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Some websites are optimized for Internet Explorer while some are optimized for Netscape, so you might be missing out on some features by using the wrong one. And if you create Web pages, previewing them in both browsers is a must, since each has quirks you may have to compensate for.

To add an e-mail address from a received e-mail to your address book --- In Internet Explorer (Click on Reply – then right-click on the address and choose Add To Address Book). – In Netscape (right-click on received e-mail and choose Add Sender To Address Book).

When selecting a monitor, you must first decide on the resolution you’ll need. Resolution determines how much image fits on the screen, and the screen size determines the maximum resolution you view comfortably.

Resolution is measured in pixels; more pixels means more onscreen information.

VGA 640x480

SVGA 800x600 Super VGA

XGA 1024x768

SXGA 1280x1024 Super XGA

Ultra XGA 1600x1200

You won’t see the Merced chip until the year 2000, but the computer industry is already gearing up for Intel’s first 64-bit processor, code-named Merced. It will run at a clock speed of 900MHz or higher at the time of its introduction.

When buying a new computer, be sure that at least two (preferably four) card slots are PCI slots. Intel has targeted 1999 as the end of ISA and is encouraging hardware vendors to switch to either PCI or USB.

Any desktop you purchase should have at least two USB ports. Currently, there are only about 60 to 70 USB peripherals available, though the number is expected to grow rapidly over the next few years.

THE USB bus has a maximum total bandwidth of 12Mbps for all the peripherals that are connected to it. This makes it ideal for low to moderate bandwidth devices, such as mice, keyboards, joysticks and scanners.

For high-bandwidth devices, such as digital camcorders and high-resolution scanners, you’ll have to scout around for the 1394 bus (also known as FireWire), which has a maximum bandwidth of 100Mbps. It’s just starting to show up on PCs and might be worth looking for if you plan to use your PC for digital editing and imaging.