A public institution such as a library or community center. Some public housing complexes also have free computer centers with online access for their residents. Your children's school or a community college or university, if you're taking a class. Your employer , who may encourage you to learn new online skills by using company computer equipment for a limited amount of time each day. Your local shopping mall , which may have a room with computers for use by those visiting the mall.
Some communities sponsor freenets to give all their members free access to a wealth of information.
You may also want a printer, which will allow you to get paper copies of what you see on a screen. Communications software works with the modem to give the computer instructions for connecting to the online world. To move around on the Web, you'll need Web browser software such as Netscape Navigator or Communicator or NCSA Mosaic. If your family is ready to explore the Internet independently, an ISP can be a wise choice. Online services such as America Online and Prodigy offer members partial or full Internet access along with a number of additional resources, such as travel planning, financial management services, children's areas, and chat rooms in which several individuals participate in a group discussion about a selected topic at the same time.