September 1998 Volume 79  Number 9 "serving the protectors"
ITBits
By Mike Horsfall (mich@picknowl.com.au)

Using Your PC's On-Line Features

In addition to the wonderful games and office applications today?s PCs run, is the communications component. PCs provide access to The Internet; permit us to join newsgroups; and allow us to send and receive facsimiles and e-mail.

PCs can even be used as hands-free telephones or answering machines. Of all these possibilities, access to the Internet is perhaps the most used. But how do you access the World Wide Web; and how can you maximize your on-line time? Two products currently available might just provide the answers.

Professor Teaches Internet Explorer4

The two most common programmes used to access the World Wide Web are Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 (IE4) and Netscape Navigator.

Professor Teaches IE4 claims to be the fastest, most enjoyable way to learn Microsoft's Web Browser, so we put it to the test.

The Professor covers a range of topics, from introductions to the Internet, the World Wide Web and browser software, to searching newsgroups, FTP, Gopher and Archie.

The information is presented in a video format with hands-on exercises using actual screens from Internet Explorer 4. It is a recommended resource for both new and existing users of browser software and those with a desire to learn slightly more than the basics.

The Professor Teaches Internet Explorer 4 includes the IE4 programme and retails at about $29.95. System requirements are negligible.

Net Accelerator

So many of us seem to want faster on-line access, so IMSI has produced a product which it claims will let users go up to 12 times faster on the Internet.

Net Accelerator Deluxe is designed to maximize the efficiency of your modem - no matter what speed it is rated. Net Accelerator continues to load adjacent pages while you're viewing a site. It makes sense - why allow your modem to sit idly when it can be loading your next page or link.

IMSI makes some bold claims in its packaging and manual and, overall, the programme does seem to work. On basic test conditions, Net Accelerator loaded 53 pages while I viewed 16, and utilised the modem resources up to 90 per cent of the time.

Without the programme, modem usage was only 40 per cent. For those who love surfing the ?net?, this is good news. Net Accelerator is appropriate for medium to heavy users, but probably not the part-time surfer. Several other useful applications are included with Net Accelerator, which make the programme a much more economical purchase, including:

• WebSleuth Lite, which searches and indexes web site content by words, phrases and links.
• Jackhammer, to break through heavy traffic.
• WinPack 32 Deluxe, to compress and archive on-line files.
• Gravity Lite and NetJumper.

Perhaps the most important inclusion is McAfee?s WebScanX, which provides total protection against e-mail, Active-X and other viruses coming from on-line surfing. Net Accelerator is available now, and at an RRP of $84.95 includes IE4 and Netscape.

Ripped From The Net

Microsoft recently advised users of Office, Outlook 98, Internet Explorer version 4.0 or later, and Windows 98, of a security issue affecting e-mail packages. It is possible for a hacker to cause malicious code to be executed on a computer as a result of the problem.

A fix can be downloaded from http://www.microsoft.com/security/. Strongly recommended is that users download the patch immediately, although Microsoft has received no reports of users being affected.

The new Microsoft Windows Media Player - which didn't come with Windows 98 - is now available. It will upgrade the previous Windows Player, the NetShow player, and the Microsoft ActiveMovie player, giving you access to Windows Media Advanced Streaming Format (ASF) content, .wav files, .avi files, QuickTime, MIDI, RealAudio, RealVideo, and others. Get it at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/.