An Internet Web browser is a program that provides you with a window to view Internet documents downloaded from computers called servers that are run by many different people all over the world. These Internet documents, or "Web pages," can contain text, pictures, and even fun things such as animation and sound. Chances are ... you're using a browser to view this page right now.

Your Internet Web browser provides many useful features to greatly facilitate your navigation, or "surfing," of the World Wide Web:

• Near the top of your browser window there is a horizontal field labeled "Location," "Address," or "Netsite." This is where you enter the URL or the Web address of the Web site that you want to visit.



• Web addresses usually begin with http://www. Most popular Web browsers will automatically place the http:// at the beginning of a URL or Web address. For example, if you were to enter www.LL.net, your web browser would automatically display http://www.LL.net.



• Web pages are usually in a format called hypertext. Hypertext contains "Links" or "Hotspots" that you may click on to access other documents. Links can be colored underlined text, images, or buttons. You can determine when you are pointing to a link by watching your cursor. Your cursor will turn into a pointing hand whenever you have moved it over a link.



• The buttons labeled Back and Forward at the top of your browser window are used to return to previously viewed pages.



• Buttons labeled Refresh or Reload are located near the top of the browser window. These buttons are useful when you need to reload or re-download a page.



• At times, you may be waiting for a page to download and want to cancel the download. In this situation, you are free to click on the button labeled Stop located near the top of your browser window.



• Your web browser has a very useful feature that enables you to save any Web addresses that you enjoy and want to return to at a later date. This feature is called "Favorites" in Internet Explorer and "Bookmarks" in Netscape. It is located somewhere at the top of the browser window.

Microsoft Internet Explorer Browser Basics

Using Netscape Navigator