Installing and Removing Programs

In the past, installing software on a computer meant having a fairly good understanding of DOS. Since the advent of Windows 95, installing new computer programs has become much more user friendly. To install software on Windows 95:

1. Click on the Start menu.
2. Click on Settings.
3. Click on Control Panel.
4. Double-click on Add/Remove Programs.
5. Click on Install.
6. Insert the CD or disk in the computer.
7. Click on Next.
8. Windows should search for the installation file (install.exe or setup.exe) on your floppy disk or CD. The path (A:, B: or D:) and the name of this file should appear under Command line. If it doesn’t, you will need to click on BROWSE and look for the file yourself.
9. Click on Finish.

The software program will then take over and ask you a few questions. The questions are normally related to whether you want the full program installed and where you want the software to be installed on your hard disk. Ninety percent of the time it is wisest to choose the recommended options.

After you have installed software you should also note that you can remove the software using the same Add/Remove Program option in the Control Panel. It is important to remove software this way instead of just deleting the appropriate folder on the hard disk.

Databases vs. Spreadsheets
Which one should you choose?

As most of you are aware, computers are an excellent tool for storing and analyzing data. You may also know that there are two types of software applications specifically designed for working with data. What you may not know however, is what exactly the differences are between these applications and which one is best for your purposes. Below is a brief description of each application and its uses. Hopefully, this information will give you the facts you need to choose the appropriate program.

Databases

Two of the most common database programs on the market today are Filemaker Pro and Microsoft Access. Databases are your best choice if you have a large amount of data to work with and you don’t need to analyze it.

Basically, you enter your data into records. A record contains all the information about one person or thing. The different types of data contained in a record are called fields. One record can have as many fields as you choose. All of the records can then be printed as a table or you can choose to produce a personalized document by choosing only the fields you want in the document. This document could be a lesson for your students, a class list or a form letter. Now you may be thinking, “Oh boy, here we go again with all that computer lingo.” Well, the best way to understand tables, records and fields is to think of a telephone book. Think of the entire phone book as a table or form produced using all of the available records. Each individual entry in the phone book would then be a record and each part of an entry, such as the first name, last name, address and phone number, would be a field.