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Exploring Your Computer’s Features
Exploring audio features
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If you have an account with an ISP, you can probably set 
up an email address at the same time you sign up for the 
service.
❖ Internet chat rooms
A chat room is a Web site that offers a place where 
people with similar interests and ideas communicate in 
real-time, one-on-one or in groups, by typing messages 
which are instantly viewed by others on their computer 
screens.
❖ Internet news groups
A news group is similar to a chat room, but instead of 
using a dedicated site to converse about a specialized 
subject with others in real-time, it uses a Web site as a 
clearinghouse where all the messages are placed, like a 
gigantic bulletin board.
❖ Online shopping
Many Web sites offer products and services for sale.
Uploading to, and downloading files from, the Internet 
Transferring files from one computer to another is termed 
uploading (transferring data from your computer to a site on 
the Web), or downloading (transferring data from a site on the 
Web to your computer).
There are several ways to upload or download data. It can be 
as simple as attaching a file or document to an email, or you 
can use the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) features of your Web 
browser to transfer large amounts of data. 
Exploring audio features
You can use your computer to record sounds using an 
external microphone. You can play .wav sound files or audio 
CDs using the built-in speakers, headphones, or external 
speakers.