The most popular of the "browsers" is NCSA Mosaic, produced by the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois.

For Macintosh users, Mosaic is included in the network software package which Harvard Arts and Sciences Computer Services (HASCS) provides to students who connect to the network from their rooms. Windows users must obtain the software themselves. The Windows version requires special network software not yet officially supported by HASCS, so students who want to use it should consult computer experts.

The Hewlett-Packard (HP) workstations and Macintosh computers in the Science Center basement offer public access to the Web. The versions on the HP machines can be accessed by typing "xmosaic" at the "scws%" prompt.

Mosaic is not the only Web browser, but it is one of the most popular.

"Mosaic has been termed the 'killer application' of the Internet for a number of reasons," says Eugene E. Kim '96, president of the Harvard Computer Society. "It is not only popular at Harvard; it is also popular on all the Internet. Usage doubles every month, or some other ridiculous number like that, so interest in it is really exponential."

"It is easy to use, it is easy to put together, it's a tree way to distribute information in an eye-pleasing fashion," Kim says. "It covers up the complexity of the Internet and allows people to view anything from formatted text to graphics to sound and even animation."

Marc Andreessen built the prototype that became Mosaic as an undergraduate at the University of Illinois. He went on to found Mosaic Communications Corp. with several other Mosaic developers.

The company recently changed its name to Netscape Communications Corp., and its Web browser, Netscape, is considered by some to be superior to NCSA Mosaic. In particular, Netscape displays graphics as they are being downloaded, as opposed to Mosaic, which forces the user to wait until the download is complete.

Bhan recommends Netscape "as the best Web browser" for Mac, Windows, and UNIX users.

Netscape is available for both Macintosh and Windows by anonymous ftp at ftp.digital.com in the directory/pub/net/infosys/Netscape.

Using the Web

"The main advantages of the Web are that it is easy to use, and that it is easy to use," jokes Richard B. Osterberg '96.

Osterberg's comment is representative of the answers many Web users give when asked why they like it so much.

"I think the Web is so popular because it provides a simple way of presenting graphic text and making it interactive over the Internet," Bhan says. "It provides a user-friendly format for presenting info."

In a nutshell, the Web offers easy navigation of a very complex wealth of areas.