What is a computer?
A computer is an electronic device that manipulates information, or data. It has the ability
to store, retrieve, and process data. You may already know that you can use a computer to type
documents, send email, play games, and browse the Web. You can also use it to edit or
create spreadsheets, presentations, and even videos.
Hardware vs. software
Before we talk about different types of computers, let's talk about two things all computers have in
common: hardware and software.

Hardware is any part of your computer that has a physical structure, such as the
keyboard or mouse. It also includes all of the computer's internal parts, which you can
see in the image below.

Software is any set of instructions that tells the hardware what to do and how to do
it. Examples of software include web browsers, games, and word processors.
Everything you do on your computer will rely on both hardware and software. For example, right now
you may be viewing this lesson in a web browser (software) and using your mouse (hardware) to
click from page to page. As you learn about different types of computers, ask yourself about the
differences in their hardware. As you progress through this tutorial, you'll see that different types of
computers also often use different types of software.
What are the different types of computers?
When most people hear the word computer, they think of a personal computer such as
a desktop or laptop. However, computers come in many shapes and sizes, and they perform many
different functions in our daily lives. When you withdraw cash from an ATM, scan groceries at the
store, or use a calculator, you're using a type of computer.
Desktop computers
Many people use desktop computers at work, home, and school. Desktop computers are designed
to be placed on a desk, and they're typically made up of a few different parts, including the computer
case, monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
Laptop computers
The second type of computer you may be familiar with is a laptop computer, commonly called a
laptop. Laptops are battery-powered computers that are more portable than desktops, allowing you
to use them almost anywhere.
Tablet computers
Tablet computers—or tablets—are handheld computers that are even more portable than laptops.
Instead of a keyboard and mouse, tablets use a touch-sensitive screen for typing and navigation.
The iPad is an example of a tablet.
Servers
A server is a computer that serves up information to other computers on a network. For example,
whenever you use the Internet, you're looking at something that's stored on a server. Many
businesses also use local file servers to store and share files internally.
Other types of computers
Many of today's electronics are basically specialized computers, though we don't always think of
them that way. Here are a few common examples.

Smartphones: Many cell phones can do a lot of things computers can do, including
browsing the Internet and playing games. They are often called smartphones.

Wearables: Wearable technology is a general term for a group of devices—
including fitness trackers and smartwatches—that are designed to be worn
throughout the day. These devices are often called wearables for short.

Game consoles: A game console is a specialized type of computer that is used for
playing video games on your TV.

TVs: Many TVs now include applications—or apps—that let you access various types
of online content. For example, you can stream video from the Internet directly onto
your TV.
PCs and Macs
Personal computers come in two main styles: PC and Mac. Both are fully functional, but they have a
different look and feel, and many people prefer one or the other.
PCs
This type of computer began with the original IBM PC that was introduced in 1981. Other companies
began creating similar computers, which were called IBM PC Compatible (often shortened to PC).
Today, this is the most common type of personal computer, and it typically includes the Microsoft
Windows operating system.
Macs
The Macintosh computer was introduced in 1984, and it was the first widely sold personal computer
with a graphical user interface, or GUI (pronounced gooey). All Macs are made by one company
(Apple), and they almost always use the Mac OS X operating system.
11 Basic Computer Skills You Need to Know: A Beginners’ Guide
The computer revolution of the last two decades has transformed lives the world over. It has
increased productivity in industries as diverse as deep-sea drilling and fashion design, drastically
improved communication globally, and made the world’s information available at your fingertips. With
increasing digitization, knowing how to operate computers has almost become a basic survival skill.
Learning basic computer skills can be difficult. Fortunately, with the right guidance, anyone can learn
how to work with computers:
1. Understanding the Basics of Computer Hardware
Chief Focus: Hard Drive, CPU, Memory
Computers are machines. Like most machines, they are made up of various, sometimes moving,
parts that allow them to function in different ways. These hardware components have been specially
designed over the years to perform their unique functions with different levels of speed, capacity, and
ability.
To that end, there are also different types of computers. You could have a gaming PC, a media
center, or a work computer.
An office worker might have a small hard drive in their work computer if they don’t need to store much
data beyond simple text files. However, an independent film editor or a digital artist might need a
larger hard drive to fit all the video and image files on their computer. Of course, when we talk in
terms of “small” or “large,” we don’t mean physical size. Hard drive size references its capacity, or
how much data it can hold. We’ll get to this later!
Just know that hardware components come in all shapes, sizes, and capacities, each with a specific
role in the function of a computer system. There are huge gaming “rigs,” and there are tiny laptops
and notebooks.
We’ll go over the major components below and talk a little about what each one does.


