Windows 8.1: Out of the Box, 2nd Edition

Chapter 2. Using Email and the Internet

Whether you use a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer, you’ll have it connected to the Internet. The Internet is now at the center of everything we do with our computers, from sending and receiving email to chatting and sharing photos and stories with friends and family. In Chapter 1, I showed you how to use the new interface in Windows 8.1. Now, let’s see how you can get online and use the Internet Explorer web browser app and Windows 8.1’s email app.

When you get a new computer, one of the very first things many people do is connect to the Internet to check email and catch up with friends and family. Windows 8.1 makes it very simple to get online, and all the tools you need are literally right at your fingertips.

Top Tips from This Chapter

1. If you sign into Windows 8.1 using the same login you use for your Hotmail or Live mail (this is called a Microsoft Account), many options in Windows 8.1 such as email, calendar, and the new Windows App Store will be automatically set up for you.
2. You can swipe left and right with your finger to automatically load the next and previous pages of a website in the Internet Explorer app.
3. The desktop version of Internet Explorer supports more features and allows you to organize many more Internet Favorites.

Getting Online with Windows 8.1

In your home, you will have an Internet router. This is the box that plugs into your phone line that provides Internet access for you. Some computers that remain static in the ...