Just Browsing? Guides to Get You Through It

When the idea of doing a Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer book column first came up, I was almost, dare I say, excited about the prospect of rediscovering my browser. The Web would somehow change before my very eyes. The books would uncover some cool but obscure features hidden in my browser. Right?

Wrong.

In fairness, though, I use my browser every day. Sometimes even twice. And if you don’t make your living by hanging out in cyberspace or aren’t a hard-core Web geek, a couple of these books are worth taking a look at. You’ll learn how and why to use a document’s source, how to find and use plug-ins, how to get Netscape Gold rolling, how to maximize your online searches and learn what terms like “finger” and “telnet” mean. You might even get over the online transaction creeps.

And for those who’ve never been on the Web, almost any of the books will do an adequate job of getting you up and running. The difference lies in how much information you want beyond just pointing and clicking.

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60 MINUTE GUIDE TO INTERNET EXPLORER 3 by J.W. Olsen and David D. Busch and 60 MINUTE GUIDE TO NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR 3 by Craig and Coletta Witherspoon (IDG Books Worldwide, $24.99; both have CD-ROM for Windows).

First of all, 60 minutes is a little misleading. You can’t read each of the books in an hour, but each has a chapter or two that is designed to get you going in 60 minutes. Although you could probably figure it out on your own in 20.

Besides that, the “60 Minute Guides” start out a little shaky but get better as they go. For example, Chapter 1 of the Navigator book tells you how to download Navigator--using Navigator. Seems that if you know how to go to the Netscape site and download Navigator, you don’t really need the book. Factor in that the book’s CD-ROM has Navigator on it. See? A little shaky. The Explorer book, by the by, doesn’t do this.

There’s also the chatty factor. Although both books are easy to understand and the organization really does get better, they do tend to go on. Even if the writers were as funny and interesting as they think they are, there would still be too much text.

One advantage of the blathering is that you get definitions on things like “client and server applications,” “image maps,” “portable document format” and “progressive JPEGs.” Both also address connectivity issues like finding an Internet service provider.

The Navigator guide has a chapter on security and transactions, though there’s no mention of those things in the Explorer book. The Navigator book includes some good instruction on using Navigator Gold (a Web page editor). The Explorer book has to fill the extra space some way so it has a mini-Web guide as well as musings on the future of the Internet and who’ll win the browser war.

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VISUAL QUICKSTART GUIDE: NETSCAPE FOR MACINTOSH and VISUAL QUICKSTART GUIDE: NETSCAPE FOR WINDOWS, both by Elizabeth Castro; VISUAL QUICKSTART GUIDE: INTERNET EXPLORER FOR WINDOWS 95/NT by Steven Schwartz (Peachpit Press; $16.95 each).

The “Quickstart” series is sort of the anti-”60 Minute” series. Loads of screen shots, not much text.

But just like the “60 Minute” books, the “Quickstart” books are lacking in organization and aren’t as comprehensive as others. They just want to get you up and running; you’re left to figure out a lot of stuff on your own. Pop-up menus? Forget about it. However, the “Quickstart” books do mention the special menus in passing. And all three books tell you how to get a document source. But they forget to tell you what a document source is and why you might want it.

The instructions in all three “Quickstart” books are easy to understand and follow. There are no blocks of text you have to wade through--all the lessons are numbered step by step. Because of this, it’s always a snap finding just what you need and how to do it. So for that, they’re actually pretty good reference books.

The chapter on Navigator Gold is a good start for beginning Web page designers and there’s even a chapter on HTML tags in case you outgrow Gold.

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USING NETSCAPE 3 by Peter Kent (Que, $24.99) and SPECIAL EDITION USING NETSCAPE 3 by Mark R. Brown (Que, $49.99; CD-ROM for Windows).

OK, let’s just cut to the chase. Everything those other books have, “Using Netscape 3” has--and more. For example: HTML and source codes, Java, security, the hand pointer, passwords, search engines, Adobe Acrobat (portable document format), VRML, e-mail, newsgroups, shareware and freeware, gopher, finger and telnet.

It’s straightforward and it’s not in a rush. It’s thicker and more expensive--but you get what you pay for. As for the “Special Edition,” it’s even thicker and more expensive than just plain old “Using Netscape 3.” Though, it’s probably more than you need.

On a personal note, each of these books tell you how to customize your browser--changing colors and fonts. Listen, Web designers work long and hard trying to make things pretty for you. So just keep your preferences to yourself.

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Krissy Harris can be reached via e-mail at haringbat@mobsters.com