There are other choices, but these are the two for which our online courses are optimized and the two we most recommend. For example, you'll want a browser which supports HTML forms, frames, tables, and so on. Browsers are readily available at no charge on the Net. Again, many choices. You can simply use the email functionality built into your web browser, or you can use a stand-alone email application such as Eudora .
Freeware versions are available on the Net.
We use RealAudio , and you can download the player at no charge. This is also true for video clips, although they're less common in our online classes. Beyond those basic skills, you should have some concept of how to structure and manage the storage of materials on your hard drive for easy retrieval. You should realize that many webservers are case-sensitive when reading URLs, so captial letters can prevent an otherwise accurate URL from functioning. You will certainly want to know how to bookmark pages and understand the rudiments of performing a web search through Alta Vista, Yahoo, or other popular search engines.