If you've never used a computer at all, ask a staff member or friend to show you how to get around online. Once you can use links, the address bar, and the back & forward buttons, the computing world is your digital oyster.

• GeekGirl.com has an 'absolute beginner series' that covers the basics in a very relaxed and accessible way.
• LearnThat.com offers basic to intermediate tutorials. Click here for their beginners' section - read the page, then click on 'What is Windows' to get started.
• The previous two links are how-tos. For a more theoretical understanding of what Windows is and does, check out How Operating Systems Work on HowStuffWorks.com. If you want to peek inside a computer case, try How Motherboards Work.

• SmartComputing.com's Tech Support section has great troubleshooting resources for beginning to intermediate users.
• Annoyances.org has short articles and forums aimed at more experienced Windows users.
• Microsoft's support page is useful if you know what you're looking for.

• PC Magazine offers both current articles and its archive for free, as does PC World.
• Business week's Technology & You column is mostly product reviews and commentary.
• Some of the actual ratings in Consumer Report's Electronics & Computers section cost money to view, but some are free. They also have short buying guides and articles.

• HTMLPrimer.com is a short, basic introduction to html. Check out their explanation of how the internet works, even if you decide to go with a more comprehensive tutorial.
• About.com has several options for learning HTML - their very basic tutorial assumes practically no knowledge of computers, while the regular tutorial is for people who can find Notepad & save files on their own but have no experience with HTML. They also offer a free instructor-led XHTML class.
• w3schools.com is easier to navigate and covers a lot of territory - after finishing their html tutorial you can learn about stylesheets, dynamic html, and server-side scripting. Just remember that anything after 'Product Spotlight' is an ad.
• PageResource.com is another big comfy site that will take you as far as you want to go.

• LearnThat.com also offers free A+ certification tutorials, which as of this writing were incomplete.
• Slashdot has frequently updated links to what they describe as "News for Nerds." More hardcore than the other sites listed here.
• If this page doesn't have what you want, try About.com's Computing & Technology section, or HowStuffWorks.com's Computer section.