Browsing

There are many Web browsers available today. Some are freeware (or shareware) written by well-meaning programmers. However, your Web browser may not give you the best view of the Web. How you view the Web is important and we Bees want you to have the best Web experience possible. We offer the following for this reason. (You will also find test files in the Help area.)

Monitor Displays Raw Power Connection Speeds How Good is Your Browser? Text & Fonts

Backgrounds Window Widths Suggestions Final Tips

Monitor Displays

Your monitor's display has a lot to do with how well the Web appears to you. For example: Images may show blotchy color bleeds. Color-display settings for video cards should bee set for the best possible display. Make sure your display is set to at least thousands of colors (16-bit) or higher (24-bit, or millions of colors, is recommended). Higher color settings permit more colors to display and smoother color bleeds. Use this Color Spectrum to fine tune your display.

Many computers have factory-set screen resolutions -- usually 640x480 pixels or 800x600 pixels. Higher screen resolution settings allow more detail to display, improving the sharpness of graphics and making text easier to read.

Surfing the Web with a cheap video card and low-resolution monitor is like seeing the world with improper eyeglasses. Don't spoil your view. Invest in a great window to the world.

Raw Power

Then there is the primary "raw power" factor; namely, your computer's central processing unit (CPU). Is your computer a Pentium III or a 286... a Mac G4 or a MacSE? The Web is loved for its rich multimedia environment, but it also demands far more from a computer then text-based documents do. We hope you have a computer with sufficient power to enjoy all the Web has to offer. If not, perhaps it's time to shop around.

Connection Speeds

Modem connection speeds are another primary "raw power" factor. Are Web pages taking too long to download? The real question here is: "Is it your connection speed or theirs?" Our server connects directly to the Internet's backbone with redundant DS-3 line for blistering speed. If our pages download slow to you, it is likely due to your connection speed. Think about getting a faster modem (or Internet service provider).

How Good is Your Browser?

Does your Web browser support HyperText Markup Language (HTML) Specification 1, 2, 3, or 4 ? It makes a world of difference. Some widely used Web browsers actually interpret HTML code horribly and keep you from enjoying the hard work of the world's best Web authors. Does your Web browser support tables (and color-filled backgrounds), frames, colored text, animated images, style sheets, Java, JavaScripting, Shockwave, RealAudio, QuickTime movies, and other "cool" Web extensions? For best results, we suggest you use the latest version of either Netscape's or Microsoft's Web browsers (both are free).

Text & Fonts

Even text can bee displayed differently by Web browsers. Fonts, point sizes, and typestyles can cause shifting and unsightly wraps and gaps. Some browsers don't support the international ASCII standard for entities, character calls, carriage returns (hard or soft), and other "little things" that can cause a well-authored page to appear ugly. Then again, some special characters are yet to bee supported by official HTML specifications. (This is where unusual words like "&*fs&" come from.) Also, a good Web browser allows you to select a font preference. If yours does, select a typeface that suits your preference. The Beeline was designed to look best with 12-point Times for Macintosh computers and New Times Roman for IBM PC-compatibles. It is not wise to adjust the text size setting for your browser. Enlarging the text display causes undesirable wrap-arounds and disfigures the best of Web pages.

Backgrounds

If your Web browser does not support background images, then it will use the background color coded into the Web page. Browsers also use different shades of grey for default backgrounds. It is for this reason, our pages have a white background in addition to its Slurry background.

Window Widths

Finally, monitor sizes and browser window widths vary (dare we say) widely. The Beeline's pages are designed for a minimum window width of 7.5 inches (19.05 centimeters). Most browser windows are resizeable and can bee adjusted to your personal preference (or monitor's display size). To configure a minimum window width, adjust your browser's window until the two vertical bars ( | ) are on the same line with the image.

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Reminder: The Beeline has several menu styles to choose from. Find one that suits you and Bookmark it or add it to your Favorites list.

Suggestions

1. Set your monitor's display to its highest color setting (thousands of colors or higher) and resolution setting.

2. Keep your Web browser set to its default settings so Web pages will display as they were intended by their authors. (It's a shame to "cripple" their hard work.)

3. Use a modem speed of 56 kilobytes per second (Kbps) or higher.

4. Use a serious Web browser such as Netscape's or Microsoft's. (Try both and see which suits you the best.)

5. Use the most appropriate Beeline menu style for your setup and personal preference. (A certain Bee went to a lot of effort to accommodate you and your system.)

6. Read the Help area! The Beeline will make more sense and bee-come a more useful tool if you will just invest just 8 minutes (thereabouts).

Final Tips

Most Web browsers have a "bookmark," "favorite," or "hot list" feature that lets you save a Web page's URL. This is a great feature (until the list grows too long). Another method is to keep a "little black book" listing your favorite Web titles and their URLs for future reference. This may bee "low tech," but it works! You should also bee able to set your Web browser to start up at a useful "portal site." (May we suggest The Beeline?)