Internet Directory for Dummies (2nd Edition)/InternetDirectoryForDummies2ndEdition.iso/mac/Read Me First

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ABOUT THE CD

The CD that comes with this book contains a wide variety of software
helpers for getting on the Internet and making your visits to cyberspace
more pleasant. The CD amounts to a virtual tool kit of programs that
enhances your web browser. The included programs enable you to use files
downloaded from the Net, view multimedia files more easily, and add
features to your browser. In addition, the CD provides hyperlinks for
every site reviewed in this book (see the upcoming "Using the Directory
Links" section for details), which should save you hours of manually
typing URLs. Read on to find out everything you need to know about the
CD.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Before you install the CD, make sure that your system meets the
following system requirements. If your computer doesn't meet the minimum
requirements, you may have trouble using the programs on the CD.

  *  A 486 or faster PC running Windows 3.1 or Windows 95, or any
Macintosh with a 68030 processor or better running System 7.5 or higher.
  *  At least 8MB total RAM installed in your computer (16MB
recommended).
  *  A CD-ROM drive--double-speed (2x) or faster.
  *  A sound card with speakers.
  *  A monitor capable of displaying at least 256 colors or grayscale.
  *  An Internet connection--a 14.4 Kbps or faster modem (some programs
may need a faster modem to do things such as playing audio and video
directly from the Internet) or network access.

WHAT DO I DO FIRST WITH THE CD?

To install the items from the CD to your hard drive, follow these steps:

  1.  Insert the CD into your computer's CD-ROM drive and close the
       drive door.

       Eventually, an icon representing the CD that you just inserted
       appears on your Mac desktop. Chances are, the icon looks like a CD.

  2.  Double-click the CD icon to show the CD's contents.

  3.  Double-click the License Agreement icon.
       This is the user's license that you agree to when you use the CD.

  4.  Double-click the Read Me First icon.
      This text file contains information about the programs on the CD and
      any last-minute instructions you need to know about installing those
      programs--things that aren't covered in this appendix.

  5.  Install the software you are interested in trying out.

      Some programs have an Install icon that you click to get the
      installation going. Other programs have you drag and drop a copy of the
      program from the CD to your hard drive. If you see icons with the words
      "Setup," "Installer," or ".sea," you probably need to double-click the
      icon and run an installer program, not copy the file.

USING THE DIRECTORY LINKS

For your convenience, I've placed all the URLs that are listed in this
 book on a couple of Directory Links pages that you can open in your web
browser. Any site reviewed in this book is just a mouse click away. To
use these links pages, follow these steps:

  1.  With the CD in your drive, launch your web browser.

  2.  If you have Microsoft Internet Explorer, chose File-->Open.
       If you have Netscape Navigator, choose File-->Open File.

       An Open dialog box appears

  3.  Select the HOME.HTM file.

      Use the Open dialog to display the contents of the CD. Select
      the HOME.HTM file and then press Return.

  4.  When the home page opens, you can begin browsing the links pages.

       Select a Part by clicking on the Part title on the left side of the page.
       You can then move through the selected Part using internal jumps
       that will take you from section to section. Clicking on the Part title
       again will always take you back to the top of the Part page.

       Clicking a link opens a second browser window. The second window enables
       you to browse the Web site without ever losing track of the Links pages
       from the CD. You can always just bring the Directory Links pages back to
       the top of your desktop and select another link. Selecting additional
       links changes the Web site in the second browser window, so you don't
       have to worry about having more than two browser windows open at one
       time.

WHAT ELSE IS ON THE CD?

After you get the CD up and running (see "What Do I Do First with the
CD?" section of this appendix), the following programs present
themselves for your examination and installation. As the following
sections indicate, the CD is divided into four sections.

INTERNET TOOLS

The Internet Tools portion of the CD features a large selection of
software programs that get you onto the Net and get you busy doing
things more productively.

  *  Anarchie 2.0 (Mac): This shareware Macintosh File Transfer Protocol
(FTP) program copies files between your Mac and a computer on the
Internet. It's useful for such technical activities as uploading your
own Web pages.

  *  BBEdit Lite 4.0.1 and BBEdit 4.5 Demo (Mac): BBEdit Lite, from Bare
Bones Software, Inc., is a Macintosh freeware text editor with powerful
features that make creating HTML scripts for your Web pages easy.

    The commercial version of this program, BBEdit 4.5, has stronger
HTML editing features. I've included a demo version of BBEdit 4.5 on the
CD. This demo is fully featured but cannot save files. You can learn
more, or register your version of BBEdit 4.5 at www.barebones.com.

