Any kind of computer file, whether it be a text file or a binary file representing software, graphics images, or sounds, can be transferred. Of course, whether the file is usable on the receiving machine depends on the nature of the file and the availability of software to make use of the file. The user's PC then acts as a dumb terminal attached to the remote host. Such access usually requires that the user have an account on the remote host. For instance, a student or faculty member at one university might have an account on a computer located at another university.
Some services are available without charge.
For example, hundreds of libraries in all parts of the world allow free remote access to their computerized catalogs and to some specialized databases. As a corollary, it provided a means for information providers to publish information on the Internet in a discoverable manner. Prior to the development of Gopher at the University of Minnesota in the early 1990's, information on the Internet was located by asking friends and strangers where to look. Gopher was rendered obsolete by the greater capabilities of the World Wide Web. The client then retrieved that Gopher's menu of topics.