If You’ve Never Used a Computer Before, Start Here. A lot of people have laptops today — but very few actually know how to use them. So let me break this down simply, the way digital literacy is supposed to be taught. 1. Understand Hardware vs Software Hardware is what you see and touch — the keyboard, screen, touchpad, ports. Software is what runs the hardware — apps, programs, and the operating system. If hardware is the body, software is the brain. 2. Learn How a Computer Starts Every laptop