Reference number: CH000718

Now that I've got a computer what can I do?

Question:

Now that I've got a computer what can I do?

Answer:

Often, new computer users may not know all of the abilities of their new computer or may want to know more about what it is capable of doing. Below we have listed dozens of things a computer can do as well as additional information about how to do it.

Connect to the Internet

The Internet has quickly become one of the most popular things to do on a computer and is something every new user should try.

• See document CH000720 for additional information about connecting to the Internet.
• See document CH000721 for additional information about what to do on the Internet once you have connected.
• See our Internet Q&A page for a listing of additional questions and answers related to the Internet. 

Use your word processor

Many of today's computers come with their own word processor programs. See our word processor dictionary definition for a listing of word processors. Below are some of the things you can expect to do in most word processors.

• Write your own document, report, or even your own book.
• Help check for spelling and grammar errors in your text. 
• View other documents, manuals, or other word processor files.
• Link the word processor to an external source, such as Outlook, Excel, or other source, and create your own labels.
• Create flyers, handouts, or other pages with graphics and pictures.

Use your spreadsheet

Many of today's computers also include a spreadsheet program. See our spreadsheet dictionary definition for additional information about spreadsheets. Below are some of the things you could do in a spreadsheet program.

• Create a listing of numerical values, for example, creating an electronic version of your checking or savings account, which would enable you to see quickly the total amount in each account as well as what has been spent.
• Create a listing of statistics, for example, Computer Hope keeps statistics of how many users visit its pages. These statistics can be viewed easily, and graphs showing the increase or decrease in the values can also be created easily.
• Create a listing of contact information or other information that can be sorted and viewed easily by different columns.

Broaden your knowledge

There are thousands of different types of programs that can enable you or your children to learn more about a particular subject. Below is a listing of the different types of programs to give you ideas of what is available. You can find many of these programs through your local computer software store or through online computer software stores.

• Dictionary, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia - There are hundreds of available software versions of dictionaries, thesauruses, and Encyclopedias that you can either use to browse and learn more about everything or as a reference to look up information.
• Geographical / Map software - There are several companies that make very sophisticated geographical and map programs that enable users to learn more about the world or a specific location, lookup directions, find a local store, etc. See our dictionary map definition for a listing of free online map services.
• Language software - There are numerous programs available that help users learn different languages and even translate text from one language into another.

Tip: There are also many free Internet web pages that offer a lot of the above information for free. Although a lot of these sites may not have as good or detailed information as some programs, users who have Internet connections should definitely see what's available for free first. See document CH000721 for additional details.

Play games

Games are another popular thing to do with your computer no matter what your age is. Below is a listing of different types of games for different age groups.

• Children learning games - There are hundreds of games for young children (12 and younger) that are not only enjoyable to play but often also educational.
• Teenager and older games - By far the most popular type of games, the games that are often played for entertainment value.
• Learning games - There are numerous learning games for all types of people and all age groups. For example, many flight simulators are available that help users learn to fly, and at the same time are really enjoyable.
• Online games - Users who have access to the Internet also have access to millions of free online games sites like http://games.yahoo.com and many others have hundreds of games you can play against other Internet users from around the world.

Listen to music, create your own music, and/or your own  music CDs

With the advent of MP3 files and the increased popularity of sharing music legally and illegally, computers have become a great way of getting new music and listening to your favorite artists. Below is some general information about how you can listen to music on your computer.

Install a sound player

To listen to music on your computer you will first need a player. New versions of Windows come with Windows Media Player and there are several programs such as Winamp that you can download freely from the Internet that allow you to listen to the music files.

Download or copy sound files

Each song, and sometimes a whole CD, is contained in a sound file, often an MP3 file. These files can be downloaded from various sites on the Internet that will charge you a small fee, or if public domain will allow you to download the song for free. Keep in mind that unless the song is public domain (something you would not buy at a store), downloading the song for free is considered illegal, even though many sites have this ability.

In addition to downloading new songs from the Internet, you can rip or copy songs from CDs you already own and create your own MP3 files. A free and excellent program we suggest for creating songs from your CD is CDex.

Once the songs have been copied to your computer, you can listen to them in the player any time. Not only is this easier than inserting the CD each time you want to play a song, this also allows you to have all the songs you enjoy listening to on your computer.

Internet Radio

In addition to listening to music off your hard disk drive, users who have Internet access also have the ability to listen to millions of online radio stations. Both players we mentioned above, as well as most new players, support the ability to listen to streaming content.

Look at pictures, scan pictures, import pictures, and create your own pictures

Computers are capable of storing billions of pictures and can have access to almost any picture imaginable. In addition to viewing other's pictures, you can move your own personal pictures onto your computer from your digital camera, scanners, or by using other computer peripherals.

After moving your own pictures onto your computer you can do anything you can imagine to them by editing them in an image editor. You can clean up images, making them look better, crop them, copy them and move them into other programs, such as programs that enable you to create your own personal slide shows and/or CDs with pictures on them.

Watch videos or movies, create your own movies, and/or watch TV

Users can now watch short video clips and movies on their computer as well as create their own. Below are some of the different methods of watching and creating your own videos and movies.

DVD movies

Many of the new computers today come with their own DVD drive, which means you can watch any of your DVD movies on your computer. In addition, users who do not have their own DVD player for their TV can also connect their computer to their TV and watch the DVD movie on their TV (may require additional hardware).

Short videos

There are millions of short videos available through the Internet and included with software programs. These are videos that are often no longer than 10 minutes and that are often home made videos or videos that accompany the software program they were included on.

Create your own movies

Today, there are numerous software programs available to help you create and edit movies. Users with the proper hardware and connections can also connect external sources to their computer to copy movies. For example, a user could connect his or her camcorder to the computer and copy their personal movies from it.

Watch TV

With a TV tuner card in the computer you can watch TV on your computer. This enables people who enjoy both TV and computer to enjoy them at the same time.

Keep personal information and contacts stored electronically and share it with other devices

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and cell phones capable of keeping and storing contacts, to-do lists, calendars, etc have become widely used. Keep your contacts on your computer and synchronized with each other to have access to all your contacts on both devices as well as a backup.

Use your computer to control appliances and lights in your house

With the proper software and hardware your computer can automate different appliances, lights, sprinklers, and even your thermostat.

Additional information:

• If you have recently purchased a new computer, it's also recommend that you see document CH000464 for additional information about preventing unauthorized access to your computer.
• Is this new computer replacing an older computer? See document CH000719 for additional information on what to do with your older computer.