Social networking is currently one of the most popular Internet activities—and quickly it’s gaining popularity. It often combines many of the activities that people already use the Internet for: blogging, chatting, instant messaging, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, joining groups or clubs, advertising and marketing, learning about local events, and organizing events with clubs and groups of people. As you can see, not being a popular of the ever-popular social networking could definitely keep you out of the loop.

You may actually have engaged in or read about some form of social networking without even realizing it. If you don’t know the first thing about social networking, here’s a place to start.

Social networking is basically a website where people (and sometimes groups, businesses, and organizations) build and update a profile page with their photo and information (could be personal or professional). Depending on which social networking site you are a member of, the range and organization of the information is different. Profiles can constantly be changed, updated, and designed to the person’s current taste, mood, holiday, etc. Here are a few things you’ll usually find on a social networking profile page.

*Contact information: Addresses, phone numbers, location, work or home info
*Personal data: Interests, hobbies, relationship status, occupation, etc.
*Status: Could be anything from a quote or link to a simple statement like “going shopping today!” or “I wonder…”
*Uploads to share: Music, photos, documents, etc.

Some sites will let you post other little extras, like web applications on your profile page. Others allow you to change the background colors, layout, and music on your page. Many people change their profile pages in some way several times a week or day.

Once each member creates a profile, they can link to the profile pages of others. This is the main purpose of social networking, and the reason for the name. Each linking to other profiles is called “adding friends,” which allows you to have full view and access to their profile and vice versa. You can be friends with anyone as long as they agree to accept your request to add them. You can accept or deny any requests by other members to add you as a friend. Usually your friends consist of family, friends, coworkers, classmates, and acquaintances—pretty much anyone you know can be your friend when it comes to social networking. You can even find profiles of people you don’t know and request to add them as a friend. Here are some of the things you can do once you add friends to your network.

* You can easily communicate with your friends in a variety of ways: write a post (both long, blog-like entries, or simple short status updates) for anyone to read, chat with anyone who’s online, send a friend a public note that others can see, or a private message to one or a group of friends (just like emails).
* You can stay up to date on what’s going on in your friends lives, look at photos or videos they’ve posted, read what they’re up to or how they’re feeling, and read public messages that their friends have posted on your friends’ profiles.
* You can play or share games, photos, videos, and other web interactive applications the site features.
* You can quickly and easily spread awareness about a cause, event, or news story, etc.

Many people, and recently more and more businesses have seen the value of social networking, both as an entertainment and communication tool. As you become more involved with social networking, you better understand how it works and learn what ways it best benefits you.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net. Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

If you are running Windows XP on your computer, you have a few choices about whether you should upgrade to a new operating system. Here are a few choices to consider:

1. Stick with XP. After all, it’s what you’re used to. Many people still have Windows 98 on their computer and will probably never upgrade. You might be considered stuck in your ways and missing out after a while, but it will be several years before XP is considered obsolete. Microsoft will continue to support XP until April of 2014, so it’s not impractical to keep XP until then. Even after Microsoft no longer supports XP, you can still use it. Web applications and new programs may not be compatible with your computer and your computer will eventually perform significantly slower than newer ones, but if you are comfortable with what you have and don’t use it much, you might not have any problems. If you do, you can always upgrade then.

XP currently holds over half of the market share of all operating systems (including Mac and Linux) combined. As you can imagine, no one’s going to try to get rid of XP quickly, so you should have to rush either. Keep in mind though, that it might be helpful to at least learn about Windows 7 and how to use the new layout and features. You might learn that it’s not so bad and decide to upgrade. Even if you don’t, other people and businesses, like libraries or your workplace will start using Windows 7, so you don’t want to be clueless when using those computers.

2. Upgrade to Vista. If you think it would be better to upgrade one version at a time, it might sound reasonable, but it might not be worth it. Although buying a Vista operating system is less expensive than Windows 7, you will end up spending more when you eventually upgrade to Windows 7. Vista and 7 are almost identical, except 7 has improved Vista in many ways. So why switch to a new, but faulty operating system when a better one is available. If your goal is to save some money, just wait a year or so to buy Windows 7, and most likely the price will have reduced some. XP is still supported by Microsoft for three more years, so you have time.

