Internet Explorer 8: New and Improved

by Hannah Miller 16. October 2009 00:45

Internet Explorer is known for having the majority of the market share for Internet browsers, and it's role as a part of the Windows operating system. Microsoft says their new browser is better than ever and worth the upgrade! Here are a few ways IE8 has improved from IE7, and why you might be interested—even if you haven't liked IE in the past.

Accelerators are a new addition to Internet Explorer. These tools save you browsing time by turning common searches into a simple right-click function. For example, highlight an address, right click on it, and choose a mapping feature to veiw a small map of the location and a link to get to directions. This saves time you would have spent opening a new window, looking up a map website, and copy/pasting the address on a mapping website, performing the search, then clicking the directions option.

You can see search results on multiple engines like Google, Dictionary.com, and Wikipedia. Simply highlight any length of text on the web site, like “Empire State Building” for example, and right click. Accelerators will either show entries directly from the menu, or open the page of your choice in a new tab. You can jump to “Empire State Building” search results on Google, the dictionary or Wikipedia entry, or even look for books or related products on Amazon or Ebay instead of pulling up the sites individually and performing the search. There are dozens of accelerators, including shortcuts to Urban Dictionary, YouTube, and Facebook.

Another new IE8 feature is the Web Slice. It's a miniature window that is available for participating websites (indicated by the green web slice icon at the top of the page) that can be added to your favorites toolbar. For example, you bid on an Ebay item, then add a slice for that particular item, which appears in your favorites toolbar. When the slice has new information (and you can edit how often it checks), the slice title become bold so you know when someone bid on your item no matter what site you are on at the time. You can then click the slice to see a miniature page showing your item, increase the bid, or click a link to go to that page. There are also web slices for news, stocks, weather, sports, and email sites.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles! 

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How to Get the Fastest Dial-up Connection

by Hannah Miller 21. August 2009 20:19

Dial-up Internet depends on several factors to both establish and maintain a connection. There are 5 factors that contribute to your connection speed. Therefore, improvements made to these factors could greatly increase your connection quality and speed. Here's how each of these factors can effect your connection speed:

Your modem. Dial-up has changed greatly from the time it was first developed. The most recent and widely used model of dial-up modems is the 56k modem with a V.92 standard. The maximum download speed is up to 56K, but several factors affect your actual connection speed. The V.92 version features faster start-up time (establishing the connection), faster uploading speeds, and Internet call-waiting (the ability to put the Internet on hold if you get an incoming call while you're online). Most computers (even as far back as Windows 98) have a 56K modem by now, but not all computers have the V.92 standard. You may be able to greatly improve your connection speed by switching to V.92 if you don't already have it. You should definitely upgrade to a 56K modem if you are using anything older.

Your phone cord setup. Do you have multiple configurations of phone cords and splitters running through your house? You may be sacrificing the quality of your Internet connection. An ideal set up would be one short (less than 4 feet) phone cord going straight from the phone jack in the wall to your computer. A splitter or a cord longer than 5 feet increases your chances of having slower connections or disconnects. You may need to reevaluate your setup to check if any changes can be made. Many computer's modem port has another outgoing port directly beside it labeled “phone”. Instead of using a splitter, plug your phone cord going to your telephone into the “phone” port in the back of your computer, to give your modem the most direct connection.

Your interior phone lines. If the telephone cord wiring in your house is damaged or aged, they may need to be replaced. Also, if it runs too close to florescent lights or electrical appliances, you are much more likely to experience line noise that can slow your connection speed. Frequent humming or static on the phone line will inhibit the modems from hearing the analog signal they use to transport information. If possible, plug a telephone to the jack at the source outside your house. If the line is clear there, you know the static is coming from wiring issues inside your house.

The exterior phone line. If the line noise is still evident outside your home, your phone company may need to repair or replace the phone lines going to your house. Also, the greater the distance you are from the telephone company's central office, the more susceptible you are to slow or dropped connections. This is why rural homes have slower or no dial-up service in their area.

The access number. Your ISP provides the access number that your modem dials to reach their modem and establish a connection. Occasionally, a slow connection, busy signal, or dropped connection is due to a network outage on the access number you are using. You should ask your ISP for several access numbers for your area so you have a few to choose from if one of them stops working well. Also, check with your phone company if the access numbers are local. This not only helps establish a better connection, it also keeping you from stacking up long distance charges!

While there are some things that simply cannot be helped, there are improvements that can be made. Keep in mind that your connection speed is only one factor in how quickly you can access websites and download files. Check for tips online, call your ISP, or see your local computer technician for ways to improve your computer's speed and browse faster online.

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Written by Hannah Miller, Online Marketing Representative and Customer Service, Copper.net.

Copper.net is a nationwide Internet services provider that is all-American owned and operated. Call today, 1-800-336-3318 or sign up online at www.copper.net! Check out my blog for more articles! 

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dial-up | downloading

About the author

Hannah Miller is an Online Marketing Representative for Copper.net - America's best provider for Dial-Up Internet Service since 1997.

Hannah has been a Customer Service and Tech Support agent for Copper.net since 2007, which has supplemented her knowledge of dial-up, computers, and the Internet. The entries that are posted in this blog are professional articles relating to our industry. Email your questions, suggestions, and other comments to hmiller@copper.net.

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