Chapter 2: Basic Computing

tax forms to the IRS electronically. Your state and local tax offices might also offer such services.

Keep in mind that your modem is a phone, but unlike other phones, it is very sensitive to noise. While you might be able to listen through static and line noise and make out what your caller is saying, modems, which communicate in high-speed tones, are more finicky. If you find that your modem has many disconnect problems, you might see if you can reduce the line noise in your phone lines (sometimes the noise is in the lines from your telephone service provider and there is little that you can do). Also, if someone picks up a phone connected to the line and then hangs it back up, this might be interpreted by your communications software to be a disconnect signal.

Internet and the World Wide Web

If your WinBook notebook came with a modem, or if you have a network connection, you can use your computer to connect to the Internet and World Wide Web. Windows is designed to help provide quick access to the Internet, so you will want to familiarize yourself with the Internet functions of Windows. To enter the Internet, you will need to log your computer into a network connected to other networks as part of the Internet.

If your area is wired for a high-speed Internet connection such as DSL or cable, you will be able to use that connection with your WinBook X Series notebook. Such connections use their own “modem” provided by the carri- er rather than your built-in or PCMCIA modem. You will be able to con- nect that modem to your computer through the LAN port (see Chapter 4), if you have one, or through a network PCMCIA card (see Chapter Five). Your carrier will be able to provide you with details.

If you have a modem or high-speed connection, you can arrange service with a provider. Some providers just provide access to the Internet. Major commercial providers have their own content and also have connections

Windows Me and Windows 2000 have many integrated features that

will enrich your Internet use. To learn about these features, you can check the Help and Support center of Windows Me or your WinBook notebook Help file in Windows 2000 and the manual and Help file that came with your version of Windows. For an overview, take a look at the “Windows Me and the Internet” or “Windows 2000 and the Internet” section of the Help and Support center of Windows Me or your WinBook notebook Help file in Windows 2000.

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Winbook X2 manual Internet and the World Wide Web