We already have computers right? Most people think that a Commodore computer cannot enjoy the benefits of the web, but they are wrong. Gaelyne Gasson talks about it in her new book and we'll show you here a little bit of info on what you need to know to get started.

Ok, the first thing you need is a 64 or 128. No problem, you've got the equipment. The next thing you will want is a modem and this really should be one of the newer modems, at least 14.4 or faster. Throw those old 300 and 1200 baud modems away. This is 1997. We can still use the 64, but some of the plug in stuff needs to be updated. Now, to hook that modem up, the best thing to use is either a SwiftLink or Turbo232 cartridge. The SwiftLink is no longer manufactured, but the Turbo232 can be obtained from CMD. They can ever fix you up with a modem that is of excellent quality. They now sell a 33.6 Zoom modem that is compatible with geoFAX if you plan on doing any faxing with your computer.

Next you need some text-based terminal software that supports VT-100 commands. For the 64, use Novaterm. For the 128, use either Desterm or Dialogue128. Novaterm and Desterm are in the club's library. The commercial version of Novaterm can be obtained through CMD as well as Dialogue128. The only thing left is an Internet Service Provider (ISP). The ISP is like a BBS, sort of. This service will provide you with the link to the Internet. Tim Lewis has found an ISP in Lansing that serves him well and allows the use of text-based software. On the ISP end, their computers are normally running software that is known as LYNX. This is software that accepts commands from your end and performs whatever action you intend. LYNX also is a web browser that can retrieve information from the WWW and send it back to your terminal for you to view on your screen. Properly written web pages will work great with LYNX. Poorly written ones may not work so well. Poorly written ones should be ignored anyway if they don't accommodate anything but pure graphics based web browsers. This is the fault of the web page author, or perhaps it is ignorance.

With that in mind, Tim Lewis will be working on a series of articles on how he uses the Internet. He uses it everyday and the cost is very reasonable. Tim is on a tight budget and proves that it doesn't take big bucks to get on the web. You can even have your own website and can manage it using your own computer.