  *  Dreamweaver (Windows 95 and Mac): Dreamweaver from Macromedia is a
visual HTML editor that still enables you to have plenty of control over
your HTML code. That means that if you don't want to learn HTML, you can
still make Web pages, but if you're a bit of a control freak or want to
do real Webmaster stuff like work with Dynamic HTML, this tool will
still do the job for you.

  *  Eudora Light (Windows 3.1/95 and Mac): One of the leading e-mail
programs, Eudora Light is absolutely free, and you can use it as long as
you want without registering. You should realize that both popular web
browsers--Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer--have
e-mail programs attached to them. However, many netizens swear by
Eudora, the big sibling of Eudora Light. (Eudora is a commercial program
that you have to pay for; it's not free like the Light version.) So
trying Eudora Light is a good way to determine if Eudora is an
alternative you'd like to use.

  *  Internet Explorer 4.01(Windows 3.1/95 and Mac): This application is
a powerful web browser. It's also free, which makes it a true bargain.

  *  MindSpring Internet Access (Windows 3.1/95 and Mac): MindSpring is
a complete Internet service provider (ISP) package that you can use to
get on the Internet for the first time, or as an alternative to whatever
service you're currently using. This software installs Internet
Explorer. If you prefer Navigator, don't worry, you're not burning your
bridges behind you. (Though you may be burning your britches--that'll
teach you to sit on the stove while reading this book.) You can install
the Netscape software right from this CD, and it will work just grand
with MindSpring.

    After you're signed on, one of the first places you may want to
check out is the MindSpring Web site at www.mindspring.com/.

    You need a credit card to sign up for MindSpring Internet Access.

        The Registration Key for installing the Mac version of MindSpring is
DUMY8579. Be sure to use all capital letters and type the key in just as
it is shown here.

    Important note: If you already have an Internet service provider,
please note that MindSpring Internet Access software makes changes to
your computer's current Internet configuration and may replace your
current settings. These changes may stop you from being able to access
the Internet through your current provider.

  *  Netscape Communicator (Windows 3.1/95 and Mac): Communicator is
actually a free suite of programs that includes e-mail, online
conferencing, and an HTML editor, as well as the popular web browser,
Netscape Navigator.

  *  WebWhacker (Windows 3.1/95 and Mac): WebWhacker enables you to save
Web pages (the text, graphics, and HTML links) directly to your hard
disk so that you can quickly open and view the pages with your web
browser while offline. The program copy included on this CD is a demo
copy that expires after you've used it for a little while. Follow the
instructions in the program for purchasing a permanent copy.

MULTIMEDIA TOOLS

The programs in this portion of the CD give you enhanced multimedia
functionality, either online or offline. Here are the goodies:

  *  Adobe Acrobat Reader (Windows 3.1/95 and Mac): Web pages can look
great, but some publishers are unhappy at having to change the original
page layout of publications to conform to HTML design requirements.
(HTML is the language that all Web pages are written in.) To get around
HTML, some publishers use the Adobe Acrobat format instead, which
preserves all the fancy layout characteristics of the original
publication--formatting that would be lost in the translation to HTML.
The Adobe Acrobat Reader enables you to view Acrobat documents in all
their original glory.

  *  GraphicConverter 3.3.1 (Mac): By shareware author Thorsten Lemke,
GraphicConverter is an ultra-cool program that you can use to view and
save images in virtually any graphics format that you're likely to
encounter on the Internet.

  *  Shockwave (Windows 3.1/95 and Mac): Shockwave enables you to view
streaming multimedia over the Web--you can watch movies, listen to CD
quality audio, and even play games. Shockwave is one of the most popular
formats for multimedia on the Web. After you've installed Shockwave,
check out the Shockwave Web site, at shockrave.macromedia.com, to see
what all the fuss is about.

  *  VDOLive Player (Windows 3.1/95 and Mac): VDOLive Player is a web
browser plug-in that streams video files so that you can watch them
right away when logged into a Web site--you don't have to wait until
they're completely downloaded before they start playing.

  *  VivoActive Player (Windows 3.1/95 and Mac): Another video streaming
plug-in (see the preceding description of VDOLive Player), VivoActive
also saves download time by playing video files as soon as you click
them. The two plug-ins (VDOLive and VivoActive) aren't interchangeable
or compatible. Some Web pages use one; some use the other. It's a good
idea to install both.

