Efficient methods to view .dvi (TeX) files on the web (for me netscape) 

1. (Preferred if available on the lan or computer). A real tex program 
(pctex or oztex or unix-tex) attached as a helper to netscape. 

   Pluses: The right tool for the job. Easy to generate, proper screen 
view and printing which depend on the attached application. DVItrial 
from PCTeX is friendly and free but limited. Now available on Math and ADN labs at UIC.

   Minuses: not generally available or configured on nonuniversity 
machines. Printing, though invisible to the user, passes through a 
postscript bitmap conversion(?) unless TeX ps fonts are available.
NB: I don't know how this would handle imbedded graphics from the web, but PCTeX and DVIBrowse does not handle imbedded graphics right now.

2. Convert to "html-gif" format.

   Pluses: Universally viewable and printable in browser. Easy to create 
(On PC we use Hypersnap (shareware) to create gifs from a view of the 
dvi.)

   Minuses: Printing is dot matrix quality. Some opinion that printing 
is not efficient (Frigerio). Slow printing through Novell queue at UIC is a definite problem. Extra manual step required to create jpeg 
or gif. Gifs are 4k to 55k in size.

3. Convert to Postscript file. Use Gsview as attached viewer.

   Pluses: Ready on NexT. Most Unix machines have capability. Good image 
(though it is effectively a bitmap). Can be printed (but not viewed) 
without ghostscript. Probably fastest printing.

   Minuses: Extra step of printing to .ps file. Few writers have 
experience in creating postscipt file. The .ps file is essentially a 
bitmap. Printing through Ghostscript is touchy and slow. Ghostscript is 
rarely available or configured on PC; Ghostview and is very slow on low end machines. 

4. Convert to pdf (Portable Document Format. Use Adobe Acrobat as Viewer. 

   Pluses: Viewer generally available and configured on Macs and PCs. 
Good printing.  On PC Acrobat Distiller creates file of about 60k for one page.
   Minuses: Reader easily available, but not in common use on Unix. Screen view is of only fair quality and seems to hve random lines and shading at certain magnifications (though printing seems OK). Conversion requires Adobe Acrobat Distiller or ps2pdf ghostscript utility. Acrobat Distiller does not handle eps graphics. ps2pdf creates large file.
 
We would need a site license and server services for acrobat distiller. 
There has been little use on campus of acrobat distiller - Electronic 
Learning Labooratory has used acrobat writer for several things on macs, 
but not on TeX or on PCs. 

5. Conversion to Word Perfect or Word attached as helper.

   Pluses: Could be attached as Helper. Commonly available.

   Minuses: Not available on all platforms or machines. Mathematics is 
best typeset in TeX (As the American Mathematical Society says "Use the 
right tool for the job"). Conversion programs not available or very 
experimental. 

6. Conversion to "pure" html.

    Pluses: easily readable and printable.

    Minuses: Only available conversion program is experimental 
"tex2html" which works on the raw LaTeX source and creates small gifs 
wherever there is mathematics. No Plain or AMSTeX conversion available. 
Little experience at UIC. Requires processing which would require 
technical support initially. 

7. IBM Techtype Project. I found at the IBM site an experimental plugin 
which will take raw tex code or dvis and embed the image in an html 
page. Uses local (truetype times, etc.) fonts, prints in red what it 
cannot understand, and has no printing. Rather crude and unusable right 
now.