3. Upgrade to Windows 7. This is what Microsoft would of course prefer for you to do. They even offer an “XP mode” that will allow you to run older programs that were designed to work with XP. This way you don’t have to miss out on everything you used before. On the other hand, switching to Windows 7 also means your computer will be compatible to all the newest, coolest gadgets and applications that are currently available. Once you make the switch and get accustomed to the new layout and features, you rarely miss the old versions.

Keep in mind that many computer technicians warn against immediately upgrading to the newest version of anything from Microsoft right away, like the operating systems or Internet Explorer. Many times, hackers create viruses and bugs to attack Microsoft systems, because far more people use Microsoft than any other operating system. This means that Microsoft products tend to have more security vulnerabilities. Also, Microsoft often has bugs and kinks to work out of a newly released product, so many techs will recommend waiting a year after the initial release date until you use the newest version of Microsoft products.

4. Switch to a different company. You may not have realized this, or not given it much thought, but there are many operating systems other than Windows. Although a very small number of computer users use anything but Windows, Macintosh (Apple) being the next largest user group, it’s certainly a possibility. Keep in mind, though, that some applications and websites are not compatible with operating systems other than Windows, although marked improvements have been made recently to change this.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net. Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

If you are like the majority of computer users, you are using a Windows XP operating system. Even though Microsoft Vista has been released since 2007, more people are still using XP than any other operating system by any company combined. Now, since October 2009, the latest version of the Windows operating systems is Windows 7.

Before XP, Windows released a series called the Windows NT’s. Even after they stopped using this name (the last one being Windows NT 4.0) Windows operating systems were still being created with the NT code base. Therefore, Windows 2000 was technically Windows NT 5.0, XP was also known as Windows NT 5.1, and Vista was Windows NT 6.0. In case you wondered where the name came from, Windows 7 is the seventh version of the NT code base operating systems.

At first glance, Windows 7 is very much like its predecessor, Windows Vista. The interface (named Windows Aero) is much like Vista’s—sporting high-quality graphics and desktop gadgets, a circular Windows emblem button in place of the green “Start” button, and redesigned, sleek windows.

There are a few minor, but intriguing and useful features new to Windows 7 that have added to the interface and its usability. If you like multitasking, you probably find yourself working with several windows open at once. This can get confusing, especially when you when your taskbar is full of tabs for open windows and you don’t remember which is which. Here are a few things you can do:

*Hover over each tab along the taskbar to see a preview of the webpage or program to help you find the one you want without losing the layout of the windows as they currently are.
*Drag windows to the edge of the screen to automatically resize them or to compare two windows at once.
*Click the “Peek” button on the desktop to “see through” all your open windows to see your background, check out a desktop gadget, or find a hidden icon.
*Click, hold, and shake your mouse on any given window to minimize all the windows but that one. Shake it again to get all the windows back!

Another new option is to “Pin” certain frequently used files and programs to your taskbar for quick access, without adding another icon or having to clutter your start menu.“Homegroup” is another new feature that makes networking home computers and devices like printers safe and easy.

You may be apprehensive about upgrading to Windows 7, especially if, like most people, you are still using Windows XP. Many people had problems with Windows Vista, both amateurs trying to adjust to the adjust to the new looks and features, and professionals concerned with its speed and stability. Because of this, and the fact that XP was the latest version for 6 years before the release of Vista have added to many doubts about new upgrades. Windows 7 has set out to combat some of the technical issues brought up with Vista, and, although 7 does offer an “XP mode” that will run older programs, the layout is here to stay. Adjusting to the new design is probably the biggest hurdle, as Windows 7 was designed for ultimate usability. For more information about Windows 7, check out Microsoft.com/windows7.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net. Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

Have you debated whether or not you want to buy used or new products? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Here is a brief summary of the pros and cons of purchasing used or new products online.

*Buying New-Pros*
If you look for a satisfaction guarantee, return policy, and/or warranty when you buy products, you are much more likely to find them when you buy new. You are more likely to be buying from the original company, so if something goes wrong, you can often go to the source—and get a fast resolution.

Of course, buying new also means you’re going to get a good quality! It’s going to be the latest and greatest. It will also last longer. In a world technology and fashion is always improving and changing, you won’t be left  behind when the next upgrade comes along. New products, especially when it comes to technology, are much more likely to be compatible with new enhancements and features. For example, newer computers have more space and built in gadgets like a 3G connection—something that would have been unheard of a few years ago. If you want quality guaranteed, buy new!

