PCs For Dummies®, 13th Edition

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      Copyright © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

      Published simultaneously in Canada

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      Library of Congress Control Number: 2015955443

      ISBN: 978-1-119-04177-1; 978-1-119-04179-5 (ebk); 978-1-119-04178-8 (ebk)

      Introduction

      It may have been more than 30 years since that first IBM PC rolled off the assembly line, but that timespan doesn’t make the entire realm of computers easier to understand. For all the advances, the graphics, the fun, and the availability of computers for sale in the same place you buy your booze, a PC remains a daunting, intimidating piece of technology. That can make you feel like a dummy.

      This book’s job is to convince you that you’re not a dummy. Computers are intimidating only when you believe them to be. Peel back that sleek case and you find a timid, frightened beast that wants only to help you. This book takes you on a journey that makes that task easy, fun, and enjoyable.

      Oh, and don’t peel back the skin on your computer. It doesn’t hurt the computer if you do so, but you can better get in touch with your PC’s emotional core in ways that don’t require tin snips and a blow torch.

      What’s New in This Edition?

      Hey! Thanks for continuing to read this Introduction. Most people don’t bother, so you’re special! I mean, why read all this nonsense when you could open the book to some random page, stroke your chin, and say, “Wow! This is really appealing.” Anyone watching would be impressed. But no, you’re reading the very front of the book. The best you can hope for is that any onlooker believes you can’t find the price or are trying to look up a relative on the details page. Sorry about that.

      This is the 14th edition of PCs For Dummies, which begs the question, “What the hell happened to the 13th edition?” That’s right, the publisher just skipped over 13 as if it would belie the fact that only 16 percent of Americans bothered to visit a bookstore last year and most people steal this book online. Still, if you want to be specific, this book’s 12th edition was titled Windows 7 Edition. Then when the 13th edition came out, the publisher called it the 12th edition. So now you’re all caught up.

      Beyond updating many of this book’s less important parts to reflect the Windows 10 operating system, I’ve invigorated the text with all the new whiz-bang technology introduced since the last edition. Here I address some new topics that have arisen, including

      As in years past, I present all the information in this book in a sane, soothing, and gentle tone that calms even the most panicked computerphobe.

      Where to Start

      This book is a reference. You can start reading at any point. Use the index or table of contents to see what interests you. After you read the information, feel free to close the book and perform whatever task you need; there’s no need to read any further. Well, unless you just enjoy my pithy writing style.

      Each of this book’s 27 chapters covers a specific aspect of the computer: turning it on, using a printer, using software, or heaving the computer out a window without incurring back injury. Each chapter is divided into self-contained sections, which are nuggets of knowledge all relating to the major theme of the chapter. Sample sections you may find include

      You don’t have to memorize anything in this book. Nothing about a computer is memorable. Each section is designed so that you can read the information quickly, digest what you have read, and then put down the book and get on with using the computer. If anything technical crops up, you’re alerted to its presence so that you can cleanly avoid it.

      Conventions Used in This Book

      Menu items, links, and other controls on the screen are written using initial-cap text. So if the option is named “Turn off the computer,” you see the text Turn Off the Computer