Computer Basics · Windows & the Desktop · Lesson 1 of 5

The Desktop, Taskbar & Start

Find your way around the main screen and open any app with a quick search.

Your Computer's Home Screen

When you turn on a computer and sign in, you see the desktop. The desktop is the main screen of the computer. It is the background behind everything else.

You may see small pictures on it. An icon is a small picture that stands for an app, a file or a folder. An app is a program that does one job, like a calculator or a music player.

The taskbar is the strip along the bottom of the screen. It shows apps you use often and apps that are open right now.

On the taskbar is the Start button. The Start button is the Windows logo, made of four small squares. Click it to open the Start menu, a list of your apps with a search box at the top.

The easiest way to find any app is to search for it:

1. Click the Start button.
2. Type the app's name. The first few letters are often enough.
3. Click the app when it shows up in the list.

You can't break the computer by clicking around, so feel free to explore.

On the practice computer, open the Start menu and type "calc" in the search box. Open Calculator, then click the clock on the taskbar.

The Clock, Alerts and the Mac Way

Look at the right end of the taskbar. The time and date are there.

Click the time and date. A panel opens with a calendar for the month. Click anywhere else to close it.

That panel also holds your notifications. A notification is a short message from an app, like a new email or a reminder. It pops up in the corner of the screen for a few seconds, then slides away. If you miss one, click the clock to see it again.

You don't have to act on every notification. It's fine to ignore one or close it.

Here's a shortcut. Press the Windows key on your keyboard, the key with the Windows logo. Start opens, and you can begin typing right away.

On a Mac, things sit in different places, but the ideas are the same:

• The Dock is the row of app icons along the bottom of a Mac screen. It works like the taskbar.
• The menu bar is the thin strip across the top of a Mac screen. The clock is at its right end. Click the clock to see your notifications.
• Spotlight is the Mac's search. Press Command+Space, type an app's name, then press Return to open it.