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| Everyday Tips from the ComputerMom |
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I just returned from a lovely fall trip to the Pacific Northwest, where the late September weather was particularly gorgeous. What a beautiful place to visit!
Thanks for the positive responses to the single topic newsletter. As your internet browser software is the program you use most frequently, that is the main topic for this month. I hope you will find it informative and helpful, and click on the blue underlined links for more information and instructions. As always, call if you have any questions, and any feedback is welcome and encouraged!
Julie Marto
508-359-8176
www.thecomputermom.com
PS - September was a quiet month for my Facebook page but there is a bit more content there. Also, I recently bought an Ipad in order to offer better support for Apple portable devices. |
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What browser should I use?
Every PC comes with Internet Explorer, and every Apple device comes with Apple Safari, but there are other options out there. I often get asked what's the difference, which is better, why do I have so many of these icons and do I really need a choice?
If the internet is an information superhighway, think of the browser as the car you use to get to your destination. It doesn't really matter if you are driving a Ford or a Chevy, you should get where you are going. What matters is your personal preference and comfort level, and that you keep your browser properly maintained, just like you should do with your car. That means installing all security updates and occasionally cleaning out temporary files, or even resetting your browser. Interestingly enough the frequent complaints I hear about general "slow computers" are often caused by cluttered browsers that need cleaning and resetting. You can test this by switching to a different browser and seeing if your internet experience improves radically.
Sometimes a download will install a new browser for you and change your default browser. It's important to know how to change it back, so here are some instructions for each of the big three.
If you want to get technical, here's an article that tests and ranks the performance of the big three PC browsers. The bottom line is that Chrome has a slight performance edge, but personally I use all three depending on my mood and what I want to do - there is no right or wrong here, only what works best for you.
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Hey, where did all my menus go?
You can thank the folks at Apple and Google - the biggest trend in user interfaces is minimalism, where there is no "clutter" on your screen and everything is supposed to be intuitive. Well, I have a few words to say about that and none of them are pretty - what's intuitive for a teenager is often incomprehensible to an adult. Give me back my clutter! Google Chrome has no menu bar or way to add one, but both Firefox and Internet Explorer 9 will let you turn the menu bars on and off. Place your mouse at the very top of the browser and right click. You will see a list of options to add back in - simply click on the tool bars and check the ones you would like to see again!
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Oh, and I used to have that little Google box . . .
The other missing piece is the search box. Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer all have you search in the same box where you type addresses. The only browser that still has a separate search box is Firefox, which is the main reason I use it. If you want to use Internet Explorer or Chrome with a separate search box I recommend installing the Google toolbar.
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On a totally different note, I went on a fall trip with a Patriots fan and . . .
It was Sunday - the Patriots were playing - and there we were driving up the Columbia River Gorge, smack dab in the middle of nowhere. My poor Pats fan realized his team was playing and there was no way to listen to the game - or was there?? ComputerMom to the rescue, I quickly downloaded a GREAT app on my Android phone - TuneIn Radio. This handy app, available for Iphone as well as Android, allowed me to use my phone's internet connection to stream live radio from anywhere, including the Patriot's Radio Network. Problem solved as we spent our 2 hour drive listening to the Pats come back and crush the Bills!
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