Introduction: Your Computer

The Desktop:

The photo below should resemble the first screen you see after Windows '95 or '98 finishes loading. This is referred to as your desktop. In otherwords the desktop is just a fancy name for your first Windows screen. The green area in the photo is actually the part that is considered the desktop. The gray areas will be explained a little later.

On your desktop you will find several pretty little pictures in various places. These pretty little pictures are called icons. As you probably already know, by clicking or double clicking on these icons you can open certain programs or begin individual tasks such as dialing up to T-One.

The Taskbar:

Along with the desktop in the photo above you will notice the area at the bottom, just below the green area. This is referred to as the taskbar and is divided into three areas. Below is a photo of the taskbar.

The Quickstart Bar:

Just to the right of the all familiar Start button you will notice three icons. This area is known as the quickstart bar. This area is not available in Windows '95. Icons in the quickstart bar will start the program associated with it by single clicking on the icon. Normally this is where you put shortcuts to programs you use often and want quick access to. In the photo above there are three icons in this area.

The first icon will minimize all open windows with one click allowing you to immediate access to your desktop. The icons to the right of the first one will open the calculator and Internet Explorer respectively.

You may add icons to the quickstart bar simply by clicking on the icon and holding your mouse button down and then 'dragging' the icon into the quickstart area. Make sure the circle with a line is not visible when you let go of the mouse button, or the icon will not be placed in the quickstart area. After placing new icons in the quickstart area you may not see them right away. This is because either the 'no sign' (circle with a line through it) was showing when you placed the icon into place, or because the quickstart bar needs to be resized. To resize the quickstart bar place your mouse over the two vertical lines to the right of the quickstart bar until you see two arrows, one pointing left and one to the right. Click and hold your mouse button and 'drag' the lines to the right and release the mouse button. This will increase the area of the quickstart bar, and at the same time decrease the size of the main part of the taskbar.

The Main Area:

Just to the right of the quickstart bar is the main area of the taskbar. In the photo nothing is in this area. That means that currently there are no programs running. If you look at this area of your taskbar you will see at least one icon open because you are viewing this web page. If you have more than one program open at a time clicking on the icon in the main area of the taskbar for that program will bring that screen into view. If the program is already in view, clicking on it will minimize that window bringing another window into view. This is a quick way of getting from one program such as your browser to your e-mail program, a word processing program, or anything else you may have running.

The System Tray:

On the far right of the taskbar you will notice several icons including a clock. This area is called the system tray. When your computer finishes starting up Windows will normally put an icon in the system tray for your clock, speaker controls, and other items depending on your system. These items can be accessed either by double clicking on them or clicking on them one time with your right mouse button and selecting one of the options in the menu that appears.

The icon to the left is one that we at T-One are particularily interested in that you should see in your system tray now if you are connected to us through a modem. When this icon is in your system tray it means that you are currently connected to T-One. When the icon is not showing up in the system tray you are not connected. Blinking lights on this icon indicate that you are either sending or receiving information from the Internet. By right clicking on the icon and selecting disconnect you will be disconnected from T-One.

My Computer:

On your desktop you will see an icon called My Computer. We won't attempt to explain all the information that you can access through My Computer, but you should be aware of where it is located as anytime you call T-One Tech Support you will more than likely be asked to open My Computer.

T-One Dialer:

After installing T-One's software you should have an icon similar to the one at the left. Double clicking on this icon will open the connect to window asking for your username and password. After entering your username and password just click on connect and your modem will begin the connection process. This pretty much gives you the necessary information to navigate your computer and begin your trek to the World Wide Web. We hope this information has been helpful and adds to the enjoyment of your computer.