Windows 11 For Seniors For Dummies

Introduction

Windows 11 is the latest generation of Microsoft’s operating system, the master program that makes a computer useful and provides support to other programs, including word processors, photo viewers, and web browsers. Much as an education equips you to read a novel or play a game, Windows 11 equips your computer to perform a wide range of activities. You can use Windows 11 and other software (or apps) to read or write a novel, play games or music, and stay in touch with friends and family around the world.

As Windows has evolved over the past 30 years, so have computers — the hardware. Today, you can buy a computer as small as a paperback book, and even such a little computer is unimaginably more powerful than (and a fraction of the cost of) computers just 10 years ago. The hardware consists of the screen, as well as optional components such as a keyboard and a mouse.

You don't need much time with a computer to conclude that there has to be an easier way to do things. At times, computers seem overly complex and inscrutable. Have you used a smartphone lately? Or a TV remote control? Why are the controls on every microwave oven different? Why does every new tool offer countless options you don’t want that obscure the ones you do want? Well, we don’t have the answers to those questions, but we do have step-by-step instructions for many tasks you want to perform using Windows 11.

After many years of working with computers, we find that they reward patience, curiosity, and a little methodical exploration. Seniors, in particular, know that learning never really stops and that learning new things keeps one young, at least figuratively. By the end of this book, you may be a multitasking computerist performing virtual gymnastics with Windows 11. On the other hand, if this book helps you do only one thing — use email, browse the web, or enjoy photos or music — that one useful thing may be all you need.