
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293 | (14) |
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Transform boxes of disorganized photos into a full-color, digitized photo album |
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307 | (12) |
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Use Family Tree Maker to research your lineage and sketch your family tree, and find the best genealogy sites on the Web |
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| Part 6: Tinkering with Computer Gadgets and Gizmos |
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319 | (52) |
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Playing Digitized Music Clips |
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321 | (14) |
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Transform your computer into a jukebox, burn your own CDs, and download MP3 audio clips off the Web |
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Managing Your Life with a Palm Computer |
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335 | (8) |
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Put your calendar, address book, calculator, e-mail, and other personal information on a computer that fits in your pocket |
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Watching TV and DVD on Your Computer |
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343 | (8) |
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Tune in to your favorite TV shows, play along with game show contestants, and watch DVD videos on your computer |
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Playing Film Editor with Digital Video |
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351 | (12) |
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Edit your home videos, enhance your recordings with background music, and copy your production to a CD |
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Upgrading for Voice Commands and Dictation |
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363 | (8) |
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Look, Mom, no hands--entering commands and text without touching the keyboard! |
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| Part 7: Maintaining Your Investment |
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371 | (38) |
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Keeping Your Computer Clean |
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373 | (6) |
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Prolong the life of your computer with some good housekeeping tips |
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Giving Your Computer a Tune-Up |
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379 | (30) |
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Inexpensive maintenance utilities that can keep your computer running like new |
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| Appendixes |
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A Glossary: Speak Like a Geek |
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389 | (16) |
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B More Computer Resources for the Computer Enthusiast |
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405 | (4) |
| Index |
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409 | |
Other versions by this Author