Motherboard. Besides providing the space for the hard drive, CPU, and other components we
haven’t covered yet to plug into, the motherboard is home to BIOS, or Basic Input/Output
System, the very minimal piece of software that comes with a computer. When you first turn off
a computer, before it loads the operating system, it must boot from BIOS.
The motherboard also provides a place for users to plug in peripherals like a mouse and
keyboard. If you look behind any computer tower and see where all the plugs and wires are
coming out of, that’s the motherboard! You can learn more about the motherboard’s parts and
functions in this guide.
Graphics Card. The graphics card, or video card, is the component that outputs images onto
your computer’s display, or monitor. While some motherboards offer built-in, onboard, or
integrated video cards, the quality is not as good as that of a dedicated video card that you
purchase separately and install onto the motherboard yourself.
High-end graphics cards are most popular among people who value the quality of their computer’s
display, namely people like PC gamers or people who work in 3D graphics or digital art.


Power Supply Unit. Remember, computers are electronic, and without power, they can’t run!
The power supply unit is the component that converts AC power into low-voltage DC power to
run the sensitive components inside your computer. Power supply units come with fans to
lower the heat inside your computer, as overheating can affect your computer’s performance
and endanger its components.
Hard Drive. Since we’re on the topic of hard drives anyway, let’s explain what these things
are. This is probably the most familiar piece of computer hardware for non-tech savvy folks,
but don’t fret if you’re not in the know! Basically, a hard drive is a computer’s storage device. If
you’ve ever saved a picture from the internet, or saved a Word file in your documents, you’ve
placed that data onto your computer’s hard drive.
A hard drive contains various components, such as the spindle, actuator, and platter. On hard disk
drives, the platter is the spinning plate of aluminum, ceramic, or glass — depending on what type you
have — that stores your computer’s information and performs read/write operations. When we say
your computer’s information, we really mean the information on your hard drive since that is where
your operating system, and all of your files, are stored.
The amount of data your hard drive can store depends on its capacity. Early hard drives (we’re talking
1950s early) could hold about 5 MB, or megabytes, of data, and they were about as big as an
industrial-sized fridge-and-freezer combo unit. Physical bulk aside, 5 MB is about the size of one
MP3! It’s nothing. More recently, hard drives have become much smaller in physical mass and can
store huge amounts of data, ranging from about 250 to 500 GB, or gigabytes, for the average
computer user, to 1 TB, or terabyte, for the power user. One terabyte is 1,048,576 megabytes!
Recently, solid-state drives have been increasing in popularity. Unlike hard disk drives, solid-state
drives don’t contain any moving, spinning parts, making them a quicker and more reliable way to
store your data and improve your computer’s overall performance. They’re also super quiet! Solidstate drives are popular among PC gamers. Check out this guide on how to build a gaming computer
for more information.

Central Processing Unit. The “brain” of your computer, the central processing unit — also
referred to as the processor — does exactly what its name suggests: it processes all of your
computer’s functions. Processors are small, square components with pins and connectors on
one side that let you plug them into the CPU socket on the computer’s motherboard. Because
CPUs need to calculate and process so much information, most come with a heat sink and a
fan to keep the component cool.
The type of hardware you have installed is generally known as your computer’s specifications.
While you don’t need to know how to build your own computer from scratch, understanding what
hardware does will help you troubleshoot issues.
2. Selecting the Right Peripherals
Chief Focus: Monitor, Mouse, Keyboard
So you can have a hard drive, motherboard, CPU, graphics card, and power supply unit, but without
peripherals, your computer is useless. Peripherals are the physical hardware that allows computer
users to interact with the computer.
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Besides these, your computer’s tower, or case, is vital. It’s the container that holds all of the parts in
place, keeping them safe from outside elements and giving a convenient space for everything to stay
securely plugged in.
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Monitor. A monitor is the computer’s display. Without this, you wouldn’t be able to see
anything you’re doing on the computer, rendering the machine sort of useless if your goal is to
use it for email and browsing the internet!
Mouse. A mouse is an object that lets you click around the screen, drag and drop things, and
interface with the objects displayed on the computer’s monitor.
Keyboard. The keyboard is what allows you to type things into your computer. Without a
keyboard, you wouldn’t be able to input commands in the BIOS, write emails to your friends, or
get much work done at all.
Other. Other computer peripherals that enhance your computer experience are speakers,
which produces sound generated from your onboard or dedicated sound card; headphones,
which allow for more discrete sound enjoyment; and microphones, which let you use your
voice to communicate with others on the internet or record your voice for videos and music,
and more.
Making the transition to computers can feel intimidating at first. The mouse can feel patently
unintuitive, and the touchpad (which does the same job as the mouse) can be incredibly difficult to
work with. If you’ve worked with typewriters, the computer keyboard won’t present that big a
challenge, though the tactile feel of a keyboard is dramatically different from a typewriter’s.
To use computers, you should be able to perform the following tasks:




