After thinking about it, I have come to the conclusion that the "Windows"
idea and networked computers have been the key concepts that have lead
to how we use computers today.
I personally have learnt everything I know from two sources, as well
as using Help in applications. I
did study some of the theory of computability by studying Alan
Turing's 1931 paper On Computability and the idea of a Turing Machine.
I also did a really basic HTML
course at University. The rest I have learnt at work, at home and
at the library.
The first is the Free
Online Dictionary of Computing. I just type in the words that I don't
understand and then read the little description that it gives. If I don't
understand the definition, then I click on those words and read about
them and so on and so on. I like the way that site works, and would like
this to be like it.
Secondly, once I had a bit of experience I read Iain
Sinclair's Inside Your PC. While it is written about Windows 97 and
98, these systems were sufficiently simple for someone to know nothing
about and learn everything that it could do. Later versions seem to be
so complicated that it is impossible to start out with any foundations
and build on them, because there are so many different bits and pieces
to learn about. The notes here are to try and show you the 100 or so most
important things that you may want to do with your computer.