HP 1700T manual Understanding the World Wide Web, Choosing an Internet Service Provider

6-2Surfing the Internet

Understanding the World Wide Web

The World Wide Web, also known as the Web, is a popular format that has been set up on the Internet specifically for publishing and accessing information.

This information is formatted into attractive pages in the form of text, graphics, animation, audio, and video called Web sites. Web sites also contain hyperlinks to other Web sites so you can easily follow a path of associated ideas. Hyperlinks provide a means for moving from page to page, computer to computer, and idea to idea on the Web.

To begin surfing the Internet, you must have the following:

•A physical connection to the Internet, such as a modem through a telephone line – a modem is the hardware that your computer uses to send and receive information on the Internet through standard telephone lines.

•An active Internet Service Provider (ISP) account – an Internet service provider serves as your entry point to the Internet and to the Web.

•A Web browser installed on your computer – a Web browser is a software program that allows you to view Web sites.

Choosing an Internet Service Provider

Compaq makes it easy to connect to the Internet by offering Compaq Easy Internet Access, but if you choose to install a third party ISP account, refer to their documentation for setup instructions. Any ISP of your choice can be installed at anytime; however, it is recommended that you first complete the initial system registration process.