*Buying New-Cons*
Just like buying something in a physical store, you can guarantee the newest stuff online is also the most expensive. The minute someone buys something, it’s no longer new, it’s used—like new, but still used. The monetary value diminishes significantly, yet the actual quality and usability of the product has barely changed. Therefore, sometimes buying new, as opposed to buying lightly used is almost foolish considering the difference in price.

Another problem with getting new things is that you’ll hardly ever find something unique! New items only come in the style and format that is most popular and fashionable at the time. If you tend to be a tad eccentric, or just want your life to have a unique flair, you’ll have trouble finding it new—unless you want to spend a fortune!

*Buy Used-Pros*
Some things can last a very long time in a used condition. Say someone recommends a book to you and you decide to get it, just for yourself. Since you’re getting it as a gift, it doesn’t need to be new! You can often find hundreds of used items for sale for a few dollars, even if the original price is more than 20 dollars! If you just want to read the book, why not spend a fraction of the original cost, and deal with the slightly bent cover or the few highlighter markings?

Many people have very valuable, usable items that just happen to not be brand new. Not only are you helping out a fellow individual make a few bucks on something valuable they no longer need, you are in a sense recycling items and save a lot of money!

*Buying Used-Cons*
When you buy used items, you always run the chance of being tricked into buying a piece of junk. Some sellers are unaware their product doesn’t work, but regardless, the hassle of getting a refund is almost not worth the effort. Since buying used usually means you’re not buying from the original company, the chances of getting them to replace your item is slim, and the seller may require you to pay to ship the item back before refunding you, which means you end up spending more for nothing. Although many websites like EBay and Amazon provide assistance if you are scammed by a seller, there are unfortunately some cases where the issue cannot be mended in the way you find satisfactory.

This situation is not common, but it’s a risk you might be willing to take to save money and help out another individual. If you learn what signs to look for and only buy from sellers with good ratings, you shouldn’t have too much trouble.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net. Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

One of the best benefits of having Internet service is to take advantage of hundreds of free software you can download on your computer. Whether you are looking for a photo editor, Internet browser, antivirus software, or game, chances are, you’ll find dozens of options online to pick from. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Choosing your download. When you download software, there are several things to keep in mind. For example, some software may conflict with your currently running software. If you already have antivirus software, you may not be able to install another one without uninstalling the program you already have. Also, not all software programs are helpful. If it is actually disguised malware, you’re computer and your privacy will be put in jeopardy. Research the product for ratings and reviews before you decide to download it. Try downloading it from a safe site, like download.com, where experts have tested and reviewed the product and individual users have given them ratings and reviews.

2. Initiating the download. When you click on a link to download a program, you will probably be asked if you would like to save or run the file. If you click save, you will be asked where you would like to save the file and then proceed to download. After it completes, you can open the installation file from where you saved it. If you click run, the download will choose a place to save the file, like a “Downloads” folder somewhere in your system files. As soon as the download completes, it will immediately begin the installation process. You should click save so that you will know where to find the download, in case the installation gets interrupted, or you decide to let the file download while you are away from the computer. Also, if you know where the installation file is, you can rerun it you want to reinstall the program later.

3. Installing the download. This part should be fairly easy. You will be given step by step instructions and be asked to click next, check “I agree” to the terms of service, etc. Pay attention to each step! You need to know what it is doing. For example, many free downloads will ask if you would also like to install a toolbar or search provider for you. These “extras” are space and bandwidth-consuming annoyances that you don’t need! All you have to do is uncheck the box next to “Install x toolbar” or “Add y feature” to continue your installation without installing the annoying extras.

4. Back up your installation files. Any time you download a new program or an upgrade, you should save the installation file for later reference. Once you have successfully installed the program, move the installation file to an external hard drive or flash drive. You should have a drive where you back up all your personal files anyway, so make a folder that says “Installation files” and keep the files here. This way, if anything happens to the program in the future and it needs to be reinstalled, you will know exactly where to find the file, and you won’t have to take the time to redownload it. Also, in the event that your computer would have to be replaced or your operating system reinstalled, you’ll have the files necessary to quickly reinstall the programs you used before onto your new computer system.

If you pick the best software for your computer, avoid unnecessary extras, and keep the installation files in a safe location, you will be able to use your software efficiently and easily.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net. Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

If you are still using Windows XP or an older version of a Microsoft Windows operating system (OS), you will be in for quite a change when you upgrade. While Windows Vista is well known for its drastically different layout, there’s a lot more about Vista to discover.

