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| How To ... Browse Offline |
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Step By Step February 2000 • Vol.6 Issue 2 |
How To ... Browse Offline | ||
 We all know the Web is a great convenience. Unfortunately, if you have an old-fashioned telephone modem, you may find yourself separated from key Web-based information whenever you need to use the phone. With offline browsing, however, you can view those important Web pages when you're not connected to the Internet. Offline browsing simply means the browser offers some method to download Web pages to your hard drive so you can view them any time. All three major browsers we cover in this issue offer ways to browse offline, but some make it easier than others.  Netscape Communicator 4.7. Communicator's Web browser, Netscape Navigator, allows you to specify whether you're online or offline at any point, regardless of your present connection state. ( NOTE: Once you go to Offline status, all of Communicator's components, including the mail and newsgroup readers, are sent into Offline mode, as well.) To go offline, click the plug icon in the lower-left corner of the browser window. When you click the icon, you'll see a message in the Status bar across the bottom of the window that reads: "You are offline. Choose Go Online to connect." You'll also notice the plugs are unconnected, which signifies you aren't connected to the Internet. To go back online, click the plug icon again, and the offline status message disappears.
Internet Explorer 5.0. Internet Explorer 5.0 (IE5) doesn't have a special offline mode; it tries to make a connection whenever you tell it to. If no connection is up, IE5 lets you know with an error message. However, IE5 does have a feature called Offline Viewing. This option allows you to schedule periodic downloads of your favorite Web sites so you can view them offline. The easiest way to do this is to first make the site one of your Favorites. Go to the site and click the Favorites button at the top of the screen. In the Favorites pane on the left side of the screen, click Add. Next, give your new Favorite a name in the Add Favorite window that opens (the official name of the page appears by default). Click the box next to Make Available Offline to place a check mark in it and then click OK. At this point, IE5 attempts to download the page for the first time. You can cancel this by clicking Stop. Now, whenever you select Synchronize from the Tools menu, IE5 will download the Web page so you can view it offline. To change the synchronization settings for a particular page, right-click its listing in the Favorites pane and select Properties. The Web Document tab controls whether IE5 downloads the page for offline use while the Schedule tab allows you to specify when IE5 downloads the page. America Online 5.0. Much like Communicator, America Online doesn't allow users to automatically download Web pages for offline viewing. However, even when you're not signed on, you can use AOL to view Web pages and other documents. To save a Web page, open the page by typing its Web address in the Address or Keyword bar and click Go. After AOL loads the page, open the File menu and select Save As. Use the Save Web Page window to choose a folder in which to save your page, then click Save. To view the page offline, sign off by selecting Sign Off from the Sign Off menu. Then open the File menu and select Open. Use the folder selection drop-down menu at the top of the window to go to the folder in which you saved the Web page. Double-click the Web page's listing, and AOL automatically opens the Web page for you. Remember, the pages you view offline are only as up-to-date as they were the last time you downloaded them. With Communicator and AOL, that means you'll have to manually download and save them as often as you need to. If you're using IE5, set your synchronization schedule accordingly.  by Shawn Mummert |
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