Okay.. so what kind of fancy tool does it need to put together a basic webpage. Hold onto your seats, now. Although many of us use sophisticated programs like FrontPage and HomeSite, a great page can be built with... drumroll... Notepad!! Yep, Bill Gates gives you a program that you can use easily.. well, with a little imagination. Besides, the cost is right - Free. My very first pages were done with Netscape, which has Composer. My point is, you can do this with little or no cash outlay at this point.

A copy of a graphics program like Paint Shop Pro is nice, too, because it will let you change images to suit your taste. Again, it is nice, but not mandatory. You can find links on the Links page that will take you to free or demo versions of software for you to use.

Because you can use Notepad, which is a very basic text editor, you don't need a fancy computer. Sorry, but using the excuse that you need a bigger, faster, better computer to do a basic webpage won't fly. Scanners and/or digital cameras are another thing because you can use these to scan in regular pictures or take pictures right on a digital medium to use on your webpage. If you don't have a scanner, look for a Kinko's. Many of them have a scanning service, and can scan your documents in for a small fee. They will had you your files on a disk, usually. If you are working with photographs, have them saved in the .jpg format (jay-peg) so that they look nice and sharp.

So, we have covered programs needed, computer hardware that you don't need or may want to add to your arsenal. The last necessary tool is your brain. Yep, you get to think. Do you know what you want your page to look like? Awesome. While you travel around the web, keep your eyes open for layouts and colors you like. This will help you lay your page out... the next section.