Released to the public in January of 2007, Vista set out to make some needed changes to the previous OS’s. Windows XP, the predecessor to Vista was highly criticized for its safety vulnerability. All user accounts are automatically set up as an administrator, giving them full access to all the programs, files, and system information. Vista set out to combat this and other security issues with a high level of security measures in place.

User Account Control is the primary security feature built into Vista. When certain changes are attempted to be made, a window will pop up asking for your permission to continue (you have probably noticed this many times if you have a Vista OS) and even ask for your password if you have one set up. Ironically, this is one of the highest complaints Vista gets from users—the ubiquity of User Account Control popup windows.

Another major change in the operating system is the graphical user interface (GUI). The sleek new layout, called Windows Aero, actually somewhat resembles the Macintosh OS’s design, according to many users. The new look is sharper and offers many “user-friendly” options, renames a few Control Panel options, and a few other things that are great for computer newbies, but confusing to people accustomed to older Windows OS’s.

Another change in the graphical features is the applications that you can run on your desktop on the new Windows Sidebar.  You can customize your sidebar by choosing from the Desktop Gadgets gallery, including a calendar, clock, weather forecaster, and picture puzzle.

One helpful new feature is located in the start menu. There is now a search bar in the bottom of the start menu that will allow you to type the name of any system component (like Control Panel), personal files, and programs. This will help you quickly locate things if you’re not sure where to find them! To learn more about the features and details about Vista, go to microsoft.com/vista.

Overall, Vista has received many negative reviews by both users and computer technicians for being confusing and/or unstable. As for the confusing new layout, that is to be expected, since Microsoft hadn’t released a new version of Windows in five years when Vista was released. This is the longest span of time for no new versions to be introduced. Needless to say, millions of people have become quite accustomed to XP. Even today, the majority of computer users are running an XP operating system—even more than all other OS ever made, combined!

Windows 7, the latest version of Microsoft OS’s was released in 2009 and is said to resolve many of the security and stability issues Vista had. If you have Windows Vista now because you recently bought a new computer, you might want to check out Microsoft’s website to see how you can upgrade to Windows 7. If you have a Windows XP or older and would like to upgrade to something more recent, try Windows 7. You can find out more by going to www.microsoft.com 

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net. Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

Software usually comes in three forms: 1, pre-installed on your computer, 2, on a CD—either a performance program (like Microsoft Word) or the driver software that came with new hardware (like a modem), or 3, as a download from the Internet. Let's explore these individually:

Preinstalled Software

When you buy a computer, there is an operating system (usually Microsoft Windows) and several programs already installed. Typically, these would include a word processor and other tools and applications, like Word pad, Solitaire, etc., and an Internet browser like Internet Explorer. All the software that makes you're computer function and runs hardware is system software. All the programs on the All Programs list is application software.

Some programs come preinstalled, usually as a marketing tactic, and use system resources by starting up every time you turn on your computer, like Windows Messenger and sometimes a free trial of Norton Antivirus, or some other security software. Of course, just because these programs are installed doesn't mean you have to use them. You should probably uninstall anything you won't use to avoid using your system resources.

CD Software

Since software is basically just a complicated string of digital codes, the only way to physically buy it in a store is to buy a CD with the code stored on it. You then put the CD in your computer and install the program to use it. The majority of software programs (including the ones in the other categories) can be bought on a CD. Office tools, games, music players, security packages, and photo-editing programs are all typical software applications that are often purchased in stores. This is probably the most expensive route, but if it didn’t come preinstalled on your computer, it is usually worth it.

The best reason to buy software on a CD is because you can always reinstall it from the CD. Software can become corrupted, lost, or damaged after it was installed. Or worse, your computer could crash and you would have to reinstall everything back onto it. Having the CD means you can always reinstall the programs, or install it on a different computer in a matter of a few minutes.

Drivers are another type of CD software. All hardware is useless until it has the correct software that will make it be recognized by your computer's system software. When you buy a new printer, modem, or other attachable hardware, you are always prompted to install something from a CD. This is the driver. Most manufacturers will also list free links to download drivers in case you lose the CD, or the CD becomes damaged or outdated.

