Feel like you're missing something? If you're still clunking around the Web with the same basic browser you had two years ago, you probably are. A current browser and a few plug-ins (programs that expand your browser's capabilities) will get you up to speed in no time. They're all a breeze to install, and most are free. Here are some of the basics, plus a few bells and whistles: First things first. Make sure you've got the latest versions of Netscape or Internet Explorer. You can't play sound or video files without a multimedia plug-in. RealPlayer and QuickTime are the most common. The Web isn't all fun and games -- but if you want to play around a little you'll probably need Shockwave to get the most out of sites that use animation. Many of the downloadable goodies you'll find online have been compressed to save time and space, yours and the site offering the item. But, to even access these programs, you'll need a decompression tool like WinZip to "unzip" these programs and install them. Web sites often offer large documents in .pdf format. The files are downloaded to your machine, and presented in a way that's much easier to print and manage than text on the Web. But you'll need Adobe Acrobat to read them! What's chat all about? Download the ichat plug-in and start talking. Your browser still isn't souped up enough? Pick a peck of plug-ins at internet.com's Plug-In Plaza. |
