Importance

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Abstract

The time during which a data link is not being used, it is used to download those pages to which references are made by links. If one of the pages downloaded in anticipation is needed later on (namely when the user does in fact select the link concerned), the page is already in the cache of the local computer and can be displayed at once. The automatic downloading in anticipation can be initiated both by the client and by the server. The automatic downloading takes place during the time when an already established connection exists. In this way any unused capacity the connection has is exploited to the full. This improves the economics or in other words allows fuller use to be made of the chargeable (telephone) connection which has been made to the network service provider. The automatic downloading is adjusted to the user's habits: the downloading of subsequent pages can be influenced directly by setting certain configuring parameters and indirectly by analyzing the user's behavior during use (anticipatory downloading or preloading).

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First Claim