Downloadable Software

The Internet is one of the best and easiest ways to obtain software. You can download almost anything from the Internet, and much of it is free. There are antivirus and other anti-malware programs, browsers, games, photo/video editors, word processors and other office tools, etc. Download.com is one of the best places to find free downloads. Most people download programs because it is easier and cheaper than finding and buying it from a store. Sometimes tools and programs can be downloaded to troubleshoot hardware issues (like a corrupted driver), find and remove malicious software, and perform maintenance tasks, like scanning your computer or cleaning up unnecessary files.

You must be careful with Internet downloads, as some of them are disguised malicious software. Research a program before you download it if you're not sure that it's legitimate. You should be able to find reviews of the download fairly easily by doing a Google search for that program name.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net. Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

Microsoft has been a leading provider of many computer and Internet products and services. They may be best known for their operation system (OS), Windows, especially XP, released in 2001. In fact, more people use Windows operating systems (as opposed to Mac, Linux, or another lesser known OS) than all other operating systems combined. Windows XP is currently being used by more people than all the Windows OS's combined, not to mention claims about 60 percent of the entire OS market shares.

One of the quickest ways to identify the Windows XP is by the green start button and blue taskbar on the bottom of your computer screen, but it is responsible for much more than that. Microsoft in a way started over with the way they presented operating systems for their users.

Before XP (short for “experience”), there were two strands of operating systems in use by computer users in the late 90's—one was a business/networking friendly version known as Windows NT (which was upgraded to Windows 2000, in the year 2000). The other version was a consumer friendly version known as Windows 98 (succeeded by Windows ME, also in 2000).

Microsoft not only greatly improved the performance and, what they considered to be a vast improvement to usability, XP also replaced the two “strands” of Windows OS's into one operating system. XP is alternatively named “Windows 5.1” because it follows the Windows NT code base and is the successor to the NT based Windows 2000 (or, Windows 5.0).

There are multiple versions of XP, but the two most popular are Windows XP Professional Edition (similar to the Windows 2000 format), and Windows XP Home Edition (to replace 98 and ME), but every version is highly similar in the look and feel of XP. The most obvious difference in XP and all its predecessors is the major changes in the GUI, or graphical user interface. The colors, design, even shadows are significant improvements to the “aesthetic” quality, although this is a “classic” option to revert to the Windows 2000 look.

The most important reason for all the changes in the GUI was to improve the usability of all its features, especially for those who are new to computers. Options from the start menu, to the placements of icons and options were “optimized” to make computing simple to do and easy to understand (of course, these improvements may not be appreciated by those who have become accustomed to using a previous version of Windows, so not everyone agrees on the value of them).

The Control Panel, for example, was changed from previous versions to having two views. The “Classic View” just like the older versions that listed all the options in thumbnails in alphabetical order, and the “Category View” groups similar icons together to help users know where to find the controls they want.

Several upgrades to XP, called a service pack (SP), have been released since the original 2001 release. These are basically security and stability fixes that were available for free from the Microsoft website or as an automatic update. The last upgrade, service pack 3 had over 1,100 fixes! XP SP3 is the only version of XP that is still supported by Microsoft. According to the company, Microsoft will continue supporting (and provides free updates for) XP SP3 until April 2014, even though two newer operating systems, Vista and Windows 7, have already been released.

For information and troubleshooting resources, go to www.microsoft.com/windowsxp. 

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

Window’s got its name from the then-new layout of operating systems, where a mouse was used to open a separate frame, or window, for each process or application. The changes from one version to the next were everything from suttle, but faster or smoother, or dramatically different and new. Here is a brief history of the development of the Windows operating system:

*Windows 1.0-The first Windows OS, released in 1985, to implement “windows” instead of the linear DOS format. At this point, multitasking was basically nonexistent and graphics were quite primitive.

*Windows 2.0-Released in 1987. At this time in computer development, the processing speed and storage capacity was incredibly slow compared to today’s computers. As technology improved, new operating systems like this one were made to take advantage of gradual improvements.

*Windows 3.0-Released in 1990, this is the OS that began to be more widely used in everyday businesses. Computers were being used by businesses more widely by now. This was before Internet service was invented.

*Windows NT’s (1993 to 1996)—NT stood for new technology. This was a significant step in computer programming where the whole concept of operating systems was built from scratch. The result was designed somewhat like they look today—desktops had icons, and windows could be opened and layered. There were four similar versions of Windows, serving various purposes or implementing new technology, like networking for businesses: Windows NT 3.1, Windows for Workgroups 3.11, Windows NT Workstation 3.5 and 4.0. At this time computers were basically only used in businesses and still quite primitive in comparison to today’s computers.

