To decode the cross-platform HTML language offered by Web sites and deliver text and media to your screen, you need a browser. This provides the translation between the code and your particular computer's operating system.  Using a browser, you read the basic text and open the embedded files, which can be graphics, sound, video, or even virtual environments. The most-used is by Microsoft (Internet Explorer), but a new entry developed from the freeware Mozilla, Firefox, is more flexible and far more secure. 

America Online is a different case.  AOL began by offering dial-up access to their own proprietary space, containing their own largely exclusive content.  Navigation was simple, setup a breeze, but they could not keep pace with the stuff that was developing and offered on the World Wide Web. Around 1996, they realized that more material was offered on the Web than they could ever embrace, and so they hastily incorporated a browser into their program.  Thus, they effectively became an internet service provider.  Unfortunately, their browser design trailed badly behind others and, although it is now much improved and incorporates the core of Internet Explorer, it remains relatively slow.  AOL's 1999 purchase of Netscape brought deep online programming expertise into the company, but it hasn't really shown effect.

All browser programs lack coherent documentation.  It's not easy to sit down and figure out what you might do and get a clear overview. The contrast of the scant details under the Info button is a sorry contrast with the crisp eloquence of an Apple computer manual, which is unfortunate since the internet experience is not always smooth and you frequently need reassurance and explanation. Such irritating compromises are understandable, if not exactly acceptable, when you realize that all this browser ('client') software is available for free. The companies producing it have an agenda to get you to their place and in their camp, and a consistently convenient user experience is not their top priority.

There are two principle features in browsers which, once you have them under control, significantly enhance your (er) surfing experience. The first is bookmarking, which stores the Web address of the page you are currently viewing. Later, you can return to the most obscure of places with just a single action. You can arrange bookmarks in folders, just as you organize documents on your desktop, putting all music sites together, for example.

Another important function to master is that which decides which application opens which type of media file. For example, if you download a piece of music in mp3 format, you can decide to open it and play it back immediately using WinAmp, QuickTime or Microsoft's Media Player. It's worth spending the time to peruse the Applications menu of your browser, since some of the defaults that come with installation can give quite wacky results.

The dominant browsers now are Internet Explorer (use only on the PC, since Mac development has been discontinued since 2001). For Mac, use Firefox (the recent arrival) or Safari (comes installed on the Mac).

Download free Internet Explorer
Download free FireFox (from Mozilla)

Firefox will sometimes fail to display characters different from the characters you see now, such as Cyrillic and Japanese. The Firefox site offers free downloads in many character sets.

The Big Help Desk
in suggested reading order (links are provided between pages)
all photos by Jonnie Miles

Other useful pages:
How to play music
Music playback options at the Stereo Society
Audio quality
Mono compatibility
MP3 Software Player Review (2001)
Surround Sound: An Introduction

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