Office 2010 Web Apps For Dummies®

Chapter 3. Making Your Browser Work Better with the Office Web Apps

In This Chapter

• Installing and updating Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari

• Allowing and blocking first- and third-party cookies

• Enabling JavaScript

• Getting more room on-screen for the Office Web Apps

• Bookmarking your folders and files

The fundamental difference between the Office Web Apps and the Office software is that you run an Office Web App through a browser window. For that reason, when you run Excel, PowerPoint, Word, or OneNote Web App, you are at the mercy of your browser. Unless your browser is configured properly, you can't use the Office Web Apps. And unless you make room in your browser window for the Office Web Apps, you can catch claustrophobia. You can get crowded out by your browser and not have very much room to work.

This chapter explains how to configure your browser for the Office Web Apps. It also shows you a few tricks to make working in your browser with an Office Web App a little easier. (For a quick rundown of Office Web App browser issues, see Chapter 20.)

Installing the Right Browser

A browser, also called a Web browser, is a computer program that connects to and displays Web pages on the Internet. Microsoft is kind of coy about which browser to use with the Office Web Apps. Microsoft says you can use any browser but recommends these three:

• Firefox version 3.0 or later

• Internet Explorer version 7.0 or later

• Safari version 4.0 or later

• Chrome 5.0 or later

I take this recommendation to mean you should ...