Moving the cursor on-screen with the mouse or touchpad.
Clicking, right-clicking, and double-clicking the mouse.
Using basic keyboard functions such as backspace, enter/return, space bar, delete, tab, shift,
and caps lock.
Basic typing skills.
If you’re going to be using a computer for a substantial amount of time, you also need to make sure
your system is “ergonomically-friendly.” Ergonomics means that your system is comfortable to use
and won’t cause a repetitive stress injury. Repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) are injuries that occur due
to long-term repetitive movement.



Monitor. Your monitor should be raised to eye level. You can use a riser or a bracket to
achieve this.
Keyboard. Install a keyboard tray under your desk so that your keyboard is positioned below
your elbows.
Mouse. Use a wrist pad to lift your wrist upward. You should be using your mouse at a
downward angle rather than an upward angle.
In addition to the above, you should get a chair that you’re comfortable sitting in for long periods. Your
feet should always rest flat on the ground, and your knees should be at a 90-degree angle.
3. Getting the Right Software Installed
Chief Focus: Operating Systems, Word Processors
Unlike hardware, software is not a physical component of your computer. Rather, it’s a program that
your computer runs to allow you to do certain things.
The most important software you should know of when getting into computers is the operating
system. An operating system, or OS, is not just one piece of software but a collection of software that
acts as the foundation for everything you can do on your computer. As its name suggests, an
operating system is the system by which all other software, and even some hardware components,
operate on your computer. For instance, you’re probably running an operating system right now if
you’re reading this, most likely Windows 7 or Mac OSX, or maybe even Linux.
Other important computer software includes word processors, such as Microsoft Word or image
editing programs like Photoshop. If you’re in Information Technology, you may need programming or
development tools.
4. Learning How to Use an Operating System
Chief Focus: Windows or Mac OS X
Think of an operating system (OS) as the interface which lets you communicate with the computer.
The majority of you will start your computer experience with Windows, the operating system built by
Microsoft. Some will start with Mac OS X, which is the operating system used on Apple computers.
For the purpose of this article, we will assume that you are using Microsoft Windows. You will be
pleased to know that both these operating systems are quite similar. If you can work with Windows, it
won’t take you long to work with OS X, and vice versa.
To use an operating system effectively, you should be able to perform the following:

Finding, running, and closing a program.




How files, folders, and directories work.
Saving a file.
Using Windows Explorer to find and open a file.
Shutting down and restarting a computer.
If you prefer to use Mac OS X instead, you might want to take a small refresher course or bootcamp.
It operates similarly to Windows, but there are some differences, like only having a single button
mouse.
5. Using Word Processors
Chief Focus: Microsoft Word, WordPad
Now that you know how to use an operating system, you will undoubtedly be excited to get some
actual work done. One of the first things you should familiarize yourself with is the humble word
processor. A word processor is a software application that can create textual documents. Think of it
as an incredibly powerful typewriter.
Computer Hardware students also learn
Windows ships with WordPad and NotePad — two simple yet effective text editors. Their Mac OS X
equivalents are TextEdit and Notes.
If you want to do something more than writing a basic text document, you will need a more powerful
program like Microsoft Word. Microsoft Word is a part of the Microsoft Office suite of software tools. It
is a highly capable word processor that can create everything from a simple letter to a complicated
graphical flyer.
Knowing your way around a word processor is crucial to getting the most out of your computer. You
should be familiar with the following before you proceed further:




