Welcome to the New Perspectives on Computer Concepts WebPages. This site is designed to accompany the New Perspectives on Computer Concepts text and Book-On-CD.

System Requirements:

This site uses Microsoft's ActiveX technology to duplicate portions of the NP4 Book-On-CD on the Web. Without ActiveX technology, it would be difficult or impossible to duplicate the interactive exercises and Tracking Features of the Book-On-CD technology. However, the use of ActiveX technology means that your computer must be configured correctly in order to successfully use the NP4 WebPages.

In order to use the NP4 WebPages:

• Your computer must be running Windows 95, Windows 98,   Windows NT 4.x, or Windows 2000.
• You must be using Internet Explorer 4 or 5. Netscape Navigator does not currently support ActiveX technology. If you are using Netscape Navigator, close Netscape now, click the Internet Explorer icon to start Internet Explorer, then return to this page.
• You must have the current version of the Windows Media Player with streaming video support installed on your computer to run the videos. Click the icon below to download the current version of the Windows Media Player from the Microsoft Web site.

• You must set your Internet security setting to Medium or lower. ActiveX content cannot be run from the Web if you are using the High security setting.
1. In Internet Explorer, click View, then click Internet Options.
2. Click the Security tab. 
3. Select the Internet zone from the Zone drop-down list.
4. Click the Medium option button.
5. Click OK to change your settings to Medium.

Viewing the NP4 WebPages:

Click the link below to enter the NP4 WebPages. If the pages do not appear, check the System Requirements above to make sure that your computer is configured correctly.

Comprehensive NP4 Web Pages (Chapters 1-15)

Update Note:

The NP4 Web Pages engine was updated on 1/21/00 to include Chapters 10-15 from the NP4 Comprehensive text. If you used the Web Pages before 1/21/00, you should perform the following steps to remove the old engine. After you remove the old engine, the new version of the engine will be automatically installed the next time you click the NP4 Web Pages link above.

To remove the old engine:

1. Use Windows Explorer to display the directory c:\Windows\Downloaded Program Files.
2. Right-click the file bookonweb.docBook, then click Remove on the shortcut menu.
3. Click the Yes button to remove the old version of the engine.
4. Now just click the Comprehensive NP4 Web Page link above. The new version of the engine will automatically be installed on your computer.

FAQs:

Q: When I click the graphic to view the pages, a dialog box indicates that I have chosen to download the file docBook.VBD. I'm given a choice between opening the file from its current location or saving the file to disk. What should I do?

A: This message appears if a current version of the Microsoft Media Player is not installed on your system. Close the download dialog box. Click the Windows Media Player icon near the top of this page to download the current version of the Microsoft Media Player. You should be able to view the NP4 WebPages after installing the Windows Media Player on your system.

Q: After clicking the graphic to view the pages, dialog boxes appear that ask if I want to install and run files created by MediaTechnics Corporation and Microsoft. What's this all about?

A: When your Internet Explorer settings are set at Medium, your computer system is protected from potentially malicious ActiveX components through use of digital certificates. When an ActiveX component is about to be installed on your computer, Internet Explorer displays the digital certificate associated with that component. The certificate identifies the individual or company that created the certificate and certifies that the component has not been altered in any way since it was originally created. After examining the information on the certificate, you then decide if you want to install the component on your computer

The VisualBasic 6 runtime module and several Microsoft ActiveX components are downloaded and installed from the Microsoft Web site. The engine used for the New Perspectives WebPages is an ActiveX component created by MediaTechnics Corporation which is installed from the NP4 Web site.

MediaTechnics Corporation is the educational software development company that created the New Perspectives on Computer Concepts Book-On-CD as well as the engine used for the New Perspectives WebPages.  MediaTechnics has also created  a large number of other products published by Course Technology including e-Course, the Course Labs, the Course Presenter, and numerous Book-On-CD products including the previous editions of New Perspectives on Computer Concepts;  New Perspectives on Computers, Technology, and Society; The Practical PC; The Practical Office; and more.

You can find out more about digital certificates by clicking the More Info button on the digital certificate dialog box..

Q: When I view the NP4 WebPages, I only see the chapter opener pages and the end of chapter material. Where are the rest of the pages?

A: The NP4 WebPages include only the chapter opener pages and the end of chapter pages with the interactive exercises. The NP4 WebPages do not replace the NP4 text or Book-On-CD. You'll still need the text or NP4 Book-On-CD to view the rest of the pages.

Q: I'm using a dial-up modem it takes a long time for the pages to load on my system. Is there anything that I can do about this?

A: Yes. The entire content of the NP4 textbook, including a rich array of media elements and all of the end of chapter material is included on the CD-ROM bound in the back of your textbook. Even a basic CD-ROM drive can transfer data files to your computer far faster than even the fastest of Internet connections.  Eventually we all hope to have high-speed connection to the Internet, but for now you'll get much better performance from the CD than from the Internet.

Q: Can I switch between the end of chapter exercises on the Web and on the CD?

A: Yes. The end of chapter interactive exercises use the same content and work very much like those from the Book-on-CD. You can save the scores from the interactive exercises on the Web on the same Tracking Disk as the scores from the Book-on-CD.

Q: When I run the chapter opener videos from the Web, the video runs for a few seconds, then pauses, then starts to run again. What's wrong?

A: This tends to happen if you're using a slower Internet connection such as a dial-up line with a 28.8 or 56K modem. The video will play from the Web, but periodically will stop and wait for more data to be sent to your computer. If you are using a slow dial-up connection to the Internet, we recommend that you run the chapter opener videos from the NP4 Book-On-CD. A CD-ROM drive is much faster than any Internet connection, which means you can view higher resolution video with no waiting. Video on the Web is much more usable with a faster connection such as a T1 line, ISDN, ADSL, or a cable modem.

Q: Help! I can't get the NP4 Web Pages to work on my computer. My network support person says that it has something to do with the security settings on our network. But I need to do my homework. What can I do?

A: Don't worry! The entire content of the NP4 textbook is included on the CD-ROM bound in the back of your textbook. Just place the CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive of a Windows-compatible and you'll have access to the entire Book-On-CD including all of the interactive end of chapter material that is contained on the NP4 Web site.

Q: The first time I ran the WebPages, I had to wait while several components were downloaded to my system. Do I have to wait for them to load every time I view the pages?

A: No. The WebPages require the Microsoft VB6 runtime module and the NP4 WebPage engine. These modules will be downloaded to your computer the first time you view the pages. Once these components have been installed on your computer, they will not have to downloaded again in the future.

Q: After the Microsoft VB6 runtime module was downloaded to my computer, I had to reboot my system. Is that supposed to happen?

A: Unfortunately, if the Microsoft VB6 runtime module needs to be downloaded to your system, you will be prompted to reboot your system. That's the way Microsoft designed that component. After the system reboots, you can return to the NP4 Web site and view the WebPages.

Copyright 2000 by MediaTechnics Corporation