This book is geared for beginners in the use of personal computers for everyday academic purposes. The information is generic, and is not directed exclusively to IBM users, Macintosh users or NeXT users. The chapters focus on the following topics: (1) introduction to the purpose of the book; (2) personal computer systems such as hardware and software; (3) word and document processing basics; (4) graphic presentation hardware and software for drawing and painting; (5) information management techniques such as spreadsheets and databases; and (6) telecommunications options for getting connected to the Internet. Appendixes contain information on newsgroups, Internet Whois servers, and a bibliography. Instead of a glossary, short explanations of technical or key terms are provided at the point of use. (DGM)