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You're going to bring pages of the Internet to your computer screen. The Internet is a collection of information stored in computers physically located throughout the world. Much of the information on the Internet is organized onto pages. You'll bring one page to your computer screen, discover its contents, and have the option of bringing more pages of information.
Some pages on the Internet are cool. I mean really cool. They can be richly formatted and colorfully illustrated, capable of bringing you sounds and movies and interactivity. Other pages can be as ugly and disagreeable as what you'd find under a rock. Your goal: to bring yourself gratifying pages of information, and no others.
Content is everything. But to get to the content you seek, you'll need connections to those pages. Well-crafted pages provide built-in connections to other pages. That is, clicking your mouse button on a highlighted word or picture brings another page of information--a linked page--to your screen.
The entire network of pages can be potentially interlinked, one pointing to another. As a result, you can display information in the meaningful context of "Here is some information on a page in front of me, and highlighted on this page is a connection to related information I might wish to explore next."
Netscape's popularity stems from the opulence of its pages and the ease of bringing them to your screen. Pages designed with expressive lettering, art, color, photos, sound, animation, forms, and interactivity can be linked to an untold number of similar pages distributed on networked computers worldwide.
Some Netscape pages contain frames. Frames segment a page into rectangular areas, each area capable of displaying a page. Using frames, Netscape can display pages within a page (like the picture-in-picture feature of TV sets). Clicking on a link in a frame may bring one or more new frames within a page, or an entirely new page. The author of a page determines which frames make up a page, however, you can use your mouse to resize any frame within a page so that you have control over the layout of the presented information.
Netscape explores World Wide Web pages, a part of the Internet rich in multimedia features, as well as other parts of the Internet that are often text-based. The Internet's Usenet newsgroups, electronic mail, and alternative transport protocols offer impressive diversity of content and communicative prowess. To take advantage of this wealth, Netscape software contains features to explore the Internet in numerous domains.
Foremost, Netscape software presents pages of the Internet with elegance and efficiency. Netscape software is a browser--an interface--to pages throughout the world. Netscape software allows you to immerse yourself in content unencumbered by the complexity of distributed networks.
Netscape software makes your exploration of the Internet more productive and efficient. Built-in features let you easily access information, create bookmarks listing your favorite pages, view a history of pages you have already seen, and customize the application's look and operation to suit your preferences.
If you're experienced with the Internet and World Wide Web browsers, consider going directly to Mail, News, and Bookmarks, Primary Menu Items, and Preferences Panels to scan for new topics. Also, look over the final part of the handbook containing reference questions and answers.
If you're familiar with the Internet and browsers, but want an overview of the features visible in Netscape's main window, begin with Onscreen Fundamentals, then continue with the aforementioned reference sections.
If you have some understanding of Internet concepts, but are new to World Wide Web browsers, proceed directly to the Learn Netscape tutorial, then to the reference sections.
If you detest mirth in your documentation, don't even consider reading the Heartwarming Introduction. You can skip over these interpersonal dialogs and not miss a thing about how Netscape works (you'll find the basics are also explained in the chapter following the introduction).
If you want to read from start to end, continue on with Before You Begin for more about handbook content, software installation, and a start-up summary.
For information particular to a software release (such as newly added features and helper applications), run the Netscape software and choose the Help|Release Notes menu item (the Release Notes item under the Help menu).
To gain access to the Internet you need an Internet connection. Specifically, you need either a dial-up connection through a SLIP/PPP account or a direct connection to the Internet through a local area network (LAN). The Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX platforms each have unique file and configuration requirements.
Some Netscape products, such as Netscape Navigator Personal Edition, provide the necessary files, configurations, and instructions for a first-time Internet user to gain simple access through a dial-up connection. The software helps connect you to the network of a service provider (a company with telecommunication capabilities) that maintains your Internet account.
Other Netscape products, such as Netscape Navigator LAN Edition, are for users who already have an Internet connection or the know-how to gain access. If you are using this software and need help connecting to the Internet, you might want to ask a system administrator or knowledgeable friend, or consult one of the many Internet books that explain installation and configuration of Internet services for your computer platform.
Before installing Netscape, ensure that your Winsock package is installed according to the package's instructions. Most packages come with a utility application to test your Internet connection. Windows 95 includes a built-in Winsock package.
You can obtain Netscape software from a network or on disk. From the network, use a file transfer program to download a version of Netscape for Windows (for example, N32E20.EXE or n32e20) and place it in a temporary directory. Then, run the file from DOS or Windows to self-extract the installation files for Netscape. If you obtain the software on disk, you'll have the necessary installation files.
From Windows, locate Netscape's SETUP.EXE (or Setup) with your file manager, then double-click on the file to install Netscape automatically. Netscape creates a c:\netscape directory and a Netscape icon group for you.
