Windows® 7 for Dummies®

Chapter 8. Cruising the Web

In This Chapter

• Finding out about Internet service providers

• Setting up Internet Explorer the first time

• Navigating the Web

• Finding information on the Internet

• Understanding plug-ins

• Saving information from the Internet

• Troubleshooting Internet Explorer problems

Even when being installed, Windows 7 starts reaching for the Internet, hungry for any hint of a connection. After connecting with the Internet, Windows 7 kindly nudges your computer's clock to the correct time. Some motives are less pure: Windows 7 also checks in with Microsoft to make sure that you're not installing a pirated copy.

This chapter explains how to connect with the Internet, visit Web sites, and find all the good stuff online. For ways to keep out the bad stuff, be sure to visit Chapter 10 to get a quick primer on safe computing. The Internet is full of bad neighborhoods, and that chapter explains how to avoid viruses, spy-ware, hijackers, and other Internet parasites.

Once your computer is wearing its appropriate helmet and kneepads, however, hop onto the Internet and enjoy the ride.

What Is the Internet?

Today, most people take the Internet for granted, much like they do a telephone line. Instead of marveling at the Internet's internal gearing, they've grown accustomed to this new land called cyberspace and its healthy stock of attractions:

• Library: The Internet is stuffed with educational material: classic books, hourly news updates, foreign language dictionaries, specialized encyclopedias, ...