Basic Computer Skills for Senior Citizens

Learn what defines a computer, including input, processing, output, and storage. See why devices like mobile phones and laptops qualify, with clear examples.

Compare Apple Macintosh and IBM-compatible computers, noting Apple Computer as the Macintosh maker and IBM-compatible producers like Dell, HP, and Lenovo. Understand how price affects adoption in Europe and Asia.

Demonstrate desktop and laptop parts, including cpu, monitor, speakers, scanner, wireless mouse, keyboard, cd/dvd drive, headphones, camera, and trackpad, and introduce hardware versus software.

Explore the difference between hardware and software with simple examples, showing touchable devices like the mouse and keyboard versus software such as word processors and operating systems.

Learn the many uses of a computer, from surfing the internet and reading worldwide newspapers to checking email, researching products, watching news, and socializing with your children and friends.

Learn to connect to wifi, open a browser, and search for information, weather, and product prices; compare items on sites like Amazon, read deals, and add to cart.

Learn to read newspapers on the internet, access the Times of India e-paper, browse regional and international editions, zoom text, save and read from archives.

Explore how electronic mail lets you send and receive messages instantly from anywhere using a computer, browser, with text or audio content and free use for sender and receiver.

Learn to create a gmail account by opening chrome, navigating to gmail.com, choosing for myself, entering name and username, setting a password, and verifying with a phone number.

Learn to compose an email in Gmail: sign in, open the compose box, add to, cc, bcc, write a subject and message, send, and use the 30-second undo.

Learn to reply to emails and forward messages, and manage conversation threads in the inbox by replying to one or all, adding recipients, and viewing earliest to latest exchanges.

Learn how to compose an email with an attachment, include the recipient, subject, and message, attach a file from the desktop, and send the email.

Open the maps app and display a location by searching an address or place name. Use directions from your location to a destination, compare routes, and view public transport options.

Learn to check weather on your computer using the weather app, view current conditions and forecasts for your location or favorites, and customize with location, map, and settings.