Download Tips
It must be stressed that the
procedures outlined below are intended only as simple guidelines
for the relatively uninitiated and may not necessarily apply
exactly to your particular operating system and browser. Also,
they assume that your mouse is configured for right-handed use.
They work pretty well with most versions of Windows combined with Internet
Explorer 6, Netscape 6 or Opera 6. But in any event the general approach should be
similar. As with many other aspects of computer use, you need to be
prepared to read the screen and experiment - nothing is likely to explode, so there is
little real personal danger - except perhaps to your sanity. When
downloading files from the Internet be aware that you may be infringing someone's
copyright. Just because it's on the Internet doesn't necessarily mean
its freely available for anyone to use.
There are three kinds of download that you are likely to
want to perform. File downloads
(such as the MS Word Viewer above), image downloads and web page downloads.
For file downloads, if no other
instructions are given, just right click on the file name or whatever seems
appropriate and then "Save as" or "Download" to initiate the download process. Depending upon your
operating system and browser you may then have an opportunity to specify where on your own
disk you want to store the file (in any event, make a note of both its
name and where you put it, otherwise you'll spend the next three weeks
looking for the damn thing). Sometimes you may be able to choose between
downloading the file in question or simply opening (using) it without
downloading it. You will have to decide which you want to do - usually
you would want to download it so that you have your own permanent copy
for use at any time - not just when you are connected to the Internet.
For image downloads, the process
is a little different. Depending upon your browser, you should be able
to just point at the image you want (in fact, at almost any image on any
web site), then RIGHT click and select "Save Image" or "Save
Picture As". Again, decide where you want to save the image (not forgetting
to note both the file name and its location), click on "Save"
or "OK" (or whatever
your browser gives you), and that's it. If you want, you can usually
change the name as well, but be careful not to change any file name
extensions (the file or image is then likely to become unusable). Why
nor have a trial run with the Rotary Wheel at the top of this page (it
originally came from Tord
Elfwendahl's Rotary Graphics).
For web page downloads, click on
the "File" menu item - usually to be found at the left of your
browser menu bar. Then select "Save As" or something similar.
Again, you will then be able to specify where you want to save the web page on
your own disk. This process is especially useful for storing web pages for
future reference without having to be connected to the Internet each
time you wish to refer to them. Depending upon the nature of the web page,
and your browser, you may not always get exactly what you think you're
going to get (especially if there are images on the page), so some
testing and experimentation may be necessary - this is just one of the
many little delights of using the Internet! Why not have a go
with this page?
NB: As with any other files
and documents, don't forget to delete your downloaded files once you are
finished with them (unless you have unlimited disk space). Of course, some
files you will want to keep permanently, so these should be given
suitable permanent (and locatable!) homes on your computer system.
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