Accessing rendered graphics over the internet

A system and method for accessing rendered graphics over a computer network is described. In accordance with one or more exemplary embodiments of the invention, an application renders graphics on a server machine in response to a request from a client, takes a snapshot of the output of the rendered graphical images, compresses the rendered images, and sends them through the computer network to the client. On the client's side, the compressed, rendered snapshot images are decompressed and displayed. The rendered-graphics experience is the same as if the application were rendered on the local machine. Exemplary embodiments may be configured to use lossless compression schemes like GIF and also lossy compression schemes like JPEG and MPEG. In one exemplary embodiment, the client machine uses a web browser to view the snapshots of the rendered images after they are uncompressed by the client.