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There are two sections to this section. First we’re going to switch on the computer and let it boot-up (let it check itself over for any faults), and then we’re going to load-up the browser software so you can browse the internet. It’s all very simple, so lets get on with it so we can start the interesting stuff…
Identify which computer you’ll be using (!). Only one machine is attached to the internet, and it’s the one with a blue and red "RM" logo on it (as I write this, it’s the middle one of the three).
Switch on the plugs. The two you want to switch on are the pair nearest the inside corner of the desk. Switch them to the down position with the red flashes showing.
Switch on the speakers. There should be a large grey speaker with "EA-180" written on it next to the monitor. Push the power button in, which should make a red light glow on the front of the speaker.
Switch on the machine. On the front of the system unit
(the big grey box just to your right) there are two buttons in
the middle of the lower front panel. Push the larger one marked
"Power" in. The green light above will light, showing
that the power is on. On the front right of the monitor is a
round button with a 
symbol on it – press that once, lighting the green light
next to it.
Nothing happened? Don’t worry! Re-check that the right plugs are turned on, and try pushing all the connectors into the back of the system unit – it might be a loose cable. If all else fails, just ask somebody for help.
Sit back and wait. The machine will now "boot-up" – that is, it will perform lots of checks on itself to test that it’s working correctly. This can take between two to three minutes, so just sit back and relax. When it’s done, a screen with two icons (small pictures) will appear in the middle with the words "The internet" and "Copernic" underneath them.
Well done! You’ve successfully started the computer. Now it’s time to load up the software that shows you the internet.
Take control with the mouse. Now it’s time to learn how to use our primary control over the computer – the mouse. You might have noticed that, somewhere on the screen, a small arrow has appeared. This is called the cursor (or sometimes the pointer), and it’s position is controlled my moving the mouse over the desk. Try it and see. You’ll find when you move the mouse up the cursor goes up, down and it goes down. Go on, give it a good exercise. The real trick with the mouse is to always look at the screen, and not at your hand that’s moving the mouse. It sounds strange at first, but soon you’ll find that you don’t even have to think about it.
Now you can move the cursor around the screen, what can you do with it? Well, by using the buttons on the mouse, you can select things, run programs, move things around,….. in fact, you can do almost anything that doesn’t require you to type words into the computer by using the mouse. Good hey?! Here’s how:-
Left click (or just click) – This means "click" (press) the left button once. Tends to be used to select items on the screen.
Double click – This means click the left mouse button twice in rapid succession (e.g. within ~ 1 second). Used mostly to run programs or enter folders.
Right click – This means a single click of the right mouse button. Normally used to examine the settings of the selected item (you probably won’t ever need to do this).
Click and hold – Exactly what it sounds like, this is where you click and hold the mouse button, move the mouse to another location on the screen, and let go there. Normally used for moving items.
Double click "The internet" icon. Using your new found mouse manipulation skills, double click this icon. The pointer will temporarily turn into an hourglass symbol, and the background screen of before (called the desktop) will disappear and be replaced by the browser screen, with the first page of the Parks Nursery web-site being displayed.
Did a funny box come up saying !" "!? Sorry about that. For some reason the browser doesn't always connect properly to the internet the first time you use it. Close this window by clicking the x symbol in the top right hand corner of the window, and try double clicking "The internet" again.
Confirm you want to connect. A window (called a dialog box, but don't bother remembering that!) will pop-up with information about the connection. Don't worry, you don't have to understand it all. Just click "OK" and the computer will connect to the internet.
Congratulations, you’ve loaded up the software to browse the internet. Now it’s time to have a go, but first you need to learn a little bit about how to "surf the net" using the controls on screen…
Right, so everything’s up and running, and you’re raring to go. But before you go off to find that vital piece of info you’ve been looking for, you’ll need to learn about the two sorts of controls that you need to navigate with:-
Now we’ve got to the real nitty-gritty. These are the essential skills you need to know to be successful on the internet, so this is a must read section.
We’ll look at the browser controls first….
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change to these pages in the main web-site window, not
this one!
To view them, click the _ or x symbol in the top right of this
window.
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