Getting to know your computer's OS

Now that you know the absolute basics of using a computer, it's time to learn more about your computer's operating system. We'll be talking about the two most common operating systems in this lesson: Microsoft Windows and macOS.

Watch the video below to learn the basics of using Windows.

Getting to know the interface

Both PCs and Macs use a graphical user interface (GUI), and they each have their own look and feel. The interactives below will introduce you to the Windows and Mac interfaces.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about the Windows interface.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about the macOS interface.

If you have difficulty seeing or hearing—or if you have trouble manipulating the mouse or keyboard—there are many settings that can help make your computer easier to use. To learn more, check out our lesson on Using Accessibility Features.

All about your computer's file system

No matter which operating system you use, your computer uses folders to organize all of the different files and applications it contains. Folder icons on your computer are designed to look like file folders full of documents or pictures.

Each operating system has its own file system, which helps you find your folders and files. If you have a Windows PC, you'll use the File Explorer (also known as Windows Explorer). If you have a Mac, you'll use Finder. Here, we'll talk about the basic functions that are common to all computer file systems.

To find out more about file systems on Macs, check out the lesson on Working with Files in our macOS Basics tutorial. To learn more about PC file systems, take a look at the Working with Files lesson in our Windows Basics tutorial.