Modems, in general, are still not that speedy, with an average speed of 28.8, or 28,800 Bits Per Second (BPS) or about 3600 characters/sec maximum, if the Net is operating at its highest speed, which it never is. Typical max speeds are closer to 1500 or 1.5K. At that rate it would take about 67 seconds to download a 'small' 100K file! Even with the newer 33.6 modems, the speed of the Net itself still keeps us moving at a 'crawl', considering a 100K file, when it comes to sound, pictures, and animations, is puny. Cable Modems, just making their appearance, download data at up to 6 MEGABITS per second, yielding transfer rates of very acceptable times. If your cable company is supporting Cable Modems, I would look into it.

Compression is the method that everyone uses to deal with the speed constraint. I compress 'em & you decompress 'em. Some browsers know how to decompress (extract) all by themselves. If your browser is capable of doing this, hopefully, it will ask you where you would like to put the extracted files. If it doesn't, then your browser probably put the files in whatever folder (directory) you were in at the time of extraction (decompression). Always take note of where you're saving things!

When a browser can't do something by itself, like decode an encoded file, or decompress a compressed file, or play (view) an RJ Movie file, that browser will turn to a Helper Application. Hopefully it will not be necessary to learn about Helpers and your browser will simply ask you where you want to Save the file. Unfortunately, with many browsers you must teach which Helper App. to use with which type of file. Usually, there is a Configuration, Options, or Preferences area within your browser that lets you teach it this important information.

Macintosh Users (click right here to skip to Windows instructions)

Option #1 - Using Stuffit Expander for Mac

1) In many cases, your browser will simply ask you where you wish to Save the file. This is true for either Mac or PC. If it does, then skip to 2) or 3). If it doesn't, then here are the steps to take, in Netscape as an example, if you need to configure your browser to ask you where you want to save the file.

• Pull down Options to General.
• Click on the Helpers tab.
• Find "BinHex" in the list somewhere and select/highlight it.
• If you're using Netscape 2.0x, then choose Save as the action you wish Netscape to take when encountering a BinHex file. This applies to either Mac or Windows. If you're downloading on a Windows computer, then copy the downloaded file to a floppy and move it over to your Mac, and decode it with Stuffit Expander for Mac.
• If you're using Netscape 3.0, then choose Edit and then in the "Handled by" section, choose "Save to disk" as the action you wish Netscape to take when encountering a BinHex file.

• Save or Copy the actual file to a PC floppy.
• Pop the floppy into your Mac. All Macs within the past 3 years or so have the control panel PC Exchange, which allows your Mac to read PC disks. If when you put the PC floppy into your Mac, you get an 'Initialization' type message, where it's obvious that your Mac does not recognize the floppy, then check your Extension Manager and make sure you have and are loading PC Exchange. Another control panel that performs this function is called Access PC and still another is DOS Mounter, both commercially available.
• Copy the file to your Mac's hard drive

• Simply drag and drop your BinHex file onto Stuffit Expander's icon and it should decode the file and yield the real Installer.

Option #2 - Decoding Internally with your Browser (Mac only)

1) If you are downloading on a Mac, another option is to configure your browser to decode the file internally. I would suggest performing the following before you download a BinHex file the first time. You only need to do this once.

• Pull down Options to General.
• Click on the Helpers tab.
• Find "BinHex" in the list somewhere and select/highlight it.
• If you're using Netscape 2.0x, then choose "Use Netscape as Viewer" as the action you wish Netscape to take when encountering a BinHex file. Netscape will automatically decode it and ask you where you wish to save it.
• If you're using Netscape 3.0, then choose Edit and then in the "Handled by" section, choose "Netscape" as the action you wish Netscape to take when encountering a BinHex file. Netscape will automatically decode it and ask you where you wish to save it. Make a note of your location!

3) Double click on the decoded installer and follow the directions.

WINDOWS

1) Some files are self-contained, ready to download and then double click on, and contain everything for that title. All you need to do is click on their link on the web page, Save to a location you'll remember, and then you can simply double click on them from My Computer or Explorer (Win 98, 95) or File Manager (in your Main Group; Win 3.1).  Demos of this type include OnScreen and Biggy..

2) Other files are in self-expanding Zipped files. Once again, just click on their link, Save to a location you'll remember, double click on them. The difference for these types is that after they self-expand, you will be left with at least 4 files including a <setup.exe> or <install.exe> file.  Double click on that file and the software will install itself. Downloads of this type include all the other demos.

You should create a folder on your hard drive named RJ and Save all the .exe file(s) there, so you don't lose them. Once you have installed the title, you can delete the installer file(s). There should be a new Program Group in your <Startup|Programs> (Win 95) or Program Manager (Win 3.1).

RJ ;-)