PC Tips...
A cache is a place where things are stored. When you are on the internet, Netscape downloads every graphics or sound file you encounter into a cache. If this cache gets full, then each new file that is introduced to the cache is swapped for an older one already in the cache (the old one is deleted). This additional swapping makes the browser slow down significantly.
You should learn how to clear your disk cache and memory cache to optimize your internet surfing. Also, the default memory cache in Netscape is small, but it can easily be increased so it doesn't fill up so fast.
1. To increase your memory cache and to clear your caches in Netscape 3.0, click on "Options" in your menu, then choose "Network Preferences...", and then choose the "Cache" tab. Now change the number next to "Memory Cache" to 6000 (more than you'll usually need). Next, click on the clear memory buttons and click on OK to both. Close back out and surf on!
2. To increase your memory cache and to clear your caches in Netscape 4.0x, click on "Edit" in your menu, on "Preferences..", on "Advanced", and then on Cache. Now change the number next to "Memory Cache" to 6000. Next, click on the clear memory buttons and click on OK to both. Close back out and surf on!
BTW, a lady at work randomly examines the Netscape cache at our work-station to see where folks are surfing. Go find your Netscape cache directory in Windows Explorer and click on some of the files in it.
For optimally viewing large sets of images, or reviewing equally large sets of sound files, it is good practice to go ahead and clear your cache memory. After surfing to my Slides page, clear the browser caches and then click on the slide show links.
Other means of optimizing your viewing pages on the internet include how you have the Windows taskbar set up, how you have the Netscape browser taskbars set up, and if you understand and impliment color depth and desktop size changes. All of these are factors in how you see the pages webmasters build and load onto the internet.
1. Hiding the Windows taskbar: In Windows Click on "Start" in the corner of your screen. Place your pointer over "Settings" and then click on "Taskbar". The interface that pops up has four boxes and choices regarding the Taskbar. Make sure the box in front of "Always on top" is empty, and that the box in front of "Auto hide" has a checkmark in front of it.
Now click on OK and test your setting by pointing at the area where the taskbar used to be. See? Now it pops up when you need it, and is invisable the rest of the time.
2. You are looking at your desktop. You can vary the size and color of your desktop to many different settings. Click on the "My Computer" icon on your desktop. In the window that pops up click on the "Control Panel" folder. Click on the monitor icon and then on the tab that says settings. In the lower portion of the window that pops up you will see a slide bar and the words desktop. You will also see a rainbow colored bar that has several color depth choices available underneath it. To implement new desktop and color depth changes you have to click on the bottom button that says "Apply". Play around with these settings and get used to using them.
My site is best viewed at 800x600 pixels (desktop size), and 24bit or 32bit (I use 32bit) color. My site looks real bad at 8bit color settings, and big and bad at 8bit color and 640x480 desktop settings.
3. In Netscape get rid of the pictures on your taskbars at minimum (these are just "training wheels" for your surf board), and get rid of the taskbars altogether for maximum viewing area (except when you are in need of using them a lot). Most of the choises available on the taskbars are available from the top menu, a menu that appears if you right click on the desktop, or through your bookmark list.
3a. In Netscape 3.0 we have a default vertical viewing space of 7.2 inches (at 800x600 pixels on a 17" monitor). If you click on "Options" in the menu bar, and then eliminate the checkmarks next to any line that starts with "Show...", you get rid of the taskbars. The result is a vertical viewing space of 8.6 inches. That's a 19% increase!
3b. In Netscape 4.0x we have a default vertical viewing space of 7.2 inches (at 800x600 pixels on a 17" monitor). If you click on the left end of your taskbars (all three), you wind up with 8.5 inches of vertical viewing space. That's an 18% increase!
If you don't want to minimise the taskbars, at least make them practical. Click on "Edit" in the menu bar, then on "Preferences", then on Appearance. At the bottom of your choices there is a little circle next to "Text Only". Click that circle and then on OK at the bottom of the window. With this setting and all three taskbars open one has 7.6 inches of vertical viewing space.