*Windows 95-Released in, you guessed it, 1995. This is probably the oldest OS still in operation today, even though it is no longer supported by Microsoft. This was the first computer to include TCP/IP, the protocol that enabled dial-up Internet. Internet access was first introduced to the public at this time, which highly increased the adoption and usage of computers by businesses outside of the technological world.

*Windows 98-Released in 1998, this was the first OS to be created for consumers, and the popularity of a “personal computer” gained momentum. As the Internet and using computers by laypeople, the need for creating computers that anyone could use grew significantly. From this point, significant changes in layout and features took place to improve usability by consumers. This is reflected in the Windows 98 Second Edition that was released the following year.
*Windows Millennium Edition-Released in 2000, again improved the usability of previous versions. At this point, there were basically two versions of OS’s: the NT Workstation 4.0 for businesses, and the 98 for consumers. This was the last of the 98 consumer models.

*Windows 2000 Professional-Also released in 2000, was an upgrade to the NT Workstation 4.0 “business” OS.

*Window XP-Released in 2001, this version marked a significant change—and success—for Microsoft. This version was a sort of clean slate for Windows OS. XP (stands for “experience”) was a new approach that replaced the all the previous versions of Windows and eliminated the business/consumer distinction. XP transformed usability and functionality of Microsoft OS’s, and still holds over half of the current market share of all operating systems (from any company) combined—nearly 10 years later! It was also the primary OS of Microsoft until 2007, which makes it the longest lasting OS since the company began.

Since then, two new versions of OS’s have been released and brought significant changes that would be unfathomable to the first computer programmers and technicians. To learn more about Microsoft Windows’ history and features of new OS’s, check out www.microsoft.com.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!

Microsoft has been extremely influential in the growth and use of computers and Internet service. Since the very early stages of computer development, Microsoft has been creating products that were adopted by software and computer designers, which promoted the growth of acceptance as a standard for operating systems (OS’s) among computer users. Microsoft holds nearly 90 percent of the market share for operating systems used today! The majority of computers sold today have a Microsoft’s operating system, Windows, installed on their computer.

Before Windows operating systems were developed, computer ran with DOS, or, disk operating system. Basically it was just a black screen with white characters and a cursor. Users would type commands or use keyboard shortcuts and prompts (like Ctrl+Alt+Delete) to perform all computer tasks.

For example, to open a program or perform a task, you would type a combination of letters on your keyboard and press “Return” or “Enter”. The program or task would open a similar page with more white characters on a black screen. You could navigate through the options with arrow keys, or type another command to exit or open another command. A cursor would indicate where you can type more commands. The display upon turning on the computer was in a linear format, so you could only perform one task at a time. Previous commands would be higher on the page, disappearing off the top of the page and new commands  displayed underneath.

You can still see and use the original DOS display format and perform tasks that can now be done with mouse clicks. To open the DOS command window, click Start>All Programs>Accessories>Command Prompt. Type “control” and push enter. This will open your Control Panel window. Close the Window

Microsoft bought MS-DOS (Microsoft-Disk Operating System) in the early 80’s, and this was the beginning of the operating systems the majority of computers use today.

GUI, or graphical user interface was a significant development that changed the way we compute. Graphics, like colors, desktop display, icons, and buttons would replace DOS text commands. Instead of typing a combination of letters and hitting “Enter”, you now just double click an icon with a mouse.

Although the first GUI display on mid-80’s computer fade in comparison to today’s high resolution, colors, and animation, it was a big improvement from the black screen with white letters! This is where the Windows operating systems we know today began.

The name “Windows” represents the transition from DOS format to GUI format. Programs and settings now open in its own frame, or window, which means that you can switch back and forth from one programs to another, and as technology improved, have multiple windows open and running at the same time.

The latest Windows operating systems are astounding and complex in comparison to their late 80’s, early 90’s predecessors. As each new system was released, computers were faster, more colorful and aesthetically-appealing, safer, and easier to use (that is, except for the time it takes to learn new methods and layouts!).

In October of 2009, Microsoft released Windows 7, a crisp, fast, safe, and elegant OS that is hardly recognizable in comparison to the first GUI operating system from 20 years ago, Windows 3.0. For more information about the versions and features of Windows operating systems, go to microsoft.com.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles!