Personal Computer Fundamentals
Introduction to the Internet
In this lesson, you will learn:
It is impossible to discuss PC communications without mentioning the Internet. In fact, if it weren't for the Internet most people would not need the communication aspect of computers at all. Yet communication is the main thing computers are good at, other than computation of vast amounts of information in short time.
The Internet is also known as the World Wide Web, or WWW. There will be more discussion about the Internet when you set up your E-Mail account.
LAN (Local area network) and WAN (Wide area network) are other communication technologies. Local area networks, such as this school, use intranets that have all of the computers connected to several central locations within the organization, while Wide area networks, like the Internet, have computers connected outside of the organization. The Internet is governed by different organizations on the International level, whereas the LAN intranets are governed by the rules of the organization that created it.
There are several different types of programs on a computer that do different things. Some are Word Processors that are used to create letters, envelopes and labels, some are for spreadsheets, some are for databases and some are for viewing and modifying photos and images, etc.,etc.
Software that is used to view pages (or 'surf') on the internet are called Browsers, or Internet Browsers.
There are several kinds of Internet Browsers, and depending on the Operating System you have on your computer, you probably have one of the main browser brands that comes already loaded as part of the Operating System packaged software. There are several different Browsers to choose from, and some of the names may already be familiar to you: Netscape Navigator, Opera, Internet Explorer, Safari and Firefox are all good choices. There are LOTS more. In fact, they are relatively easy to create, and I have made a couple of them for use in various projects.
For viewing basic web pages it makes no difference which one you use. However, as the web pages are more complex the Browsers become more important. Some view pages differently, some work better with some features turned off, some show colors slightly differently etc.
Using a Browser, you can explore different computers all over the world and share information in a nice window that always stays the same no matter where you go on the Internet. This "standardization" of Browsers and how people actually see the data is what has made the Internet the valuable tool it is today. You can use any browser you choose, but most people will use exclusively one as a matter of convenience. There is a small learning curve with each one, as there are small menu and interoperability differences.
Internet (or On-Line) Service Providers, otherwise known as ISPs, are businesses that rent out fast and secure Internet cables, known as Backbones, and then divide up the 'bandwidth' among their clients and rent out the use of the connection to you. Some service providers, like AOL, do not allow clients directly onto the World Wide Web (WWW). They are a 'service' that sits between your computer and the WWW, and all of the information both to and from the web goes through their computers. Most other ISPs merely log you into their computer to verify that you have paid your bill to them, and then you are on the Web directly with no intervention or filtering or other 'services'.
Electronic Mail (E-Mail) has become an important feature of most ISPs. Individuals can be addressed uniquely all over the world by sending and receiving messages with a specific name. This is usually the name of their service, like Qwest, AT&T, Earthlink, or CompuServe etc. or group of users. Coupled together with a username that you choose, it makes a name that is unique, meaning only you have that name anywhere on the Internet. Most all of the ISPs have E-mail as a service, and there are other e-mail services that may or may not be ISPs, such as Yahoo!!, Hotmail, Juno etc. MSN e-mail, Hotmail and Microsoft Chat belong to Microsoft, for example. Microsoft Chat was discontinued forever in October of 2003.
So you want to get on the internet, or you have been on the internet but are unhappy with the service. How do you decide which ISP is best, or what is the process of getting set up.
There are several tools available to help you search for the ISP that is right for you. Whether it is money, location, billing practices or speed and services, it is good to know where you stand with each one. It is nice to be able to compare features side by side, and there are several internet sites that do exactly that: