OK, your XO is on. Congratulations! Various things happened, which you might have made notes about, or written down questions. They have answers, but you don't need them at this point.
The cursor on the XO is much larger than in computers for adults. There are other things to notice about the cursor in the exercises that follow.
If this is the first time this XO is turned on, it will ask you for your name, which you can type on the keyboard. (Children may need help with this.) Then it will ask you to choose two colors for the XO logo (a child leaping in the air with outstretched arms, as we imagine them doing on first sighting an XO meant for them). You can just accept the colors shown, or ask for others. Accept something.
If all went well, you see a screen like that in Figure 1, with an XO logo in the middle. Around it is a ring of icons. At the top is a box with a magnifying glass icon on the left, and two other icons on the right.
Figure 1 Home view, favorite Activities
If you have used a laptop before, you probably recognize the mouse pad. Move the mouse pointer around the screen, and point it at things. Does anything happen? Yes, indeed it does if you wait at all. More happens if you wait a little longer. Make notes if you have questions.
We will explore the keyboard and the various other controls in more depth later. You are welcome to try any of them at any time, and write down questions and discoveries.The Undiscoverable: Screen
On the top row of the keyboard are various buttons with icons. Above the zero key (0) are two buttons that control screen brightness. Do the icons suggest that function to you? Will they help you remember? Try them under various lighting conditions, full dark to direct sun, with the backlight all the way off to on full. Any more surprises? (Yes) What are the best settings for you?
How do you like the screen? Would you like a screen like this for your mobile phone? What other portable devices?
The Undiscoverable: Mousing
Put the mouse pointer in a corner of the screen. What happens? Can you tell what you are looking at? Make notes and put down questions for later. ( Some users do find this by accident, but it may take a while.)
Now point to the box and icons on the top bar. Does anything happen? Can you tell what is going on?
Do you know what the two long buttons in front of the pad do? If you have used a laptop before, you probably recognize them as the left mouse button on the left, and the right mouse button on the right. (Duh. Did I need to tell you that?) I am telling you that because I am about to tell you other names for those buttons. On all but the very earliest XOs, the left mouse button is marked X, and the right mouse button is marked O. That way we don't confuse children who haven't firmly memorized which is left and which is right, or perhaps which is your other left.
How do you suppose you do a mouse click on an icon or in a field? Try pointing at the icon of parallel lines. What happens? Now click it. What happens? Now click the dot in a circle. What happens? Does that help?
You can plug in a regular USB mouse, trackball, or other pointing device. Does that work better for you?
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