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Just what is the Internet ?

The Internet is a system that lets computers all over the world talk to each other. That's all you really need to know. If you have access to a computer, chances are you can use the "the Net."

The U.S. Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency originally sponsored internet development because it wanted military communications systems that could survive a nuclear war. Later, the Internet was funded as a research support system by the National Science Foundation. But that's all ancient history now, as support for the internet comes almost entirely from commercial sources.

Today, an Internet Society tries to make policy and doles out precious address numbers, and an Internet Engineering Task Force sets standards with considerable aplomb. But the real truth is that no one is in charge. It's anarchy at its best and worst.

So what is so great about the Internet ?

What makes the Internet great is that it brings together the best qualities of the communications systems that proceeded it while improving on their worst features:

* Postal Mail (known as snail mail on the Net): Takes at least a day - often a week - to get to its destination, and you need to have envelopes, buy stamps, go to a mail box, and so on. If you are away from home, your mail piles up unanswered. E-mail is quicker to compose, arrives faster, and doesn't require a stamp.

* The telephone: The other person has to be there to answer and be available to talk, and usually no record exists of was said. You can read e-mail when you feel like it, and it doesn't interrupt you during dinner.

* The fax Machine: It is a chore to incorporate a fax in another document or to pass it on to someone else. Faxes of faxes of faxes become illegible. E-mail stays readable no matter how many times its forwarded.

* The library: You have to go to the Library to find information, and half the time the book you want is checked out. By the time information gets into the Library, it is often a year or two out of date. The World Wide Web is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and you don't have to get into your car to get there.

* The newspaper: Most newspapers only come out once a day, and they decide what news you get to see and what spin to put on it. On the world Wide Web, news is updated continuously. (On the other hand, its hard to line a litter box with a web page.)

Other qualities that make the Internet so compelling to "surf" include the following:

* Its democratic nature

* Its capability to let people communicate, even if they are never at their computer at the same time.

* Its basis in text, getting people to communicate in writing once again

* Its relatively low cost to use

* Its lack of geographic boundaries

* Its capacity to bring together people with similar interests

* Its offer of insane gratification

The Internet is also also full of contradiction :

* It is amazingly fast, yet it often feels agonizingly slow.

* It is held together by chewing gum and a baling wire, yet it survives man-made and natural disasters when other communications systems fail. (Remember why it was invented?)

* Its scandalously vulnerable to hackers, yet host PGP (Pretty Good Privacy, an encryption system), the only really secure means of communications available to the general public.

* It is content is often sophomoric, yet powerful corporations and governments fear it and seek to rein it in.

* It is day-to-day operation depends on the cooperation of thousands of computers and their human administrators, yet it lacks any central control, operating almost entirely by consensus and social pressure.

No one really knows what the Net will be like in ten years, but one thing for sure: We won't think of it as a single thing. Different parts of the Net have already developed their own characteristics. No one knows all its intricacies, anymore than anyone can know all the regions of a large country or all the neighborhoods of a great city.
So what services does the Internet provide ?

The Internet Provides these basic services:

* Electronic mail or e-mail

* Access to the World Wide Web (or just web)

- the information system of the twenty-first century

* Newsgroups

* Mailing Lists

* File transfer from the computers

* The capability to log on to other computers

* Discussions with other people using Chat

Multimedia broadcast

* Finding a job

* Finding a mate

* Searching the card catalogs of the greatest libraries in the world to ordering a pizza.

Most importantly, the Internet is the place to learn more about the Internet and the World.

Does the Internet take up a lot of my Time ?

Not Really. Reading your e-mail and catching up on a favorite mailing list can take just 15 minutes per day. But beware: The Internet can be addictive! There just aren't enough hours in the day to keep up with all of it.

People who spend too much time on the surfing the Net are often told, "Get a life!" On the other hand, a recent survey shows that, on a weekly basis, the average America spends 2.6 hours a day watching television and videos. Watching the tube ranks third only to sleeping (7.2 hours) and working (3.1 hours) . Other surveys show that when people start using the Net, they spend less time watching TV and sleeping.

