Exploring Your Computer’s Features

135

Exploring audio features
Internet news groups

A news group is similar to a chat room, but instead of using a dedicated site to converse about a specialized subject with others in real-time, it uses a Web site as a clearinghouse where all the messages are placed, like a gigantic bulletin board.

Online shoppingMany Web sites offer products and services for sale.
Uploading to, and downloading files from, the Internet

Transferring files from one computer to another is termed uploading (transferring data from your computer to a site on the Web), or downloading (transferring data from a site on the Web to your computer).

There are several ways to upload or download data. It can be as simple as attaching a file or document to an email, or you can use the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) features of your Web browser to transfer large amounts of data.

Exploring audio features

You can use your computer to record sounds using an external microphone. You can play sound files or audio CDs using the built-in speakers, headphones, or external speakers.

Recording sounds

You may record sounds as files by connecting an external microphone or other sound source to the microphone jack.

Using a microphone

1 Connect an external microphone to the computer.

2Click Start, All Programs, Accessories, Entertainment, and then Sound Recorder.