Abstract: A data processing system and method for generating browsing histories during a worldwide web browsing session is implemented. As web pages are visited, they are added to the browsing history so generated which is organized in inverse chronological order. Each web page is further grouped with the server which provided the web page in order to facilitate subsequent random access to web pages that have been previously visited. Each visited web page, and each server associated therewith, appears in the history only once. In this way, the browsing history remains manageable, and user access to previously visited websites is simplified.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided that significantly reduces the inconvenience of placing a computer system in a useful state. The invention quickly boots the system without preinstalling the operating system and allows installation of the operating system to occur without usurping the computer's resources from a user. A full version of the operating system is made accessible to the user by a boot device having sufficient capacity to hold the full operating system. A local media of the computer system is formatted so that the operating system may perform memory management functions, such as paging and swapping, if necessary. Consequently, the system is usable without requiring preinstallation of the operating system. The files relating to the operating system may be transferred from a boot device to a local media at a more convenient time, or performed as a concurrent or background process.