There are a couple of problems with accessing a bridge system online: it can be slow, you can't modify it to conform to you and your partner's personal preferences, and, well. . . you have to be online to use it. Another method is to download the systems to your computer and access them offline using the local file facility that every browser has. That's more complicated but it could be worth the trouble. Here's how:

You'll need to know how to use "Windows Explorer" or its equivalent on your computer. Use it to create a directory on your computer to hold the bridge system files. On a windows PC, for instance, you might, call it C:\BRIDGE.

The idea is to download a self-extracting zip file called "ACOLLISA.exe" by clicking on the "Download Bridge Systems" link below, and then put it in the bridge directory you just created. Depending on your browser that can be very easy...or not. The web browser will ask a couple of questions. First it will ask whether you want to save the file to disk. Say yes.

Next, depending on the browser, you may be asked where to put the file. If so, indicate the directory you created for that purpose. Some browsers don't ask where to put the file, they just put it on your desktop (a bit rude in my view). What you'll see then is a new icon on your desktop called ACOLLISA.exe. Don't left-click on it or it will expand into (currently) 112 small bridge files, all of which will be cluttering up your desktop. Instead, right-click it, click "cut" from the menu that pops up, and then use "Windows Explorer" to go to the bridge directory we created and "paste" it there.

Here's the download URL:

Your bridge directory should now contain a file called ACOLLISA.exe. Left-click on it to unzip all the bridge system components.

Find one of the Table-of-Contents files, either satofcX.htm (LISA) or catofcX.htm (Colonial Acol) and click on it. Don't forget about the 'X'. Your browser will come up displaying the table of contents for the system you've chosen. Now either "Bookmark" it (Netscape/Firefox), add it to your "Favorites List" (Internet Explorer), or similar things on other browsers. You can also create a shortcut to LISA or Colonial Acol on your desktop using the "drag 'n drop" facility.

The end result of all this is that you can access the bridge files offline using your web browser. Just invoke the browser and click on the favorite/bookmark for the system and the browser will work the same way on your offline bridge files as it does on the online internet files.

Let me know if you have any problems.