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Mac Attack...Getting Started in Composer using a Macintosh
 
 

What You'll Learn in this Section

Hello all you Mac lovers out there (or those of you who have to use Macs)! In this section you'll learn how to open a blank page in Composer and how to edit an existing web page in Composer. It should be noted that Composer comes free with Netscape Communicator and is also included on the cd-rom that you received just for being here. If you lose or misplace your cd-rom, you can go to Netscape's web site (www.netscape.com) and download Communicator for free.

 
Opening Composer
 
  1. The first thing that you want to do is to open Netscape Communicator. You do this by first clicking on the Apple icon at the top left of the screen. A menu should open up that looks something like this..  
 
 
  2. The first place you want to look is in "Recent Applications" (see picture above). Click on "Recent Applications." A menu opens up that lists the last programs that were opened on your computer. If you have recently opened Netscape, then you will see "Netscape Communicator" listed in the menu.  
 

3. Select "Netscape Communicator" by clicking on it. A window should appear that lets you browse the Internet. This window is called Netscape Navigator.

If Netscape Communicator is not in Recent Applications, then you will have to find it on your computer. At this point, please ask your mentor and she or he will help you find Communicator.

 
 
Opening Composer
 
1. To open a blank Composer page, click on Communicator, then select Composer. A new window should open into a blank Composer page. Notice how Composer differs in appearance from Navigator. Memorize the differences and it will help keep you from confusing the two.
 

(Note that this is a screen shot of a PC, but that the Mac version is almost identical and should not throw you off.)

 
 
Opening an Existing Web Page in Composer
 

1. If you want to open an existing web page in Composer, say a page that you've created and want to make changes to, then you're going to have to learn how to switch back and forth between windows. The first thing you want to do is to click the funny blue face at the top right of the screen.

This little guy opens the Application menu, don't ask me why. A drop down menu should appear.

 
  2. If you have Navigator open, you should see it in the list. Click on it to bring you back to Navigator so that you can browse the web. Anytime you click on the funny blue face, you should see a list of all the applications you are currently running. Click on any of the programs on the list and you will be able to work in that program again.  
  3. After the Navigator window pops up, select File, then Edit Page. A new window should appear that looks very similar to the page you were viewing in Navigator. Voila! You're in Composer. Now, you could edit this page if you wanted to, but we're not there yet.  
 
 
  4. Congratulations! You've just finished the first section. Now, before you click the arrow to go onto the next section, close out of the last Composer page you opened (the existing web page) by clicking on the Close button (a square) at the top left of that window, then come back to this page by using the funny blue face. Click the right arrow to go to the next section.
 
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Any and all Apple Macintosh images were appropriated from the 2000 WIT module, "Computer Basics."