Opening Microsoft Word.
Creating a new document in Word.
Using basic formatting functions (bold, italics, underline, font size, and type).
Saving and printing a finished document.
6. Getting Online
Chief Focus: Web browsers and websites.
A computer without internet is like a Corvette without gas; it might look great sitting on the curb, but
without gas, you aren’t going to go anywhere.
The internet is one of the greatest inventions of mankind. You can use it to stay in touch with friends
and relatives, follow the news, reference encyclopedias, shop for things, and search for virtually
anything. Getting familiar with the internet is the first step in unleashing the full power of the
computer.
To use the internet, you will need a web browser. A web browser is a software application that can
open websites and communicate with the internet. Both Windows and Mac OS X ship with built-in
web browsers — Internet Explorer and Safari, respectively. There are other browsers as well, but for
now, these should suffice.
Using the internet requires that you have basic competency with the following tasks:

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

Finding and opening a web browser.
Opening a website.
Understanding links.
Creating and using an email account.
Searching on Google.
Using Wikipedia as a reference tool.
Opening a video.
A lot of people today use computers for social media. Others use it for activities like blogging. In
fact…
7. Starting a Blog
Starting a blog is a great way to get familiar with your system and to connect with other people. Many
people start a blog by first going to a web hosting service such as DreamHost or GoDaddy, or by
going through WordPress. Blogs use systems like WordPress or Blogger, which are known as
“content management systems.” CMS solutions make it easy to create a website. You just post
“content” (articles, pictures, etc.), and the system generates a website for you!
To start a blog, you need a name and a general theme. You’ll “design” your blog through a point-andclick interface, and you’ll write “posts” that will immediately be published to the internet. A blog is a
way to create a professional persona, save recipes, or just update people on your children and your
family.
To get started, you’ll want to go to a site like WordPress.com and explore their tutorials and lessons.
Udemy also offers a variety of tutorials and lessons on WordPress. Take a look at our beginnerfriendly lessons.
8. Computer Social Skills and “Netiquette”
Communicating by computer is a little different. First, there are several modes of communication:
email, instant messaging, and social media. Second, there are ways of conveying emotion in a textbased medium.
Understanding how to connect with people is important. Email is more like a letter; you might get an
immediate response back, but you might not. Not everyone checks their email all the time. Instant
messaging is more like text messaging; you will usually get an instantaneous response, but not if
they’re away.
And you have to be careful when sharing information on social media: Anything that’s online can
never be removed.
When it comes to “netiquette” (net etiquette), it’s very important to convey emotion tactfully through
text. Otherwise, people may assume that you’re being rude or short with them. When appropriate,
individuals may use emoticons (such as
for a happy face) — that makes the emotion being
conveyed clearer.
A lot of business services like Slack and MS Teams currently support emoticons like happy faces
specifically because it facilitates better work communication. While it once was considered
unprofessional, today it’s more or less a staple of workplace communication.
9. Basic Graphic Design
Chief Focus: Paint
There will always be a time when you’re called upon to develop a flyer or build a basic website. When
that happens, you will need to understand graphic design.
You can explore the basics of graphic design through MS Paint. Microsoft Paint is a software solution
that comes with the Windows operating system. It’s one of the simplest graphic design solutions out
there.
Basics of Microsoft Paint include:
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
Selecting. You can use the selection tool to select part of an image to be moved or otherwise
manipulated.
Cropping. You can select part of the image and then select the “crop” button, which then cuts
the rest of the image out.
Filling. You can use the “fill” tool to fill a portion of the image with a selected color.
Erase. You can erase parts of the image with the eraser tool.
Pen. You can draw directly on the image with the pen tool.
Shapes. You can put different-colored shapes in the image.
Text. You can type text directly on the image.
With these features alone, you can do a pretty decent job of cropping, editing, and labeling an image.
Anything more advanced will require knowledge of a solution like Adobe Photoshop or Adobe
Illustrator.
10. Troubleshooting
Chief Focus: Troubleshooting Processes
When something goes wrong on your computer, your first inclination may be to call tech support. But
while that’s a direct answer, part of being “computer savvy” is trying to figure out the answers to your
problems yourself.
Troubleshooting is an iterative testing process. You check each part of the process one by one and
then figure out what’s wrong.
Let’s say your Wi-Fi is down. Your testing process might go like this:

