›               o=o=o=o=o=››        More on Internet Access››            By Alan Sharkis›       Editor, OHAUG Newsletter›› Elsewhere  in  this  newsletter,  TOM› ANDREWS   wrote   beautifully   about› Usenet  and  how to access newsgroups› with your 8-bit.  However, there  are› some of us who want to surf the Web. › This can be done with your  8-bit  if› you  are  willing to take a text-only› approach.  There has been  a  lot  of› discussion      about     that     in› comp.sys.atari.8bit in recent  days. › Many  claim  that  it's a big hassle,› with some people advocating buying an› inexpensive    PC    (is    that   an› oxymoron?), some talking about Web TV› (more  on  that below) to do the job,› and some saying that the best way  is› to use an 8-bit with, yes again, that› text-only approach.   When  I  was  a› member  of   GEnie,   I   used   that› approach.   It  has  its advantages. › You can stay "pure Atari"  with  it. › You don't need a super-fast modem for› text,   although   I'd  like  to  see› somebody come up  with  an  interface› that  runs  faster  than 19.2 Kbps so› that we can at least download some of› the  graphics files that exist on the› Web without staying up all night.›› Unlike Usenet  and  e-mail,  however,› you  do  need a terminal program with› VT-100 emulation; so running Term 80,› FlickerTerm,  or  Ice-T  is  a must. › I've heard that  BobTerm  with  VT-52› emulation  would  probably  work, but› the  80-column  display  wouldn't  be› there.  You would also have to access› a Lynx server.  ›› I  did  some  research,   and   found› relatively  few  documents explaining› the     process.     One    newsgroup› participant wrote to me that he did a› lot  of  trial  and  error.  That was› PAUL CLARK (not one of  our  members,› but I wish he was!)  who said that he› did the job  with  an  MIO  (transfer› rates  to   19.2   Kbps   using   LEN› SPENCER'S  Hyper-Handler),  an  SX212› modem  (1200  baud limit), and Kermit› 65 (only 4800 baud  with  the  Hyper-› Handler.)   Ice-T  and  a  14.4  KBps› modem  from Wallmart finally made the› process worthwhile.   A  document  at› UMICH  by  Steve Wallace (xlsurf.txt)› seems to be older, and contains  even› less  detail, but also shows that the› process can be done.›› A more useful, and more  recent  post› in  the newsgroup (by MILE23) answers› a question posed by Ol'  Hacker  BILL› CORE.   Bill  was  talking  about  8-› bitters  who want to put up Web pages› and make them Lynx-friendly.   Mile23› answered  by suggesting the following› sites and what they contain:››    http://lynx.browser.org has lots›    of good info, and a ton of links››    http://www.crl.com/%7Esubir/lynx›    /enhanced_pages.html has a  list›    of "Lynx-enhanced page. (The›    symbol string "%7E" is the 8-bit›    equivalent  of  the  "tilde"  on›    the PC -- ed.)››    http://www.anybrowser.org/campaign›    is the "Best Viewed With Any›    Browser" Campaign (There are pages›    that are  specifically designed to›    be "Best Viewed"  with a  specific›    version of  Netscape  or  Internet›    Explorer.  These pages do not seem›    to recognize  the fact that  there›    are  people  out  there  that  use›    other browsers -- ed.)››    http://www.cast.org/bobby/    will›    check  your  HTML  code  and other›    suggestions  on how to  make  your›    web  page  more   compatible  with›    different   browsers,    including›    Lynx.   The  site  also  has  good›    suggestions on  how to  make  your›    web site more  easily navigable by›    the handicapped  (This is  a  good›    place  to go  when we  finally get›    the OHAUG Web page  going! -- ed.)›› Some of us will, of  course,  go  out› and  buy  PCs.   For  them,  as   for› myself, the PCs will probably have to› do more than just  surf  the  net  if› their  cost  is  to be justified.  In› the process, should  any  of  you  go› that  way,  I  hope that you will not› abandon your 8-bit!›› I   also   must   comment   on    the› development  of  Web  TV.   About two› years ago, one of our  members  asked› me  what  I had thought of it.  In my› usual, computer-owning  snobbishness,› I  answered  that  Web  TV  had  many› drawbacks.   You  could surf with it,› but you  couldn't  very  well  handle› some  of  the  other  features of the› Internet.   You  couldn't  print  out› what you saw on the  screen  or  save› files.   I  told  that  member that I› didn't advise  getting  Web  TV.   He› recently wrote to me, telling me that› he is no longer a member of OHAUG  (I› hope  we  can  fix that!) but that he› finally did go out and  buy  Web  TV,› which has improved dramatically.›› While  my snobbishness will still not› let me endorse the Web  TV  approach,› my honesty must let me fill you in on› the improvements.  Depending  on  the› model  you  get,  attaching a printer› and/or a hard disk  drive  is  now  a› reality.   You  still must pay an ISP› for your service, and each individual› member  of  your  family (up to five)› must have a  PIN  number  (I  believe› there  is  an  extra  charge for each› one.)    Web   surfing,   e-mail  and› newsgroup access, and  even  IRC  are› possible  now.  Software upgrades are› automatically downloaded to your  set› and    installed   as   they   become› available.  The modems  are  56  KBps› units  using the Flex standard.  Many› of   the   multimedia    enhancements› available    through    popular   Web› browsers are now  available  for  Web› TV.   It may sound like paradise on a› shoestring, but it's not  a computer.› If  you  want  to  consider  it as an› adjunct   to   your   8-bit,   please› investigate    it   and   the   costs› associated with it carefully.›› Now, about our own Web page.  I  have› a friend with a video  capture board.› I took the Welcome screen we use with› this newsletter, modified it, took it› to his house to capture it, and  came› away with a file that can be used for› our page.›› My friend and I are also  working  on› creating  a  TrueType font that looks› like the Atari 8-bit screen font.  It› would give any Web page an authentic,› "8-bittish" look, especially in white› against  a blue background.  That's a› more difficult task than the  picture› of  the  Welcome  screen.  We're in a› bit of competition over it since he's› the  vice-president  of another Atari› user group that's also  developing  a› Web  page.   Both  clubs,  btw,  have› received generous offers of space for› their pages.   Our  offer  came  from› OHAUG  member JOHN HARDIE, and I must› thank him for it.›› So, hopefully, in the not-too-distant› future,  there  will  be  a   further› incentive  for  OHAUG members to surf› the web -- the OHAUG Web Page!››               o=o=o=o=o=›››