The most common use of the Internet is to view (browse) and interact with pages of information. The pages are displayed using a computer program called a browser. The two most common browsers are Netscape Navigator (Communicator) and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Both programs are free. The two companies are competing to get you to use their browser and thus connect to their pages. They can then sell advertising and add-ons. Each browser has features that the other does not have. If you have enough hard drive space, you can install both programs.
Each program has a number of versions available. The older versions have fewer features but also have fewer hardware requirements in order to run. If you have an older computer, you may not be able to use the current versions.
If you want to use the latest multimedia features, you will need
a newer computer, Last year I published advise about purchasing a
computer (Union Technologist #17). It is even more pertinent today. Buy only
the capabilities you expect to use in a year or two. It is better to plan to replace a computer when
your needs increase instead of buying for needs that are too
far into the future. Technology is improving (and decreasing
in cost) at an ever accelerating pace.
E-mail and Newsgroups: Netscape Communicator includes Messenger (mail) and Collabra (news). Microsoft includes a separate program: Outlook(4.0) or Internet Mail and News (3.0).
Web Page Creation: Netscape Communicator includes Composer. Commercial programs include Microsoft Front Page and Claris Home Page.
Channels: provide targeted news and information on particular topics.
Cookies: allows a web site you visit to store information about you on your local hard drive between visits to the site.
Advanced multimedia features sometimes do not work the same way on all platforms and browsers. Sometimes they will even cause your browser to stop working and crash.
JavaScript: allows a programer to add simple interactive features to a web page. (Netscape 2.02 and Internet Explorer 3.0 and above support forms of JavaScript)
Java: a new programming language that allows Web site developers to send small programs (called "applets") across the Web and run them on almost any computer. (Netscape and Internet Explorer 3.0 and above support JAVA)
Plug-ins are small programs that add functions to your browser. You must add the version designed for your computer unlike JAVA they do not work cross-platform. Examples include Real Audio/Video and Shockwave
If you have a newer computer running Windows 95 or Mac System 7.5+ and at least 16MB of RAM (Random Access Memory), you can use the latest browser version. RAM is inexpensive (32MB is less than a $100), and adding more will improve the speed and stability of multimedia rich content. Installation is easy, you can usually do it yourself.
If you have an older computer that has not been upgraded, choose from the following: (Depending on your operating system configuration, you could need more or less RAM)