Using Internet Explorer to Browse the Internet

Citation

Pang, R. (1998), "Using Internet Explorer to Browse the Internet", Asian Libraries, Vol. 7 No. 10, pp. 308-310. https://doi.org/10.1108/al.1998.7.10.308.10

Written by a store manager of a computer software retailer, this is a practical step‐by‐step guide to using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer version 3.0 for Windows 95. Primarily designed to teach novice users how to become proficient at traversing the Internet, it is also suitable for experienced users seeking advanced operational tips.

Commencing with a nine‐page table of contents plus a five‐page introduction, 12 main chapters lead from general to specific topics: introduction to the Internet; the makeup of a Web page; exploring Explorer; wandering the Web; searching the Internet; managing your documents; customising Explorer; multimedia on the Web; communicating using e‐mail; using Usenet; the future of cyberspace, and creating your own Web page. Appendix A describes how to download Internet Explorer from the Internet, then install and configure it on a Windows 95 platform. Appendix B explains Windows 95 features for those unfamiliar with them. Appendix C briefly examines the basics of Internet Explorer version 2.0 for Windows 3.1. Finally, there is a seven‐page index.

Now that version 4.0 is current, it is tempting to view this work as out of date, or as a poor relation to the Official Microsoft Internet Explorer Book (it boasts a CD containing versions of Internet Explorer for multiple platforms). However, the value of Sullivan’s resource is its suitability for instilling the basics in the minds of the uninitiated. Clear language, abundance of real searching examples and half‐page size screen boxes on almost every page, distinguish what could otherwise have been a mediocre learning resource. Regular tips, notes, warnings, key learning points at the beginning and end of each chapter, and even the requirement that readers actively download the software, rather than be passive recipients of it, render this work particularly suitable for those teaching others how to use and navigate the Internet.

It is unfortunate that there is neither a comparison of Internet Explorer with Netscape Navigator (the main alternative Web browser), nor any mention of the Apple Macintosh version (especially now that Internet Explorer is to be the standard Macintosh Web browser). However, more disappointing is the absence of both a glossary of key terms and bibliographic references ‐ omissions which mean that readers seeking something as basic as the meaning of VERONICA or a reference to a detailed resource regarding Web page creation, such as Creating Killer Web Sites, must first consult other resources. Nevertheless, this work is a comprehensive fast‐track tutorial in Internet searching using Internet Explorer. It provides an excellent framework for teacher librarians facing the prospect of developing an introductory Internet course.