Your Winsock package might require running a dialer to establish an Internet connection. Once you've connected, you can run Netscape.
On Macintosh
Install a TCP stack and a dialer (MacTCP and MacPPP are the most common) and place them in the System folder.
You can get Netscape software from a network or on disk. From the network, use a file transfer program to download a version of Netscape suited for your Macintosh processor. If you obtain the software on disk, you'll have the necessary installation files.
Double-click on the Installer icon to automatically install the Netscape application, read-me files, and a folder containing plug-ins. The Plug-in folder needs to remain at the same level as the Netscape application so don't move or embed the folder in another folder.
Run the dialer, connect, and run Netscape.
On UNIX
Get the appropriate binary file for your UNIX computer. Load the file into the appropriate directory, then type: zcat filename.tarZ | tar xvf -
Read the README file and do any necessary adjustments (for example, putting the provided XKeysymDB and nls files in the correct place).
This text assumes you are running the Netscape application with a network connection to the Internet. If you need help acquiring Netscape or establishing a network connection to the Internet, consult with your service provider, system administrator, or support resources.
Some of you are reading this handbook on printed paper; others are reading this online using Netscape software. The online version lets you rapidly pinpoint the text you need by clicking your mouse on content listings and index entries.
In addition to the online handbook, the Help menu offers other supplemental support including answers to frequently asked questions, release notes for the Windows, Macintosh, or UNIX platforms, and access to technical support.
The cryptic acronyms and jargon haven't been banished entirely from this text, yet effort has been made to keep this handbook thin and useful so you may enjoy the following:
Run the Netscape application. The first page you see is your current home page. You can view and link to other Internet pages by clicking on any highlighted words (colored or underlined) or highlighted graphics (images with colored borders) in the content area of a page.
Several buttons in the button bars and items in the menu bar are also links to Internet pages. For example, pressing the Back button in the toolbar or choosing the Go|Back menu item (the Back menu item from the Go menu) brings to your screen the previous page.
Try moving back and forth between two pages:
Netscape software offers a Directory menu with links to spark (What's New? and What's Cool?) and expedite (Internet Search and People) your explorations. Throughout the Internet you'll find links to pages of related interest. And your local bookstore has shelves filled with titles attempting to map the ever-changing information landscape.
Perhaps you were hoping for the handbook to supply 100 color illustrations of the most fabulous Internet sites. (You were probably also disappointed that Melville didn't include any pictures of the whale.) Alas, an arbitrary sampling might quickly date a reference book and portray a bias of taste. Internet content increasingly reflects a spectrum of interests from individuals and institutions, benevolent and opportunistic, sometimes artfully communicated, sometimes splayed in an attempt gone awry.
The Internet remains an untamed frontier. Its rules and etiquette have evolved, and continue to evolve, from its participants. You can find unparalleled richness in human expression; the principles of mass publication are no longer the property of the elite. The quality of information and the behavior of individuals vary. As a member in the electronic community, you might ask yourself how you'd like to contribute.
Plug-ins, JavaScript, and Java are advanced technologies that software developers and page authors use to enhance the delivery of Internet information. From the viewpoint of typical users, these technologies are transparent, built into the system of Internet servers, applications, and content. You can take advantage of the technologies with no effort on your part.
Occasionally, users will want to add new capabilities not currently built into their Netscape environment. Plug-ins are software programs offered by various providers that you can add to the Netscape plug-in folder to supplement Netscape capabilities. Some popular plug-ins are automatically installed with your Netscape software; others are available to users by downloading the plug-in software from the provider's Internet site and following the provider's installation instructions. You can find out which plug-ins are installed by choosing Help|About Plug-ins. You'll also find information and links on this page for numerous third-party plug-ins.
JavaScript and Java technologies are also seamlessly integrated into the operation of Netscape software. JavaScript works largely as an extension to the Internet's standard HTML language. It is a relatively easy to learn, stand-alone programming language built into Netscape software. Page authors use JavaScript to give pages dynamic capabilities. Your actions (such as pressing a button or submitting a form) can be responded to more quickly and efficiently by JavaScript running on your computer than by equivalent instructions communicated remotely to server computers.
Java is a full-featured programming language whose programs (called applets) can travel over the Internet. Whereas plug-ins are tailored for a particular computer system, Java programs operate across the network independent of platform. Because Java capabilities are built into Netscape, Java applets require no installation. Internet pages offering Java applets can perform animation, interactivity, and other actions beyond those possible with HTML.
Developers can learn about plug-ins, JavaScript, and Java through Netscape's online pages and third-party textbooks. Each technology offers connectivity capabilities so that plug-ins, JavaScript programs, and Java applets can communicate and interact with one another. Advanced technologies involve security considerations that users can address by downloading third-party plug-ins from only trusted sites and, if desired, by disabling languages in the Network|Languages preferences panel.
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-> Heartwarming Introduction
>> Index