Q: Why do Web pages take a long time to load?
A: The speed at which Web pages are loaded is determined by
- the speed of your modem.
- the Internet link provided by your Internet service provider.
- the amount of Internet "traffic" at the time.
- the complexity of the page you are loading.
Pages that include large graphics, sound animation or movies take longer to load. Be patient! A minimum speed of 56K is recommended if you have dial-up Internet service.
Q: How do I make the viewing area on the screen larger?
A: Make sure you have adjusted your browser's window to take up the full screen. Note: Do not resize the viewing area while a page is loading. It may cause a crash. This often happens when a sound file or animation file is trying to load. Wait until the page has loaded completely before attempting any on-screen interactions.
To maximize the amount of information you can see on one screen and reduce the need for scrolling, you can take one or more of the following steps:
- Maximize the screen by using your mouse to drag the edge or corner of the active window toward the side, top or bottom of your screen until the screen is filled.
- The viewing area can also be increased by turning off or hiding the browser's menu bars, which take up extra space. You will still have access to these functions from the drop-down menus and can reselect them at any time. Here's how to hide menu bars:
- In Internet Explorer, choose View -> Toolbars and deselect Status Bar.
- In Netscape, choose Options -> Show Items and deselect items such as Show Toolbar.
- Under the Windows operating system, you can set your screen size to 1024 x 768 pixels by going to Start -> Control Panel -> Display -> Settings tab. Slide the pointer under Screen Resolution until you reach 1024 x 768.
Q: How do I adjust the sound volume?
A: To adjust the volume on a Windows computer, go to Start -> Control Panel -> Sounds -> Volume tab. Under Device Volume, slide the sound volume bar to the desired level. Some computers have volume controls built into the keyboard and can be adjusted accordingly.
Q: What if my computer doesn't have a sound card?
A: You will not be able to hear the audio, so you will miss some of the "flavor" of the slide shows. All audio is available on the screen in text form, however.