Netscape is a "web browser", designed as a tool for navigating the world wide web. It may also serve as a "local viewer" for browsing htm (HyperText Markup Language) pages on a hard drive or CD-ROM.

If you are not connected to the world wide web, some of the menu commands (such as those under the HELP menu above) will be inactive. Learning to use this program, however, is very easy, and will be outlined here. If you have difficulties, do not hesitate to contact your lecturer for assistance.

The menus you will use most often are:

• FILE: In addition to following the "hotlinks" throughout the pages provided, you may wish to go directly to particular files, using the Open File option. You may also wish to Print a page. At present, you will have little use for the other commands in this menu.

• VIEW: Using this menu, you may Reload a page (which redraws or "refreshes" the screen), Load images if you have selected not to automatically load graphic images as a time-saving device, and to view the Source document, which is the text document written in htm upon which the current page is based.

• GO: As the name implies, use this page to control your own path through a series of documents - to go back, forward (if possible), and to view the history or list of pages you have visited in the current session.

• BOOKMARKS: These can be very useful if you are using particular pages often. Simple choose to Add BookMark and the page name will be added to the list, allowing you to access it immediately at any time.

• OPTIONS: Try different viewing options until you find the most suitable. If you do not have a large screen, for example, you may choose not to show the ToolBar, Location or Directory Buttons, giving more screen space for the pages. If your computer is not very fast, you may choose NOT to AutoLoad Images and save time when opening each page. If this option isdisabled and you wish to view an image, use the VIEW menu, discussed above.

  You may wish to use the General Preferences option to adjust such features as FONT and FONT SIZE for ease of viewing.

  Initially, I would suggest turning OFF Location and Directory Buttons, but leaving the other options ON.

  Directory, Mail and Help options are unavailable unless you are actually connected to the World Wide Web.