Browsers – What Are My Options? Also, An Update On Backups From Last Week’s Blog

Hi, Patch Readers!

This week, I want to talk about BROWSERS – software that is used in everyday computing, yet often taken for granted.  Whether it’s because certain browsers were preinstalled on a new PC – personal preferences in what you know and have used over the years – or some other reason, it’s important to realize that you have a number of options on what browser to use.  Some options happen to be better than others, but by and large, this is another highly subjective area.

First, though, I have an addendum to last week’s blog re: BACKUPS.

I mentioned the cloud-based recommendations Dropbox, SkyDrive, and Google Drive.  ZDNET.COM has a good article from the other day where they get into more detail on these three options and which one may be right for you:

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/dropbox-skydrive-google-drive-which-one-is-right-for-you/4918?tag=nl.e539

I did want to mention another excellent choice – CARBONITE (http://www.carbonite.com).  I have tested their service before, and I found it to be easy to use and configure. The only reason I didn’t originally mention Carbonite is because they do not have a free option, save the free trial – but at $59/year for unlimited storage for most users, they are very fairly priced and may, in fact, be a solid backup system for you.

BROWSERS (as of May 2012)

For surfing the net or doing whatever you need to do online, you have a number of browser choices – currently, there is Internet Explorer 9 (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/internet-explorer/downloads/ie), Firefox 12 (http://www.getfirefox.com), Google Chrome 18 (http://chrome.google.com , Opera 11 (http://www.opera.com/download), and AOL 9.7 (http://daol.aol.com/software/aoldesktop97).  There are a number of lesser-known browsers, but I would not suggest using one of these options for lack of development /security / privacy issues and overall low usability in comparison with the ones I previously mentioned. 

Make no mistake – Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and AOL are the “big players in the game”.  That said, I would recommend either Firefox or Google Chrome for your browsing, as they are by far the most active browsersr when it comes to customization, add-ons, security, privacy, fixes, and upgrades.  Years ago, I used Internet Explorer exclusively, but I have found over time that they are
becoming less relevant in comparison to what Firefox and Google Chrome are
doing on a daily basis. 

Opera has just never come up to speed, so to speak, to give Firefox and Chrome a run for their money.  And AOL?  Well, let’s put it this way:  Most of my relatives use AOL, and that’s fine – for them.  I get it – they have a certain “comfort level” with AOL over the years.  And perhaps this fits you as well.  But AOL has never been a TRUE browser in the sense that they can not even remotely compare with the likes of Firefox or Google Chrome, apples vs. apples.  Their browser window size is small.  AOL themselves suggest to their users to install an “AOL-Optimized” version of Internet Explorer or Firefox; need I say more? Mind you, I don’t mean to sound like I am putting down AOL.  AOL users find their software helpful or necessary, depending on how they use it. 

The thing of it is that AOL sorely lacks 2012-level functionality at the browser “level”.  I have nagged those same AOL-using relatives and friends to NOT give up AOL, but to simply use abetter browser.

I really love the fact that Firefox and Google Chrome – the latter being a real up-and-comer in the browser market – are all about continuously improving the user’s browsing experience. They excel in the areas of browsing security for “phishing” websites; they both have “DO NOT TRACK” plug-ins to help increase the user’s privacy; they both have far-and-away the most extensive add-ons for customizing your browser experience pretty much exactly the way you want it, down to the smallest detail and feature.  And they both work in development and testing daily to improve on what they already offer.  I like that kind of forward thinking very much.  This kind of proactive diligence is what’s needed in today’s home and business computing.

Opera has seemed like a viable option at times, but they aren’t nearly as robust as Firefox or Google Chrome.  And that can make the difference if you find that certain customization that you are used to is simply not available – again, current day – with Opera.  Internet Explorer’s current version 9 presents me with a couple of issues that make me favor Firefox and Chrome over “IE” (Internet Explorer):  (1)  Add-ons are not nearly as plentiful as they are with Firefox or Chrome, and that’s a shame, given how long they have been in the browser business; (2)  For me, IE seems to run heavy on computer resources; (3) I can’t stand the stupid “Do you want to enable / disable add-ons” nag that appears in pop-up form at the bottom of the browser, frequently, despite having selected “DO NOT DISABLE ADD-ONS” more than once.  That said, you may have heard that Windows 8 will be available for public BETA testing in June, and with that comes IE 10.  I will be testing this all out and report back in a future blog, but for now, the jury is out as to whether or not IE 10 will have enough changes, externally and internally, to regain my respect.

That's all for this week. I want to make this blog as informative and helpful as possible...so please let me know how you feel about content (beginner, advanced)...if you'd like to see Patch reader computer repair Q&As, or anything else you'd like me to write about in the world of computer repair, maintenance, and troubleshooting.

For now, have a great week!

Andy Cooper - Owner, IFIXPCZ

Andy Cooper is the owner of IFIXPCZ, an independent computer
repair services company servicing the entire North Shore area and beyond.
Please check out our website at http://www.ifixpcz.com and
make sure you “LIKE” us on Facebook for a full-color newsletter, access to our
exclusive Computer Repair /Windows Q&A Community, and special discounts on
all of our services!    1.866.224.8420     info@ifixpcz.com