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Avina Lobo
You're cruising the Net all charged up as you navigate from link to link, browser to chat window when suddenly -- you hit a roadblock.
The page you're trying to view just won't load entirely until you've downloaded that Flash plug-in. And the video clip you're trying to check out won't play until you get a media player.
Web sites today are far removed from the old text only interface dotted with a few images. More and more sites are beginning to look dynamic and 'broadband ready' --integrating dazzling graphics, 2D and 3D animation, sound, streaming video and multimedia.
Internet Explorer or Netscape by itself isn't enough anymore. Your browser needs a few trappings in order to work smoothly without interruption and accommodate the 'bells and whistles' that most pages have. Rediff Guide to the Net presents some of these add-ons:
- The 'must haves': Macromedia's Flash and Shockwave Player
You browse a site known for its dynamic Flash animation but you can't see a thing. You need Flash and Shockwave players in order to view content developed in these two programmes. An empty square on a Web page accompanied by a prompt for you to download either player is an indication that you don't have it installed. Instead of hitting 'skip intro' or 'HTML version' or waiting for that prompt, download them now at the Macromedia site.
Without a Java plug-in installed, you wouldn't be able to view 'applets'-- little programmes written in Java, which enable animated graphics, games, interactive tools and even chat rooms. Java plug-ins are supported by most browsers but you'll still need to download one if you have later versions of Windows such as XP. Here's where you can get it.
Note: Before downloading, make sure you 'enable' Java in your browser. In IE, this is done by picking Tools > Preferences and going to the 'Advanced' tab. Scroll down and check the option that will enable your browser to run the plug-in. For Netscape, pick Edit > Preferences and go to 'Advanced'. Check the 'Enable Java' box.
To access sites that include some content in Adobe's PDF format, you need to download and install Adobe Acrobat Reader.
To stream audio and video from your browser, you can download a media player such as Real, Windows Media Player and Apple's Quicktime. As most video content is not available in all three formats, you should ideally get all three. However, you could also try either Windows Media Player or Real and Quicktime. These players also support audio.
Power Tools
Get these to improve your browser's performance:
We all hate them. But they're here to stay. While the 'good sites' won't annoy you with too many windows, you can still pad up your browser with pop-up killer. Either kill all windows or get an intelligent popup buster that can distinguish between the annoying and the useful. Programmes such as AdSubtract also get rid of ads from most pages.
When you're trading stocks, or want second-by-second cricket scores without having to hit that 'F5' key all the time, RefreshIE will 'auto refresh' your page. You can set it to manage various windows with different refresh intervals for each.
Tiptoeing around forbidden sites and need to cover up your tracks? Browser Washer lets you block and manage cookies; delete history; search history in IE and do a lot more. It also runs in stealth mode in the background -- your boss will never figure out what you're up to at work!
You're so engrossed that you open up a whole lot of windows and just when you've just found what you're looking for -- your computer freezes! IECount helps limit the number of browser windows you can open on your system, minimising the risk of your PC hanging.
It happens all the time - you find an interesting site and then accidentally close the window! MantaDB comes to the rescue of IE users, with tools that find a way around such annoyances. It indexes every word on the pages you view, and will display a list of pages that contain the words of your choice. It also packs in link checker, page 'de-framer' (for those who abhor frames), colour modifier and an auto refresh utility.
While IE users can find plenty of add-ons, for Netscape there are just a handful of plus-ins and browser boosters. Consider switching to IE or get Netcaptor 7, a cool browser option that contains many of the above utilities - popup buster, bookmark manager and language translator to name a few.
Additional Resources
-- Browser add-ons
-- Tucows
Disclaimer: The material on this Web page is for informational purposes only. It may not
reflect the most current legal developments, verdicts or settlements. The
ideas, information, and opinions expressed on this page should not be taken
as an indication of future results, legal advice or other advice on any
particular matter. Rediff.com and its contributing authors expressly
disclaim all liability to any person who acts or fails to act based wholly
or partially in reliance upon any part of the contents of this page.
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