Plug-ins
Plug-ins are software programs that your web browser uses to open special types of files. Generally speaking web browsers only open webpages, but there is more to the web than just webpages. Since web browsers can't open all of these other files it needs these plug-ins, also called helpers, to open these files. The files can be anything from documents, to music, movies, even interactive programs that run over the web.
Some examples of plug-ins are, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Macromedia Flash or Shockwave, Windows Media Player, Apple's QuickTime, Real Player.
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- This program is used to open files call PDF's, which stands for Portable Document File. These are document files that can be openned on any computer that has Adobe Acrobat installed, regardless of whether it is a PC or a Macintosh. This along with the size of the files, which is quite small, makes them portable. If you view these files with the Acrobat Reader, you will only be able to read them. If you have the full version of Adobe Acrobat then you can alter them as well.
- Macromedia
- The macromedia programs are interactive programs that can run over the internet. They are similar to a software program that you run on your computer, only they are made to be able to run over the Internet. One popular use for this type of file is Web based games, which Yahoo! Games uses for many of their games.
- Windows Media Player
- This is a program that comes with Microsoft Windows can play music and video. When this is "plugged in" to your web browser you can play music and video in the web browser.
- Apple's QuickTime
- QuickTime also deals with media files such as music and video, but as well it can display pictures. Web browsers come with the ability to view pictures, the Web would be pretty bland without them, but you can use QuickTIme to view pictures without opening your web browser. In terms of music and video, it works in much the same way as Windows Media Player, but it plays addition movie and music files that are specific to QuickTime.
- Real Player
- Real Player is yet another media plug-in. Again it will play music and video. Real Player came out originally as a "streaming" player. Streaming is similar to listening to the radio or watching TV, as opposed to watching a VHS tape or DVD. DVD's can be compared to a file, where as watching TV the picture you are watching is "streaming" into your TV set. This is what Real Player was originally designed to do, but it now also plays regular music and video files.
*Both Windows Media Player and QuickTime can also play streaming media
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