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
Ask to determine whether other people can get on.
If other people are on, it’s an issue with your computer.
o Check to make sure you’re using the right password.
o Restart your computer and try to log in again.
If it’s down for everyone, it’s a problem with the internet.
o Restart the router and the modem.
o Call the telecommunications company.
By investigating further on your own, you can solve a lot of problems — and learn more about the
computer systems you use.
11. Programming
Chief Focus: Writing and editing code
How does a computer know what to do when you ask it to do something? It’s all about programming.
Every software system on your computer is actually lines of written code. This code is written in a
language that the computer understands. The code tells the computer things like “Open a screen, put
an image on it, and let the user click the image to make it larger or smaller.”
Programming is a great skill to develop. Some common programming languages include JavaScript,
Python, and C++. If you know programming, you can get a great job in the IT field. And you can
engage in fun hobbies such as designing and developing your own games.
If you want to get started in programming, check out our article How to Become a Web Developer.
This introduces you to the basics of web programming and development, which is one of the fastestgrowing programming fields.
Types of Computer Software
1. System Software



The system software is a type of computer software that is designed for running the computer
hardware parts and the application programs. It is the platform provided to the computer
system where other computer programs can execute. The system software act as a middle
layer between the user applications and hardware. The operating system is the type of system
software. The operating system is used to manage all other programs installed on the
computer.
The other purpose of system software is to translate inputs received from other sources and
convert them into language so that the machine can understand. The BIOS (basic input/output
system) is another type of system software that works when the computer system starts and is
used to manage the data between the hardware devices (video adapter, mouse, keyboard and
printer) and the operating system. The system software provides the functionality for the user
to use the hardware directly using the device drivers program.
The boot is the system software program that loads the operating system in the main memory
of the computer or can load in random access memory (RAM). The other example of system

software is assembler which has a functionality to take computer instructions as input and then
convert it into bits so that the processor can read that bit and perform computer operations.
The other example of system software is a device driver which is used to control some specific
device which is connected to computer systems like mouse or keyboard. The device driver
software is used to convert input/ output instructions of OS to messages so that the device can
read and understand. The system software can be run in the background or can be executed
directly by the user.
2. Application Software



The other category of software is application software that is designed for the users to perform
some specific tasks like writing a letter, listening to music or seeing any video. For all these
requirements there required a specific software for each type and that specific software that is
designed for some specific purpose is known as application software. The operating software
runs the application software in the computer system.
The difference between system software and application software is the difference in the user
interface. In system software, there is no user interface present whereas in application
software the user interface is present for each software so that users can easily use the
software. The user cannot see the system software like an operating system and cannot work
in system software but in an application, software users can see the application software using
a graphical user interface and can also work in the application software. The user also has an
option to create its user-written software and use the software for its personal use.
The templates are present which can be used by the user to create user-written programs. The
application software can be bundled together and that bundle is known as an application suite.
An example of an application suite is Microsoft Office. The word processor software is
designed by combining various small program to make one single program which can be used
for writing text, creating a spreadsheet or creating presentations. The other type of application
software is Mozilla Firefox, internet explorer. These kinds of application software can be used
for searching any article, text on the web and interact with the outside world.
3. Programming Languages
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The programming language is the third category of computer software which is used by the
programmers to write their programs, scripts, and instructions which can be executed by a
computer. The other name of the programming language is a computer language that can be
used to create some common standards. The programming language can be considered as a
brick which can be used to construct computer programs and operating system. The examples
of programming languages are JAVA, C, C++, and other languages.
There is always some similarity between the programming languages the only difference is the
syntax of programming language which makes them different. The programmer uses the
syntax and rules of programming language to write their programs. Once the source code is
written by a programmer in the IDE (Integrated Development Environment) the programmer
then compiles that code in machine language which can be understood by the computer. The
use of programming language is in developing websites, applications, and many other
programs.
The programming language can be broadly divided into two major elements syntax and
semantics. The programming language follows some sequence of operations so that the
desired output can be achieved. The programming language is also known as high-level
language as the programs written by a programmer are easy to read and easy to understand.
The JAVA, C, C++ programming languages are considered as high-level language. The other
category of a programming language is a low-level language.
The low level of language includes machine language and assembly
language. The assembly language contains a list of instructions that are not easy to read
and understand. The machine language contains binary codes that can be read by CPU
directly and not present in a human-readable form. The low level of language can be directly
understood by computer hardware.
NATO Phonetic Alphabet
The NATO phonetic alphabet is a Spelling Alphabet, a set of words used instead of letters in oral
communication (i.e. over the phone or military radio). Each word ("code word") stands for its initial
letter (alphabetical "symbol"). The 26 code words in the NATO phonetic alphabet are assigned to
the 26 letters of the English alphabet in alphabetical order as follows:
Symbol
Code Word
Morse
Code
Phonic
(pronunciation)
A
Alfa/Alpha
●▬
AL FAH
B
Bravo
▬●●●
BRAH VOH
C
Charlie
▬●▬●
CHAR LEE
D
Delta
▬●●
DELL TAH
E
Echo
.●
ECK OH
F
Foxtrot
●●▬●
FOKS TROT
G
Golf
▬▬●
GOLF
H
Hotel
●●●●
HOH TELL
I
India
●●
IN DEE AH
J
Juliett
●▬▬▬
JEW LEE ETT
K
Kilo
▬●▬
KEY LOH
L
Lima
●▬●●
LEE MAH
M
Mike
▬▬
MIKE
N
November
▬●
NO VEMBER
O
Oscar
▬▬▬
OSS CAH
P
Papa
●▬▬●
PAH PAH
Q
Quebec
▬▬●▬
KEH BECK
R
Romeo
●▬●
ROW ME OH
S
Sierra
●●●
SEE AIRRAH
Symbol
Code Word
Morse
Code
Phonic
(pronunciation)
T
Tango
▬
TANG OH
U
Uniform
●●▬
YOU NEE FORM
V
Victor
●●●▬
VIK TAH
W
Whiskey
●▬▬
WISS KEY
X
X-ray
▬●●▬
ECKS RAY
Y
Yankee
▬▬●●
YANG KEY
Z
Zulu
▬▬▬▬▬
ZOO LOO
Notes

The NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Phonetic Alphabet is currently officially
denoted as the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet (IRSA) or the ICAO
(International Civil Aviation Organization) phonetic alphabet or ITU (International
Telecommunication Union) phonetic alphabet. Thus this alphabet can be reffered as the
ICAO/ITU/NATO Phonetic Alphabet or International Phonetic Alphabet..

This alphabet is used by the U.S. military and has also been adopted by the FAA (American
Federal Aviation Administration), ANSI (American National Standards Institute), and ARRL
(American Radio Relay League).

Contrary to what its name suggests, the NATO Phonetic Alphabet is not a phonetic alphabet.
Phonetic alphabets are used to indicate, through symbols or codes, what a speech sound or
letter sounds like. The NATO Phonetic Alphabet is instead a spelling alphabet (also known
as telephone alphabet, radio alphabet, word-spelling alphabet, or voice procedure alphabet).

Spelling alphabets, such as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, consists of a set of words used to
stand for alphabetical letters in oral communication. These are used to avoid
misunderstanding due to difficult to spell words, different pronunciations or poor line
communication.

A typical use of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet would be to spell out each letter in a word over
the phone by saying, for example: "S as in Sierra" (or "S for Sierra"), "E as in Echo, Y as in
Yankee, F as in Foxtrot, R as in Romeo, I as in India, E as in Echo, D as in Delta" to
communicate the spelling of the name "Seyfried" correctly.

Microsoft Word, word-processor software launched in 1983 by the Microsoft Corporation.
Software developers Richard Brodie and Charles Simonyi joined the Microsoft team in 1981,
and in 1983 they released Multi-Tool Word for computers that ran a version of the
UNIX operating system (OS). Later that year, the program was rewritten to run on personal
computers (PCs), such as the IBM PC, under Microsoft’s version of DOS (disk operating
system), or MS-DOS, and was renamed Microsoft Word. The product was in direct competition
with WordPerfect and WordStar, both of which were introduced for PCs in 1982.
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Microsoft Word
Like WordStar, Word was WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get), meaning that formatting
tags were hidden and whatever a document looked like on a user’s computer screen was how
it would look when printed—or at least semi-WYSIWYG, as screen fonts were not of the same
quality as printer fonts. Microsoft’s program was the first to make extensive use of the
computer mouse to display styles on-screen (italic, bold, and underlined text), and to feature
style sheets and multiple windows (i.e., separate work spaces for editing multiple documents).
Version 2.0, released in 1985, included spell-check and word-count options; subsequent
versions included significant upgrades and improvements. In 1989 Microsoft released the first
version of Word for the Windows OS, two years ahead of WordPerfect for Windows.
 Britannica Quiz
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Computers and Technology Quiz
 To effectively compete with WordPerfect, Microsoft Word needed a standard interface across
multiple platforms. In 1985 Microsoft released Macintosh Word 1.0, and its early Macintosh
versions were adapted directly from Microsoft Word for DOS. To combat the ensuing glitches
and incompatibility concerns, Microsoft began to develop original code for the Word for
Macintosh software in the 1990s. In 2003 both the Windows and Macintosh versions were
renamed Microsoft Office Word to align with the Microsoft Office suite, which is built around
Word, Excel (a spreadsheet program), and PowerPoint (a visual presentation program).
 Throughout the 1980s WordPerfect ranked as the most popular word-processing software on
PCs, but since the 1990s Microsoft Word has become the leading word processor for both
Windows and Macintosh users. In that decade, Word had very little competition, though there
were budget-friendly options available such as OpenOffice. In the 21st century, Word has
received some competition from companies such as Google. Microsoft has responded to this
by introducing a cloud-based version of Word. Office 365, the full suite of products by
Microsoft, still controls 65 percent of the office software market globally.
Executing Shortcuts
Before you can use shortcuts commands, it's important to understand a few requirements. If the
shortcut involves a section of text (words you have typed), you will need to highlight the text before
typing the command. For instance, to bold a word or words, you must highlight them first.
For other commands, you may only need to place the cursor at a specific place. For instance, if you
want to insert a footnote, place the cursor in the relevant position. The commands below are
sectioned into groups by alphabetical order to make it easier to find the ones you need.
Bold Through Italics
Boldfacing a word or group of words is one of the handiest shortcut commands in Microsoft Word.
Other commands, such as centering text, creating a hanging indent, or even calling for help can be
useful shortcuts to know. The latter command—calling for help by pressing the F1 key—brings up a
printed helpfile to the right of your document, which even includes its own search function. (The last
section of this article contains instructions for the search command.)
Function
Bold
Center a paragraph
Copy
Create a hanging indent
Shortcut
CTRL + B
CTRL + E
CTRL + C
CTRL + T
Decrease the font size by 1 pointCTRL + [
Double-space lines
CTRL + 2
Hanging Indent
CTRL + T
Help
F1
Increase the font size by 1 point CTRL + ]
Indent a paragraph from the left CTRL + M
Indent
CTRL + M
Insert a footnote
ALT + CTRL + F
Insert an endnote
ALT + CTRL + D
Italic
CTRL + I
Justify Through Single-Space Lines
Justifying a paragraph will make it flush left and flush right rather than ragged-right, which is the
default in Word. But, you can also left-align a paragraph, create a page break, and even mark a table
of contents or index entry, as the shortcut commands in this section show.
Function
Shortcut
Justify a paragraph
CTRL + J
Left-align a paragraph
CTRL + L
Mark a table of contents entry
ALT + SHIFT + O
Mark an index entry
ALT + SHIFT + X
Page Break
CTRL + ENTER
Print
CTRL + P
Remove a paragraph indent from the leftCTRL + SHIFT + M
Remove paragraph formatting
CTRL + Q
Right-align a paragraph
CTRL + R
Save
CTRL + S
Search
CTRL = F
Select All
CTRL + A
Shrink Font One Point
CTRL + [
Single-space lines
CTRL + 1
Subscripts Through Undo
If you're writing a science paper, you might need to place certain letters or numbers in subscript, such
as in H20, the chemical formula for water. The subscript shortcut makes it easy to do this, but you can
also create a superscript with a shortcut command. And, if you make a mistake, correcting it is only a
CTRL = Z away.
Function
Shortcut
To type a Subscript
CTRL + =
To type a Superscript CTRL + SHIFT + =
Thesaurus
SHIFT + F7
Remove Hanging IndentCTRL + SHIFT + T
Remove Indent
CTRL + SHIFT + M
Underline
CTRL + U
Undo
CTRL + Z