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Rethinking the Datacenter
Sponsored by HP
Today's datacenters need to increase utilization, get control over power and cooling costs, and align with business objectives. Download this eBook to learn about the challenges facing the data center in a world where digital information is growing at a torrid pace and costs are being held in check. Learn more. »
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Putting the Green into IT
Sponsored by HP
Electricity use in data centers is skyrocketing, sending energy bills through the roof, creating environmental concerns and generating negative publicity. "Going Green" means looking to technologies like virtualization, energy-efficient chips and racks, and implementing policies that extend beyond the data center. Learn more. »
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Managing the Modern Network
Sponsored by HP
In a global economy where information crosses the globe in an instant, and where Web-based applications power business, it's more important than ever to ensure your network is safe from threats and optimized to deliver the data your business needs. »
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Evaluating Software as a Service for Your Business
Sponsored by Webroot
Is Software as a Service just hype, or is something really going on here? See if your company can benefit as SaaS tries to change the face of the enterprise.
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Is Your Disaster Recovery Plan Good Enough?
Sponsored by HP
Preparing for a disaster is more often than not part of the storage planning process, and it is one of the most difficult tasks, since it includes local hardware and software, networking equipment, and a test plan. Learn how to get disaster recovery right. »
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Review: Navigation Applets from usingit.com
August 2, 2000
It gets so frustrating to go to a web site you think you may like only to
find out that the web designer who put together the site navigation was
the same guy running the Titanic moments before it hit the iceberg.
Such misery really isn't necessary. There are a lot of navigation applets
strewn throughout the web, some free, some cheap, some expensive, and some
not worth having at any price. But two that are worth considering are from
Usingit.com, and both are quite reasonable in price.
Applet Glide Navigator and Applet Menu Builder are each $19.95, both are
reasonably speedy, both quite flexible, both easy to get up and running,
and both are small downloads.
Neither of these programs require knowledge of HTML or Java codes, and
both are easy enough to use to provide same-day service.
First, consider Applet Glide Navigator:
If you need multilevel menus and don't want to waste tons of space,
this is a great choice. As users click on a button, the previously
opened button can be set to close.
These applets are both flexible enough to be blended into any web site,
allowing users the opportunity to set background colors, add background
pictures, captions, messages in the browser status bar, and various
effects.
With the Glide applet, you can easily make mouseover events, changing
pictures or adding sounds.
Glide applet construction starts with the main screen (left, above) in
which you determine basic size of the applet, basic colors, background
sounds and sites, border types and sizes, and shading.
For example, should you wish to have a small graphic serve as the
designation for each item, you may do so from within the applet setup
screen.
By placing the mouse on top of an item and selecting the "+" button at
the top of the applet, it will add another item to your menu. For deeper
submenus, simply place the mouse on a submenu item and select the
"+" button again.
When you select either a menu or submenu item, a box will open from which
you can select its details, including appearance in various states (general,
normal, mouse over, and clicked), URL, target, size, and spacing.
Users may choose to save their menu in the program's native .agn extension
for further editing, preview it their selected browser, or, when done,
copy the HTML to the clipboard to drop into the targeted HTML file. These
are not new concepts, but they are efficient and reduce the learning curve
for the program to the bare minimum.
Another advantage to either of these applets is that the construction phase
offers a good tree view so that you know where you are in the building of
each applet.
Now, consider the Applet Builder Menu:
Should your site not require a huge number of menu items or should it
require a horizontal menu, then this is the choice to make. While it
allows submenus, rather than glide in and out, they simply pop up just
as do menu items at the top of Windows' screens.
Again, users can manipulate the size and appearance to match their web
site needs, including making it look like a Windows menu (above, right).
Most features are the same as with the Glide menus, including the ability
of users to change the colors or images serving as backgrounds, effects in
the backgrounds, and to preview their created menu without having to close
the program.
Depending on your web site's needs, one of these applets should be more
than adequate to keep your ship afloat and help your visitors avoid all
icebergs.
What are they called again? Applet Glide Navigation and Applet Menu
Builder.
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What do they cost? Each is $19.95.
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Where can I get them?
http://www.usingit.com.
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How big are the downloads?
Both are just under 1.1 MB.
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| Do you recommend them?
With a clear conscience. |
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