So all you couch potatoes out there: turn off that TV and log on!! It's happening on the Internet!

Getting hooked up to the Internet is a lot easier than it used to be. But the process still can be daunting to new users. We'll try to help you figure out the world of modems and communication software you may need to connect to the net

So what do I need to use the Internet ?

To use the Internet you need the following:

* A computer

* A modem

* A telephone line, cable TV Internet hook up, or a direct Internet connection

* A service provider- the company that connects you to the Internet

* Some software that lets you send and receive information

Some users, typically at universities and large corporations, are lucky enough to have a direct connection to the internet. These people do not need a modem or phone line, but they may need a network interface card. In almost every organization that provides direct connections, a person is available who can help you get started. Just call us at Pyramid 3 Network and we'll get you on.

So what kind of computer do I need for access ?

Most likely , if you are reading this you already own a computer. But, if you don't already have a computer, you may borrow one, but it would be so much more convenient to have your own. Just about any new computer you can buy today is ready for Internet use. Computer sales people will try to sell you the most expensive model they can. But here is what you really need to get onto the Internet :

Macintosh vs. Windows:

- This is a "religious" question. Apple fanatics tout the clean design and ease of use of the Mac software. Microsoft users point out that they are in the majority and claim that Windows 95 makes just as good if not better. Both work fine. This is a matter of opinion.

Desktop vs. Laptop:

- Laptops are really cool, but cost much more for the same performance. Get a desktop unless you plan to travel a lot with your computer.

This Year Models vs. Last Years Models:

- Computer manufacturers come out with new models almost every month now. You can save about $1,000 by shopping and buying an older model. These days, either model is fine for Internet use if it is less than a year old. If you can afford it, go for the newest model available with all the bells and whistles. But if you are tight, take the bargain.

Memory, Hard Disk, Monitor, Printer and Backup ?

Adequate memory (RAM) does more for your computer's performance than processor speed. These days, 8 MB of RAM is the minimum. Get at least 16 MB or even 32 MB if you can afford it. With the prices of memory today get the most that you can afford.

Most new desktop machines come with at least one gigabyte (GB) of hard disk space, more than enough for Internet use. If you plan to download a lot of images, get at least a one gigabyte (GB) hard drive or larger. A gigabyte is about 1,000 megabytes. But there a lot of good used computers out there with 500 to 800 megabytes (MB).

The basic color monitor that comes with most computers these days will do for Internet use. Step up one level if you feel rich. Anything beyond that level is overkill for the net.

Almost all modern printers can print graphics. Any printer will do. You can even live without a printer while your getting started, but they are handy.

Hard drives are a lot more reliable theses days, but they still crash sometimes. And they are just too big to back up to diskettes. A removable cartridge tape or disk drive is cheap insurance against data loss (Appox. $100 for a ZIP Drive). Make sure that you can back up your hard drive in (at most) three cartridges if you buy a tape drive. Otherwise, you won't bother to back up the hard drive very often, and you'll be sorry you didn't.

Even though the latest models offer speed and great color graphics, you can use almost any personal computer to get started on the Internet. All you need is a modem and a software package called a Terminal Emulator.

If you have a 9,600 bps or 14,000 bps Get rid of it. It will work but the time to load and transfer the high graphics of the net will take you forever and is some cases the 9600 will not work at all. Do yourself a big favor and a lot of heartaches, buy a new 28,800 bps or faster modem. The prices on the new 33.6 K and 56K speed modems are dropping all the time. This and memory are the two most important items that you should consider when buying a used computer.

If your computer is more than two years old it probably isn't worth upgrading. If you can afford to buy a new one, do so, otherwise, save your quarters and wait.

If you choose to upgrade, just get a bigger hard disk or add more memory (RAM) and upgrade to at least a 28K modem. Processors are rarely worth the trouble and cost to upgrade.

We could go on and on with this but this is just an introduction to the Internet and how to get on. Call us and we can suggest and guide on the purchase of a new or used computer. We have in home service on computer repair and minor upgrades.