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Ten shortcuts for
faster web-browsing
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- 1 View multiple pages at once - you can load one page while
reading another by pressing Ctrl and N and opening another window.
- 2 If you can, make do with the bare necessities on a website.
You can turn off time-consuming pictures, sounds or movie clips by
clicking on Tools, Internet Options and the Advanced tab, and
deselecting the relevant multimedia elements.
- 3 Instead of typing the full address into your browser, you
can visit some company sites (such as Yahoo! and Dell) simply by
typing their name in the address panel. If it does not take you to the
site, you will be presented with a search menu that should offer the
right link.
- 4 Alternatively, in Internet Explorer you can type a
company's name into the address panel and press CTRL and ENTER to
insert the www and .com either side of the name, and you will
automatically be whisked off to the site.
- 5 Get up early - the web can slow down in the afternoon in
Ireland and Britain as America wakes up and places increased demand on
the world's servers.
- 6 You don't have to wait for a page to load to click on a
link - if you see what you want onscreen, just click and go.
- 7 If a site offers you the choice of non-Flash, non-Shockwave
or non-Plug-in versions, use them. You may lose some flashy
animations, but the page will load faster.
- 8 Make sure you have the latest version of your browser, as
it will include all the recent protocols and plug-ins required to zip
around the web. You can check at www.microsoft.com/ie
or www.netscape.com/download.
If you prefer not to download, you can find the latest browsers on
computer-magazine cover discs.
- 9 The world's third most popular browser, Opera, is renowned
for its speed. Version 5 is available for free download from www.opera.com,
although a built-in advertising bar may make it slower than before.
- 10 Keep as many pages as possible as temporary internet
files. Set limits for these files in Internet Explorer by clicking on
Tools and Internet Options. This stops them consuming too much space.
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Some handy general
tips |
DO APPROACH your latest purchase methodically, whether it's a phone,
DVD player or PC. Read the Quick Start Guide before you unravel the more
complex features.
- DO WORK OUT what you most want from the machine. Then practise
essential tasks until they become second nature.
- DO USE SHORT CUTS built in to almost all computer software.
- DON'T IGNORE features designed to make life easier. The most useful
feature on a mobile phone is the phonebook: fill it with every last
number you know. Put popular numbers on speed-dial buttons so that
holding down 1, for example, takes you straight to home.
- DO USE VIDEO-PLUS CODES to make television recording a doddle.
(Details at www.gemstar.co.uk/en/videoplus/home.html.)
Most VCRs place an invisible marker at the start of each recording: to
find that programme quickly, press Index then Search.
- DON'T MEDDLE with something unless you know what you are doing.
Computers are laden with functions (most of which you will never use)
that can unhinge your previously stable system.
- DO CONSIDER paying for training: evening courses cost peanuts
compared with the cost of fixing your mistakes.
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