Basics of Computers

Most of us have experience using a computer, whether for school, work, or entertainment, but how many of us have actually had an expert teach us how to use it? When one of your computing devices goes wrong, do you struggle to understand why? Perhaps you do an internet search in the hope that someone else who has had the exact same problem as you found a solution that also works for you. It doesn’t need to be (quite) this way. This talk doesn’t teach you how to troubleshoot everything, but does give you insight to how media, programs and data are encoded and used by computers so you can make more sense of why computers behave the ways they do and solve some of your problems with greater efficiency and less frustration. We provide an approachable overview of how a computer works, by both looking at their history and breaking one down to explain individual components, before highlighting some of the tradeoffs to consider when buying a computer. We provide practical, simple, and actionable advice on digital security and show you a few “pro tips” on how to make the most of your workstation, phone, or whatever device you happen to use. Whether you have a lot or a little experience using your digital technology, if you want to learn how to use your devices more effectively, this workshop is for you!