Computers have evolved in the last few decades from archaic scientific calculators with lots of strange symbols on the buttons to point and click machines that a four year old could master. People still claim to be ?computer illiterate? these days but such people probably have not investigated the new types of machines. You no longer have to program a computer to get a response and machines are extremely user-friendly these days. Spending just thirty minutes with a computer could probably turn the most self-confessed ?computer illiterate? into someone who understands how to get around the internet, find new friends in chat rooms and find all kinds of interesting information online.



To use a computer nowadays, you need to learn how to turn the machine on, push a few buttons and use a mouse. Computers of this generation nearly seem to run themselves! These thousand dollar computers require very little knowledge from the part of the user.

If you do not want to use a keyboard or mouse, you can set a computer up to be voice activated. You can purchase voice command software which lets you speak to the machine and tell it what to do. This is very new technology that is still being developed, but is already being used in some consumer service systems.

When you last paid a bill over the phone, did you speak to a human or an automated machine? The chances are it was a computer which responded to the commands you gave it. You would have given your full name and perhaps a credit card number. If you have done this, you have used computer technology, perhaps without even realizing it!

If you are new to the world of computers and do not have or want to use voice commands, what about touch commands? Touch command software means you can touch objects on the monitor to tell the computer what to do. This kind of system is used a lot in ATM machines, known as ATM kiosks, around the world. They are also used in health monitoring systems and at employment centers.

You do not need either a keyboard or a mouse for a touch command enabled computer. You just need to touch the boxes on the screen to tell that computer what you want it to do. The programming which makes it respond is advanced and sophisticated, but for the person using the touch screen, it is an easy system to master.

When we are talking about operating computers, we usually mean more than touching screens or talking on the phone, but this does prove how far computer technology has come in only a few decades. Computers are so much more user-friendly now too. You will eventually need to learn how to use a mouse and keyboard if you want to get a home computer, work with a cash register or booking system, but it is fine to try out easier ways first to familiarize yourself and get more confident.

A lot of the software around today is designed with newbies in mind, so that anyone can send an email, connect to the internet or download a song in mp3 format a few hours after plugging your new machine in for the first time.