Definition of System Features
The components of the HOPE system include the "Hardware" (that is, the computer and TV screen itself) and the "Software" (that is, the computer programs).
Most of the information the computer supplies to you is shown on the TV Monitor screen (usually in color) in front of you. In turn, most of the information you give to the system so it can work is entered through the Keyboard below the monitor.
Other visible parts of the hardware system are the Printer (for customer receipts, printed reports and factory messages) and this Manual. What you can't see includes the Hard Disk Drive inside the computer, where all your files and customer records are stored electronically and the Computer Programs, which are also stored electronically, and which will perform the various tasks when you ask for them to be done. Information on the hard drive is stored in Directories, or "folders," usually starting from the C:\> Root Directory Prompt.
HOPE allows Customization, which permits you to tailor the system in the way you wish to use it, such as the order Screens of information will display. Help in selecting your custom options comes from a Help Agent, a person who is available to you either by telephone or locally to get you started, and who will handle questions and provide assistance as you go and grow in the system. Your help agent's name and number are listed on page 18.
HOPE allows you to make most choices from Menus, which are lists of tasks the computer will do, items you may wish to order or receive, and or lists of Sub-menu Items, which will lead to another, more detailed list of choices. Selections from menus may be made in one of several ways as you wish. The "Point and Shoot" method uses the Arrow Keys to move the Cursor among several alternatives, or by using the Mouse.
The cursor is a square, arrow, or bar in a contrasting color on the computer screen, which indicates the menu item which is currently highlighted. By using the mouse or the arrow keys, you can move the cursor to the item you wish to select, or to the location on the screen where you wish to begin typing in data.
Sometimes, you may type a letter or number on the keyboard to select a choice. If you wish, most menus offer, but do not require, the use of a mouse. This "pointing device" allows you to move the cursor to the choice you are making, and "point and click" to actually make the choice. Clicking means pressing a button, usually the leftmost one, on the mouse.