Television

Your TV's antenna should pick up local channels and the major networks:  NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox. Local channels are broadcast from the nearest metropolitan area and/or university. This usually amounts to 7 to 10 channels, and reception will vary depending on your antenna and geographical area. 

Cable TV

In the 1970s, antennas were replaced with earth station satellites using microwave links to hub sites throughout the globe. Fiber optic cable technology burst onto the scene in the 1980s, and further improved reception, range and reliability. With further optic technology, cable service has become 99.9% reliable, and more affordable to consumers.

Basic cable will extend your options to 70 or more channels, and costs around $35 per month on the west coast. Channels may include CNN, ESPN, MTV and A&E, among many special interest channels. Basic cable costs are rising with demand, but it is becoming more of a necessity to get good reception and a full range of channel options. A cable person may have to physically hook up your television, and if you have an older television set, provide you with the cable box (which you pay for each month), which acts as the receiver and displays the channel. The box is NOT necessary if you have a VCR or a newer model TV with a cable outlet. A VCR also acts as a receiver and displays the channel, and can be operated with your VCR remote. The choice is yours.

Premium channels  Movie channels such as HBO, Showtime, Cinemax or Starz can be added for a price.  Pay-per-view channels offer movies, sports, and other entertainment events (i.e., boxing matches) on a charge-per-use basis. You end up paying what it costs to rent the movie from a video store, without having to make the trip.  You also avoid the late charges for failing to return your movie on time!

The ultimate upgrade in cable connections is digital cable, which connects you to many other channels, none of which are the hard core movie channels. Even with digital cable, they are still extra. Digital cable requires a special box, which you must rent from the provider, and a remote. Time Warner services much of the U.S., but may not be in your area. (www.timewarner.com).

Satellite Dishes

The digital age has brought new freedom and choices to television viewers.  It used to be that people had no choice over their cable provider.  One cable company served an entire neighborhood, and anyone who wanted cable needed to go through them.  There is still a misconception that you have no choice when it comes to cable.  Digital and satellite technology, however, are now offering more channels, a higher quality reception, and in many cases lower rates.  Often, there are more costs upfront, because you need to purchase equipment, which includes a satellite dish or a top box for your television.  The two largest providers of satellite technology are Dish Networks (www.dishnetwork.com), and Direct TV (www.directv.com) and they may offer discounts on the equipment to get your business (sometimes this requires a one year contract, but check with the company for their latest promotions).  This is forcing the local cable companies to offer better deals on your cable packages. 

Basic Tips for Using the Internet

 (Computer nerds may skip this section)

Many top business executives are only beginning to use the Internet, their young children having begun years ago.  Here are some tips to help the super executives or casual users who are scared that by accessing the World Wide Web they could accidentally launch a nuclear missile in Kansas. 

Secure Sites:  Don’t be afraid.  If you are on a secure site, your credit card is safer than it is when you hand it to a waiter.  Check the navigation bar on your browser.  If the address begins with “https” instead of the usual “http,” that means the site is secure, and will not be viewed by other users.

Back button:   The back button is your friend.  It looks like the back button on your tape recorder.  Most sites are designed for you to keep moving forward.  The back button allows you to return to the last screen you viewed.  If you find yourself stuck on a site you do not want to be on, just click on the X on the upper right hand corner of the window, and it will close out that window.

Reload:  The “Reload” or “Refresh” button, usually signified by a semi-circular arrow allows you to refresh the screen you are currently on.  This is used for sites that regularly update their information, such as live sports scores, stock quotes, or breaking news results. 

Moving between sites:  The Internet makes it easy for you to move from one site to another.  The easiest is a link.  Most sites have links to other sites.  If you move your cursor over the name of a site, and your arrow becomes a hand with a pointed finger, that means it is a link.  Click on it, and it will bring you there.  Also, if you know the address, you can click on the navigation bar, type in the address, and press Enter.  If you do not know the web address, you can find it through a search engine.  Please see our section on search engines later in this section. 

Bookmarks:  Depending on the browser you are using, you can use a feature called “Bookmarks” or “Favorite places.”  When you find a site you like, add it to your favorite places so that in the future you can visit it with the click of a button without having to type out the full website address.  Try this now by setting www.easywayusa.com as a bookmark.  We would appreciate being a favorite place on your computer.

Internet Connections:  Dial-Up, DSL and Cable Modem

Dial-Up: 

Despite the fact that the alternatives (listed below) are faster and more convenient, the majority of Internet users in America use a conventional modem to dial in to an Internet Service Provider.  The speed allowed over normal telephone lines is about 28 Kbps.  For now, dial-up service is the least expensive alternative.  They range from free to about $30 a month.  This wide range is due to the variety of options you have.  Many ISPs are free (Yahoo! and Blue Light are examples), and they make their money from extensive advertisements on your screen.  Often more than half of your browser is advertisements.  Also, they have more limited options for call-in numbers (see sidebar).  Some of the larger ISPs, such as America Online (www.aol.com) or Earthlink (www.earthlink.com) run about $17 to $22 per month.  To avoid getting busy signals on your phone while you are on the Internet, you may have to get an additional line in your house, which would be about fifteen dollars per month. 

DSL

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is a high speed Internet access line that runs over your existing telephone wiring.  DSL splits the voice and the data portions of your line so that you can use the telephone and the Internet at the same time.  DSL runs significantly faster that dial-up service.  It does not require dialing in.  You can access the Internet simply by clicking on the icon on your computer.  DSL is about forty to fifty dollars per month.  However, it is not available everywhere.  DSL only works for customers within about three miles of their telephone company’s Central Office.  Depending on promotions, DSL service may also require equipment and installation charges.  Several companies offer DSL, mostly telephone companies and Internet Service Providers.  The best resource for those investigating DSL is DSLreports.com.  This site features a great deal of customer reviews of the various providers.  There are some horror stories about DSL installations, so it will save a great deal of stress to go with a company with a good service record and reputation, even if it may be more expensive.  Before agreeing to go with a provider, ask to see if it comes with a term agreement.  You may be stuck with bad service for a year, or even two. 

Cable modems

DSL’s major competitor is Cable.  Cable companies are now offering high speed Internet service.  Whether or not it is faster than DSL is a controversial point.  You phone line runs directly from your house to your telephone company.  Your cable however, is shared by your entire neighborhood.  As a result, your cable connection slows down considerably during peak hours when many of your neighbors are on line.  At its fastest, Cable is normally faster than DSL, but the speed fluctuates a great deal more.  In general, cable modems are also easier to install.  There is another advantage that the cable companies are promoting vigorously:  ease of billing.  Since many cable companies are now offering local and long distance telephone signals over cable, their customers can get their telephone, Internet, and cable charges on a single bill, instead of having to deal with three or four different companies.  This is very appealing to many consumers, prompting telephone and Internet providers to accomplish this trifecta as well, in a battle to “own the home.”