Using a Browser with Book marking

Introduction 

By Sharon Townsend & Akisha Russell

What is a Web Browser?

  Is this how you feel when trying to use the web?  

If you haven't figured it out already knowledge of a browser is very critical when navigating the Internet.  Your knowledge of how a browser works and its basic components will enable you to navigate through the web at a quicker and more efficient pace.   

    A web browser is the software program/application on your computer that enables the user to view web pages, documents created using forms of HTML that are stored on the Internet.   A web browser will only work if you have a connection to the Internet.  Although many browsers are available for use the two most popular are Netscape and Internet Explorer.   Both of these Web browsers have very similar features. Usually your connection will be provided by what is called an Internet Service Provider (ISP), a company which provides other companies or individuals with access to, or presence on, the Internet (such as AOL. MSN, Juno, Earthlink etc.) If you use a web browser from a public site such as a school or a library then that site will serve as your ISP.  All you will need to do is open the web browser because the computer is already connected to the Internet. If you're accessing the Internet from a public site such as a school or library you will not need an ISP, you'll be able to go directly to your connection once you click to access it.  

For WIT purposes Netscape  will be used as the browser of choice.  The Internet Explorer icon looks like this.

 
Therefore, all icons will be related to Netscape 7.0.

This module is an attempt to move you from the first picture  to this picture.

Customizing  and Learning about Netscape

Specifying a Start Page

When you start Netscape, you see Navigator, your browser.  Your browser will continue to open to the Netscape home page  until YOU choose your own home page by resetting the preferences.

• Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.  This menu will be used to make most of the changes in your Netscape browser.
• Under the "When Navigator, starts up display," choose whether you want a blank page, your home page, or the last web page visited to open automatically when you launch your browser. Follow these steps whenever you want to change your starting/home page.
• Now try changing your browser starting/home page to the site mentioned below.
  

Your primary class will be working on a math web site  each day. To save time you decided to change all the computers so they'll automatically open to this page when Netscape is opened. The web site is (www.aaamath.com).

• Close  your Netscape connection
• Now reopen it
• Did your home page change from Netscape to aaamath?
• Try doing this again with another web site
  

Changing Fonts, Colors & Themes

To change your font/text do the following things:

• Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
• Under the Appearance category choose fonts. (If  the Font list isn't visible double click Appearance to expand the list.)
• From the "Fonts for" drop-down list choose a character set.  For instance, to set default fonts for the Western (roman) character set, choose "Western."
• Click on the down arrow beginning with Serif to see which fonts are available.  View all 5.
  
• Select a fixed width, font and size because certain types of text, such as equations and formulas are displayed in a fixed width font.

To change the default text color do the following things:

• Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
• Under the Appearance category choose Colors. (If  Colors isn't visible double click Appearance to expand the list.)
• Select the colored blocks next to Text, Background, Unvisited links, and Visited Links.  Choose a color for each from the color chart. You may also specify that links should be underlined.

To change the default Theme do the following things:

Make your Netscape screen look different from others.  Selecting a new theme will change the look of buttons, toolbars,
dialog boxes menu bars and other items.  It will not change the way  these items function.

• Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
• Under the Appearance category choose Themes.
• Click to select the theme you want to use.
• Click o.k. to confirm your choice.

To get a completely new theme by going on line

• Type in the following URL or click on the above link
• Follow the directions once you get to this site
  

Note: You will need to quit and restart Netscape after you apply a new theme in order for the change to take effect.

Learning about the History List Links

• The History List contains links to previously visited pages. The Location Bar List contains links to pages you've typed into the Location Bar and then visited. 
•  To access your history list from Navigator, open the Go menu and choose history. 
• To access the Location Bar List, click the arrow at the right end of the Location bar.

To delete all pages from the Location Bar or history list, begin from the Navigator window and do the following:

• Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
• Click   on the Navigator category, click History. (If no subcategories are visible, double-click Navigator to expand the list.)
• Click Clear History and Clear Location Bar to remove all previously visited web pages from the lists.
• If you wish to set a limit on how many pages remain in the history list, click the field next to"Number of pages in session history" and type a number of pages.

To change or clear your  Cache Settings

Your computer stores copies of frequently accessed pages in the memory cache or disk cache.  This way the computer doesn't have to retrieve the page from the network each time you view it. A crowded cache  can affect the performance of machines with limited memory.

• Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
• Under the advanced category, click Cache. (If  no subcategories are visible, double-click Advanced to expand the list.)
• Enter a number in the disk cache field  to specify the size of the disk cache.  8000K is sufficient on Windows.  To clear the disk cache immediately, click Clear Disk Cache.

Back to Customizing and Learning about Netscape

Proceed to Components