Getting started on the Internet Part 1

We have had a very high demand for information to advertise in Florida's Virtual Marketplace from a variety of education levels. This is the first in a series to provide answers to frequently asked questions. Volume 1 of Creative Times provides basic information in layman's terms for the beginner who has some background knowledge, may be browsing from home via a free disk they received, and is ready to advertise their company on the WWW (World Wide Web).

Choosing an access provider: These companies will provide you with dial up access to the internet via modem from your PC or Macintosh. America Online, Prodigy, and Compuserve offer indirect access. National vendors such as Internet MCI, NETCOM, Portal and PSInet offer direct access.

We recommend using direct access (to save time and money) at a minimum. Preferred features: unlimited e-mail, flat monthly fee (current avg. $20-25/mth), and supporting up to at least 28.8k modems. I would check to see if they have at least a full T1 connection; this is an indication of capability to handle volume of calls (financial investment in hardware), and potentially, readiness to expand operation as needed. Long term contracts with up front payments are not recommended. If you ask, the vendor will probably give you a free 30 day trial period.

Computer considerations: newer models are necessary to "surf" efficiently; a PC should be at least a 486 version and 8 mb RAM are needed on either PC or Macintosh platforms to effectively view graphics.

What type of modem should I buy? As fast as you can afford. A minimum of 14.4k baud is needed ($60-150) with preferably a 28.8k V34 ($230). Many come with a five year warranty.

What browser program should I use? Netscape is rapidly becoming the defacto standard; special features include ease of use, search engines, and fast graphics. It can be downloaded for about $35 on-line. Other browsers may cause problems with viewing graphics and tables; with AOL 2.6 you must "purge cache" in "preferences" before you revisit a site or it will pull the cached information from your hard drive. This will cause you to continue seeing " old information" instead of a newly updated site.

The most up to date information about the Internet is on-line. A good primer and reference book is "The Internet for Dummies" ($19.95 most bookstores).

For e-mail you will need a program like Eudora (includes spellcheck) which can also be downloaded on-line (about $35).

Let's add it up:
monthly access	$25
modem	$230
Netscape	$35
Eudora	$35
book	$20
Total	$345 plus additional monthly access fees

All of the above recommendations reflect personal opinions, gathered from various resources and are not necessarily those of Power Images. The only items/companies endorsed by Power Images are Netscape and Eudora.

This edition of Creative Times is sponsored by ATLAS PEN & PENCIL CORP. 1-800-327-3232