2.1 Fill in the blanks in each of the following statements:
- The two most popular web browsers are Internet Explorer and Firefox.
- A browser is used to view files on the Internet and the web.
- The location of a file on the Internet is called its URL.
- The element in a web page that, when clicked, causes a new web page to load is called a(n) hyperlink, when your mouse passes over this element, the mouse pointer changes into a(n) hand in IE7 and FF2.
- IE7 and FF2 keep a list of visited URLs called the history.
- You can save an image from a web page by right clicking the image and selecting Save Picture As... in IE7 or Save Image As... in FF2.
- The feature of IE7 and FF2 that provides options for completing URLs is called AutoComplete.
- The feature that enables the user to save URLs of frequently visited sites is called Favorites in IE7 or Bookmarks in FF2.
2.2 State whether each of the following is true or false. If the statement is false, explain why.
- Fiber optics cables have a better signal than traditional metal cables, but an inferior bandwidth. False. Fiber optic cables have a greater bandwidth than metal ones.
- It is not possible to view web pages when not connected to the Internet. False. Web pages saved to the hard drive can be viewed using off-line browsing.
- Search engines can be used to help resolve programming errors. True.
- The cache is an area on the hard drive that is used for saving web pages for rapid future access. True.
- FTP is a popular Internet mechanism by which files are uploaded and downloaded. True.
- You can access any FTP site by loggin in with the user name anonymous. False. Many FTP sites are restricted and do not admit the general public.
2.3 Spell out the following acronyms, and include a brief description of each:
- HTTP - HyperText Transfer Protocol, rules for transferring web documents over the Internet
- FTP - File Transfer Protocol, rules for transferring files over the Internet
- URL - Uniform Resource Locator, address (location) of the resource to access
- DSL - Digital Subscriber Line, high speed Internet connection using phone lines
- PDF - Portable Document Format, document format requiring a plug-in to be rendered in the browser
- ISP - Internet Service Provider, company that connects computers to the Internet
2.4 Use your browser's FTP capability to access ftp.cdrom.com and ftp.deitel.com. Observe what happens in both cases, and, if the site can be accessed, list the directory output.
I could not resolve the host for either of these ftp sites. I attempted to connect to them from home, work, and a public wifi hotspot.
2.5 Go to www.ieaddons.com and browse the various extensions and plug-ins that can be installed into Internet Explorer. Choose one to install, and observe what capabilities are added as you browse the Internet.
I chose to install Ars Technica News. Ars Technica News added a button to the Favorites bar, when pressed it displayed links to recent posts at arstechnica.com
2.6 Go to addons.mozilla.org and browse the various extensions and plug-ins that can be installed into Firefox. Choose one to install, and observe what capabilities are added as you browse the Internet.
I chose to install AniWeather. AniWeather placed current weather conditions and forecasts into the Firefox toolbar. Hovering over the toolbar icons displayed current alerts and satellite maps.
2.7 Download and install the Opera (www.opera.com) and Safari (www.apple.com/safari) web browsers. Go to your favorite websites and try to observe any differences in speed, appearance and functionality.
Safari has a nice feature of highlighting the active form field as you type in it. The address and toolbar of Opera has a small footprint giving more viewing area to the web page. I didn't notice any difference in page load speed or page rendering. Safari had two options when I selected text and right-clicked: Search with Google and Copy. Opera had many more right-click options with the same text selected including a "Search With" chooser, Speak, Translate, Dictionary, and Encyclopedia.
