2. Lesson: The desktop, mouse, keyboard and shortcuts
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2. The desktop, mouse, keyboard and shortcuts
Week 1 of 2
What you will be able to do
- Find your way around the desktop: the Start menu or Launchpad, the taskbar or Dock, windows and icons.
- Use a mouse or touchpad: click, double-click, right-click, drag and scroll.
- Type with the keyboard, including capital letters, symbols and the important keys.
- Use the keyboard shortcuts that save time every day: copy, paste, undo, save.
Why this matters
Being slow with the mouse and keyboard makes everything else slow and frustrating. A few hours of practice here pays back for years. Every IT job, and every course after this one, assumes you can type and move around the screen comfortably.
1. The desktop
When you sign in you see the desktop: the background screen where windows open.
| Windows | macOS | ChromeOS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open apps and settings | Start button (Windows logo, bottom of the screen) | Launchpad in the Dock, or Spotlight (Command + Space) | Launcher (circle, bottom-left) |
| See open apps | Taskbar along the bottom | Dock along the bottom | Shelf along the bottom |
| Settings | Start → Settings | Apple menu → System Settings | Clock → Settings |
Windows (with a small w) are the boxes apps open in. At the top corner of each window are three buttons: minimise (hide it in the taskbar), maximise (fill the screen) and close (X). On a Mac they are red, yellow and green circles at the top-left.
2. Mouse and touchpad
| Action | Mouse | Touchpad | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Click | Press the left button once | Tap once | Select something, press a button |
| Double-click | Press the left button twice quickly | Tap twice | Open a file or folder |
| Right-click | Press the right button | Tap with two fingers | Show a menu of options |
| Drag | Hold the left button and move | Hold down and slide (or tap-tap-slide) | Move a file, select text |
| Scroll | Roll the wheel | Slide two fingers up or down | Move up and down a page |
3. The keyboard
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| Shift | Hold it for a capital letter or the top symbol on a key (Shift + 2 gives @ on most keyboards) |
| Caps Lock | Turns capital letters on until you press it again; check it when a password "doesn't work" |
| Enter (Return) | Starts a new line, or confirms (like pressing OK) |
| Backspace | Deletes the character to the left of the cursor (Delete on a Mac) |
| Space bar | A space |
| Tab | Moves to the next box in a form |
| Arrow keys | Move the cursor |
| Ctrl (Windows, ChromeOS) / Command ⌘ (Mac) | Used with other keys for shortcuts |
Typing well means using all your fingers without looking at the keys. Practise 10–15 minutes a day with a free typing tutor (GCFGlobal's typing tutorial, or typing.com) for two weeks. Aim for 25–30 words a minute with few mistakes; that's plenty to start.
4. Shortcuts worth learning now
| Do this | Windows / ChromeOS | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Copy | Ctrl + C | Command + C |
| Paste | Ctrl + V | Command + V |
| Cut | Ctrl + X | Command + X |
| Undo (take back your last action) | Ctrl + Z | Command + Z |
| Save | Ctrl + S | Command + S |
| Select everything | Ctrl + A | Command + A |
| Find a word on the page | Ctrl + F | Command + F |
| Switch between open windows | Alt + Tab | Command + Tab |
Undo is your best friend: if something disappears or goes wrong, press Ctrl + Z (Command + Z) straight away.
Watch
Computer Basics: Getting Started with Windows
LearnFree · 3 min. The Windows desktop, Start menu and taskbar.
Tech Savvy Tips and Tricks: Keyboard Shortcuts
LearnFree · 3 min. Keyboard shortcuts on Windows and Mac.
Try it
- Open three apps from the Start menu, Launchpad or Launcher. Switch between them with Alt + Tab (Command + Tab), then close them all.
- Open a text app (Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on Mac, or a new Google Doc on a Chromebook). Type your full name, your town and today's date, using capital letters correctly.
- Copy your name and paste it three times. Then press Undo until only one copy is left.
- Do 15 minutes of typing practice and write down your speed. Do it again at the end of the course.
Check your understanding
- What is the difference between a click and a double-click?
- Your password is rejected although you typed it carefully. Which key should you check?
- Which shortcut takes back your last action?
- What does a right-click usually show?