Internet Software
Most people use Microsoft (MS) Windows-based operating systems with their computers. This isn't an endorsement of Windows but simply a reality. Windows comes equipped with an internet browser (the program for viewing internet content) known as Internet Explorer. Alternatives to Internet Explorer (IE) include America OnLine (AOL) (which is also an ISP), Apple Safari, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera. IE works quite well for most people. AOL requires an AOL subscription. Netscape Navigator used to be IE's major competitor but now seems to have completely disappeared as a browser. Chrome, Firefox and Opera are excellent alternatives to IE. Always try to run the latest versions of these programs. Computers running an older OS (like Windows 2000) will have trouble finding finding a good browser.
While not strictly internet software, email software is required to access email with your personal computer. However, it is possible to sign up for web-based email such as Hotmail and Yahoo but you need to be on-line (connected to the internet) to write your emails. Windows includes Outlook Express with IE and it works quite well. If you have MS Office installed on your computer, you will likely also have Outlook (which is similar to in many ways but different than web-based Outlook), which could be considered to be the full-featured version of Outlook Express. Pegasus Mail and Eudora are email programs that have been around a long time. Mozilla Thunderbird is the companion email program to Mozilla Firefox and Firefox is often bundled with Linux.
Normally, your ISP includes at least one email address with your account. It is quite easily to add more email addresses from organizations you may belong to such as ACCCC. It is best to set up your PC-based email program to automatically check all of your emails (normally done every 10 or 20 minutes) while the program is running. This will negate the need to continually keep logging into your web-based email to check your mail. Be very careful about posting your email address on publicly accessible internet sites as this can result in spam (junk email). Use web-based email addresses for this purpose as these addresses are quite easy to acquire and close.