Abstract: A system and method are provided, for use with network communication systems such as Internet terminals having World Wide Web browsers, for indicating to the user a parameter related to a piece of remote information, such as an estimation of a length of time required to download a given piece of information resident at a remote site. Hyperlinks, icons, or menu items are displayed, as in conventional systems. Also provided are indicia which give the user the length of time estimate. The indicia may be displayed concurrently with the displayed hyperlink, or otherwise provided, such as by audio or tactile user feedback. In one preferred embodiment, each hyperlink is accompanied by a red, yellow, or green dot, the color of the dot being representative of the estimated download time.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for use with an communication and information network, such at the Internet World Wide Web, for assisting a user in accessing information stored at remote network sites based on the user's past history of network usage. An archive is maintained of remote sites accessed and instances in which the same remote sites are accessed in sequence. Statistics regarding information such as the number of time a site has been accessed, and the times a given set of sites have been accessed in sequence, are maintained. This information may be displayed upon command. Based on this information, information items are identified which the user is predicted to be likely to want to access. This information is pre-downloaded, without express user command, so that if the user does enter a command, the response time is advantageously fast.