My purpose in this chapter is to quickly introduce a novice to computers to such a level that they can perform useful work. For this course ‘work’ is being defined as an ability to enter, to search out, but mostly to manipulate and to analyze sequences and produce information that is biologically relevant. Because of this goal, some of the methods suggested in this chapter (and elsewhere) may not be the shortest or best way to do something. They will however, often be the simplest way, but since the aim is to try and find the lowest common denominator, not even this can be guaranteed.