Surf the Web: Web Browsers: Page 3

Return to the home page
FIND IT FAST
Learn the Net
The Web

HOW TO
Use the Site
Master the Basics
Surf the Web
Harness E-mail
Find Information
Download Files
Socialize
Conference
Music, Video & Photos
Web Publishing
Do E-Business
Find the Right Job
Protect Yourself
ONLINE SHOPPING
How It Works
Top Ten Tips
Discount Coupons
RESOURCES
Animated Internet
Glossary
Free Weekly Newsletter
COMPANY INFO
About Us
Partner Programs
Write Us
Privacy Policy
The Address Bar

Next to the toolbar, you will see a long box. This is where you type the address or URL of a website you want to visit. After you enter it, press the Return or Enter key to access the site or click on the "Go" or Arrow button to the right of the address box.

By clicking the small triangle to the right of the Location box, you will get a drop-down list of the most recent websites you've visited. To revisit a site, just click on the address.

The Menu Bar

Located along the top of the browser window, the menu bar offers a selection of things you can do with a web page, such as saving it to your hard drive or increasing the size of the text on a page. Many of the choices are the same as the buttons on the toolbar below, so don't try to learn everything now. Click once on a word to access the drop-down menu, then click on the selection you want to make.

The Access Indicator

Netscape Access IndicatorInternet Explorer Access IndicatorFirefox Access Indicator

All three browsers have small graphics that indicate what the browser is doing. When this image is animated, it means that your browser software, known as a client, is accessing data from a remote computer, called a server. The server can be located across town or on another continent. Your browser downloads these remote files to your computer, then displays them on your screen. The speed of this process depends on a number of factors such as the speed of your connection, the size of the files you are downloading, how busy the server is and the traffic on the Internet.

The Status Bar

Internet Explorer Status bar

Firefox Status bar

At the bottom of your web browser you'll find the status bar. You can watch the progress of web page transactions, such as the address of the site you are contacting, whether the host computer has been contacted and the size and number of the files to be downloaded.

The Scroll Bar

The vertical bar to the right of the browser lets you scroll down and up a web page. You can do this by placing your arrow pointer on the up or down arrows and holding down your left mouse key. You can also place the pointer on the slider control, hold down the left mouse key and drag the slider. Your mouse may also have a scrolling wheel as an alternative way of navigating a long page.

If a web page is too wide to fit your screen, a horizontal scroll bar will appear just above the status bar. This scroll bar works the same way.

Some Browser Tricks

As with most software, there is more than one way to accomplish a task. Here are a few other useful features to help you navigate:

Internet Explorer History window As you hop from page to page and website to website, your browser remembers where you've been. With Navigator, select History from the drop-down list under the Go menu. With Firefox, select the History option from the menu bar. With Internet Explorer 6.0, click the History button on the toolbar. (With Internet Explorer 7.0, first click the Favorites Center star, then click the History button.) There you'll find a list of all the web pages you have visited during a specified period of time. To revisit a page, just click on the address.

Internet Explorer pop-up menu Another way to move between pages is by first clicking your right mouse button. A pop-up menu will appear and you can choose to move forward or back by clicking on your choice with your left mouse button.

One final word of advice: Your web browser is your gateway to the Internet. Take the time to learn about its features. In the long run, it will save you hours of frustration and open up a cache of treasures.

Back

Last update: Jan 4, 2008

Related Articles:

Explore More: Search the Web

Return to the home page
Learn the Net (www.learnthenet.com) is Copyright 1996-2008.
Michael Lerner Productions. All Rights Reserved.