Office Applications (14/03/2008)

Lecture 2

The main points of this weeks lecture were as follows,

• Shown the common computer tasks we will be using in UPC0004
• Looked into using Microsoft Excel and more further into Microsoft Word
• Went through a list of common browsers used on the internet
• Watched tutorial exercises showing the difference between a program using Microsoft Vista rather than Microsoft XP

Tutorial 2

The main points from Tutorial 2 were as follows,

• Further introduced into Microsoft Word using Vista
• Shown how to insert a cover page, contents page, page breaks and numbers etc
• Given shortcuts to use eg. ctrl + arrow keys = jump words
• Watched an introduction into how Excel differs in Vista from Microsoft XP
  

Week 2 Tasks

These are screen shots of the Microsoft Word exercises I had to complete this week. Using the original format given, I had to change the font, alignment, headings, references and table of contents. I wasn't completely sure on how to do these steps, therefore I used the Microsoft Word Tutorials we were given to help me complete this task.

These screen shots are of two different graphs using Microsoft Excel. Using the data which I entered in Microsoft Excel, I was then able to convert that data into both a pie graph and a column graph. The pie graph shows the average number of hours spent per week on each activity. The column graph following shows the hours spent per day doing social activities.

Reading Summary 1: Using MS Word for APA tasks

A wide range of general tips are available for use in Microsoft Word. By following these simple tips, you should find many quick and easy ways to format a document. Some tips regularly used include,

• Typing Dashes and Hyphens - used to connect words and/or parts of words
• Centre - don't use "tab" or "space" to centre text as any alterations will adjust where your text is positioned
• Margins and Alignment - usually are 1.25 inches around the whole document. Text should always be aligned to the left of the page and should never be aligned at both left and right margins. If this is done, irregular spacing will occur

Reading Summary 2: Graphic File Formats

Using Adobe Photoshop, you can upload, edit and save images in different formats. The three main formats include,

• .bmp
• .gif
• .jpg

Bitmap (.bmp) is the standard format for PC's. Saving an image in .bmp format allows the image to be used on the desktop

CompuServe (.gif) is used to minimise file transfer time being a compressed file. This format is widely used in "moving" frames and animations

Joint Photographic Experts Group (.jpg) is mainly used to display images on the Internet. This format automatically compressed the file when it is saved and decompresses it once the image is reopened.