UTILITIES

The programs in the Utilities portion of the CD aren't Internet-related
but are very useful for general computer tasks. Here's what the CD gives
you:

  *  DropStuff with Expander Enhancer (Mac): This shareware product from
Aladdin Systems enables you to compress files into StuffIt files by
dragging and dropping the files on the DropStuff icon. Stuffing files
into StuffIt archives squeezes the files into a smaller space on your
hard disk, saving space. DropStuff also adds more abilities to the
freeware program StuffIt Expander (included on this CD). With DropStuff
installed, StuffIt Expander can decompress ZIP archives from PCs and
also decompress files more quickly on Power Macintosh and compatible
computers.

  *  StuffIt Expander (Mac): StuffIt Expander 4.0.1 from Aladdin
Systems, Inc., is an invaluable file decompression freeware utility for
Macintosh users. Many files on the Internet are compressed--that is,
compressed in size via special programming tricks--to save storage space
and cut down on the amount of time required to transmit files. After you
download a compressed file, you should use StuffIt Expander to
decompress the file and make it useable again.

  *  StuffIt Lite (Mac): This is Aladdin's freeware compression program.
It doesn't do all the cool stuff DropStuff does, but it does allow you to make
StuffIt archives, and like I said, it's free.

FUN STUFF

Fun Stuff is . . . what's the word . . . oh, fun! A couple of programs
are included that you may get a kick out of:

  *  Escape Velocity (Mac): Pilot a space ship in this combination of
classic trading game, arcade shoot-out, and strategy simulation. Escape
Velocity is an exciting, open-ended shareware game that's different
every time you play it.

  *  Eclipse (Mac): Want a screen saver on your Mac that doesn't eat up
memory or crash your system? Eclipse from Ambrosia Software is a small
shareware program with a powerful set of features to keep your Mac's
screen safe and your machine running smoothly.

  *  Snood (Mac): Snood is an addictive, nonviolent puzzle game. Free
the Snoods trapped on the ceiling by launching other Snoods at them. If
you connect three or more Snoods, they escape, dropping any other Snoods
that were connected only to the disappearing Snoods. This game has no
time limits and endless variations. Register this shareware version to
be able to design your own puzzles and register your high scores on the
Web. (If you have a PC, but think this game sounds pretty interesting,
check out David Dobson's site on the Web-he is working on a version for
PC users that wasn't ready in time to include on this CD.)

HOW SHAREWARE WORKS

Installing shareware, such as WinZip or Escape Velocity or
GraphicConverter, on your computer carries a few responsibilities you
should be aware of.

Shareware programs are not free. Shareware is commercial software that
you try out at no charge and then pay for if you decide to keep it. You
can use a shareware program for a certain time period without paying for
it in order to decide whether you like it enough to use it in the
future. This time period is called an evaluation period, and you don't
have to pay for this evaluation period. The shareware distribution
system is run on a code of honesty to everyone's advantage. Software
authors can distribute their products inexpensively online, and
customers can browse shareware products by the thousands right from home
and try them at no cost.

After you've evaluated the software and the way it works, decide whether
you want to keep it. If you decide you don't need it or don't like it,
you should delete it from your computer. If you decide you do like it,
you must register your copy of the software. You can find instructions
for registering shareware software, including the registration fee, in
the shareware software files. Payment for shareware programs is based on
the honor system. Incidentally, besides making you an honorable person,
registering the software entitles you to upgrades, information, and
other goodies from the software company.

IF YOU'VE GOT PROBLEMS (OF THE CD KIND)

I tried my best to compile programs that work on most computers with the
minimum system requirements. Unfortunately, your computer may differ,
and some programs may not work properly for some reason.

The two likeliest problems are that you don't have enough memory (RAM)
for the programs you want to use, or you have other programs running
that are affecting installation or running of a program. If you get
error messages such as "Not Enough Memory" or "Setup Cannot Continue,"
try one or more of these methods and then try using the software again:

  *  Turn off any antivirus software that you have on your computer.
Installers sometimes do some of the things that viruses do (but without
hurting your computer), and your computer may get hysterical, assuming
that it's under attack by a virus.

  *  Close all running programs, including the Windows CD interface.
The more programs you run, the less memory is available to other
programs. Installers also typically update files and programs. So if you
keep other programs running, installation may not work properly.

  *  Have your local computer store add more RAM to your computer. Of
course, adding memory costs money. However, if you have a Windows 95 PC
or a Mac OS computer with a PowerPC or G3 chip, adding more memory can
really help the speed of your computer and enable you to run more
programs at the same time.

If you still have trouble with installing the items from the CD, please
call the IDG Books Worldwide Customer Service phone number: 800-762-2974
(outside the United States: 317-596-5430).