Do you dream? Do you watch people around you going about their daily tasks, and wonder how they’re able to achieve things you can’t, be more effective than you can be, or have more time for enjoyment? You’re not alone: at some point, everybody will have watched another person achieve what they would consider to be almost impossible. This happens on a macro level when we see explorers heading into the vast unknowns of the Arctic or the Himalayas.
Getting Familiar with Windows 10
Windows 10seems like the logical place to begin this journey. It’s the workspace in which everything happens, the container for your apps and files, and the thing you’ll spend the vast amount of your time interacting with. Let’s begin by looking at the lock screen because it’s the first thing you see when you start your PC. In the center of the lock screen is your user photo or avatar, below which is a box asking you for your PIN or password if you have one set up on the PC
The Windows 10 Desktop
When you sign in to Windows, you are presented with the Windows 10 desktop—what it offers and how to become accustomed to it. If you look at your own desktop, what do you see? You’ll very likely see the Start menu and the taskbar that runs across the bottom of the screen. Do you see the other features that can save you time and make you more productive? Because as there are actually more than you might think
A Visit to the Taskbar
Beneath the desktop and Start menu sits the taskbar. You’ll probably know this as the place where the icons for your open apps sit, but it’s capable of being much more than that. For example, you can right-click (touch and hold) any icon to rampantly pin (or unpin) it from the taskbar. This can make it easier and faster to open the apps you want to use
Conclusion
Pressing either the Windows icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen or the Windows key on your keyboard opens the Start menu. In the bottom-left corner of the Start menu are icons to sign out of your user account, open Settings (which I’ll cover later in this chapter), and restart and shut down the PC.
