Internet Connection Feb. 1996

p>It seems certain that the World Wide Web will become, if it has not already, central to entertainment, business and social activities. Look how large the Web is now, with so many people not even online yet. Probably many of your friends have heard of the Internet or use it at work, but do not have it in their homes. Just imagine what will happen when the “Internet Box” becomes widely available. As you read this, technology is available to let people connect to the Internet without having to go out and buy a Mac (or, I suppose, one of those other non-Macs). In many locations, you will be able to hook up to the Internet with a box right on your television. The cable that carries your television channels into your home can also carry the Internet.

The companies that provide Internet service can’t even accurately tell how many new Web pages are added every day. Several months ago, I heard the estimate of about 20 to 50 million people having access to the Internet and that amount increases by an estimated 15 percent per month. This makes the Web the place to be if you have any information you would like others to see. The next step for My Mac was obvious, soon after I started writing for My Mac, I began putting together our Web site.

The first goal in establishing our web page is providing greater access to My Mac. Previously, My Mac was distributed in a format that only ran on the Mac OS. We are now available to anyone regardless of the operating system they use. Just because they have a inferior system doesn’t mean we should exclude them, does it? We can now reach those of both persuasions all over the world.

People can find web sites using search engines such as Yahoo and Webcrawler, or through links from any number of web pages. Search engines compile web sites in huge databases divided into categories and provide an attractive, easy to use, search feature that lets you find exactly what you are looking for. If you are reading this online, make a bookmark so that you can return to this page easily and then click on this Yahoo image below.
So the Web is world wide, cross platform, and for the most part, free. What better place to publish an Online Magazine?

As a Mac user, you not only have the opportunity to access the Internet, but to become a part of it. HTML, the language that is used to design Web pages, is extremely easy to learn. Many new books such as “Publishing on the World Wide Web” by Greg Holden provide an excellent reference for designing your own Web pages. There are also many on line tutorials such as this one at http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/demoweb/html-primer.html . With a little effort you can publish a personal or business Web page quickly and easily.

Send us the address of your Web pages and we will put a link right here on this page. Have you run across any problems or have any questions? Send them in and we will help solve them.

In future editions of My Mac Online, we hope to continue to provide useful information. By taking advantage of the technology the Internet provides, we can produce an Interactive, informative, widely distributed Macintosh digital magazine.

Next month, My Mac Online will have a dedicated page with links to Macintosh-related and other Web sites. Until then, here are some you may find Interesting.

Mac Resources
The Macintosh resources page at: http://www.nmia.com/%7Ejjm/home.html maintained be Jay J. Myers. Mr. Myers has put together a tremendous selection of Mac-related sites. There only seems to be one missing, can you tell which one it is?

Mac Mall
Maybe you would like to peruse the Mac Mall for a look at the new Powerbook 5300ce that you know you want bad. Well just head over to http://www.macmall.com/ for a look.

Cyberian Outpost
Or try the Cyberian Outpost at http://www.cybout.com/ for a look at a very cool coputer shop. Plenty of Macintosh products. As a matter of fact, the Outpost is run on Mac’s!

USA Today
I may have listed this one before, but I must list it again. This site is a great example of how the Web provides just as much if not more than the commercial, Expensive, Online services. For everything from the latest news to free up to the minute stock quotes look to http://www.usatoday.com/ . This is a great site!

Laser Mania
A good friend of mine recently put his business on the Web. His expertise is in laser light shows. Take a look at his page at http://www.ifu.net/~laserfx/ Whatever your needs are, whether it be laser light shows or cockroach extermination. There will be some information about the subject you are looking for on the Web.

Walls ’96 (again)
http://www.morsepr.com/MMdocs/Bill.html Check out this recently updated look at Bill Gates house in construction. Wow, what a house. Excellent pic’s and information!

Shareware.com
Would you like to visit a huge shareware library. Just go to C/Net’s http://www.shareware.com/ and browse or download as much as you like.

Contact me with any questions at evan@mymac.com or orchard@wn.net .

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