Tag: Technology

Best Performing Browsers on My PC

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

1) Firefox RC 4

2) Google Chrome

3) Opera 11

4) Apple Safari 5

5) Microsoft Internet Explorer 8

I am slightly biased when it comes to Firefox, as have been an avid user for years. This latest release, has the browser going into Chrome territory, with a very minimalist look. But where Mozilla has it right, is where within 30 seconds, a user can locate how to add that menu bar to the top of their page. Also, Firefox is known for the thousands of add-ons that can be used on the browser. Everything from news-tickers to colour-pickers. Also Firefox is still customisable, with the user being able to select a skin for their browser, again with thousands to choose from. This new version is taking Firefox back into the forefront of the browser-battles. It runs a lot smoother and faster than previous versions.

Chrome, like Firefox, is very fast. But it loses out when it struggles on sites which contain video, it becomes very glitchy, and this can happen when the browser deals with anything Flash. I feel that Chrome is over-simple, where there are no options to add a basic menu bar, which is handy when you have to appeal to people like my parents. Maybe there are options, but after half an hour of playing around, I can’t get the standard menu bar. It seems like Chrome is shunning the older web community, who may look for the familiarity of that File, Options, etc all at the top. Even IE has that. You can be as fast as you want, but usability should always be number 1 priority.

Opera, used to be on my Nokia mobile, which I think is where it is strongest, on mobile platforms. It brings everything up ok, but lags slightly behind Chrome and Firefox in regards of speed. The layout of Opera 11, is very similar to that of the new Firefox. It is clean, but not too basic, and you can easily add more options to the menu if needed.

Safari is different from the other browsers, in that the standard browser comes with a toolbar up and ready to go, with the user being able to easily further streamline the browser, or add basics, like the menu bar. The one thing I do want to mention about Safari is that when you open up a new tab in the browser, a selection of most popular sites visited pops up. It makes it easy to find certain websites, which I feel is a nice touch. It runs slightly slower than Opera, but people familiar with Apple software, will find comfort in the stylings of the browser.

And IE. Poor IE. I am running IE 8, because I don’t have the newest version of Vista or Windows 7, so I can’t download the RC for IE9. I don’t know if having the newer version would make any difference, but I hope it would. IE took several minutes to load, before it shut down. On second attempt it did start up ok, but was very slow compared to the other browsers. As basic as IE comes, it is very easy to add, or take away toolbars and menus as you require them.

But one thing to be said, is that all browsers are beginning to look the same. This is mostly due to the high success of Chrome and it’s simplistic layout. I know that I seem to have focused on finding the menu bar a lot, the reason is because I know older people (like my parents) who rely on that toolbar, because it is there in whatever software they are using. So when it is taken away (Chrome) they do get a little lost. And I know that is why they stick to IE, because they know their way around it.

TGI….Dead Internets?!?

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

I think I am going to need to purchase a new router. Which is upsetting news to someone on relies on the web, and has no money. -.- Things like this always happen when I have no money. Always, without fail.

And as always, it’s not till you don’t have something, you realise how much you need it. So after using the web to do everything, even playing racing games on the Xbox, it’s always a shock when it isn’t there to use at your convenience.

I would imagine that would get worse if we all end up working on the ‘cloud’, which is what looks to be the future. What is the cloud? The cloud, from what I understand, is online space where you store applications and files, and eliminates the need for any real hard-drive on a PC. This is something that I find unsettling, as it’s like you don’t get physical ownership of products, things are just online rather than securely in your own PC.

Everyone can ‘use the cloud’ so what happens if someone is a bit of a bugger and uploads a virus. Surely it has a chance it could damage a lot of people’s personal things. It would be way more expensive to fix than an infected website. And what if you, like me, are unable to access the internet, do you lose everything. Will phones, like the Blackberry I am using now, be able to easily sync up to the cloud, or will I need to by something authorised by Windows?
And what if, someone does access your personal data, how easy will it be to sort out? Will the real owner of the data be able to identified, especially if they use public computers?

I guess this is something we just have to watch and see what happens. In a way, I do see why it would be good, but I like the idea of everything being under my control. I feel that the cloud owes too much to other parties, and the more people involved in something, the more complicated things tend to become. I say that from experience.

So, what do you think of the cloud?

Preview of the review

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Happy Saturday everybody.

Hope all is good in the hood.         And such 😛

I am blogging with my first proper Vlog. Though, I am unsure how I can call it proper as you can tell I suck at it soooooo much. 😦 Oh well.

I am promoting my lovely new camera, the Fujifim A180, becaue I love it. It has a very good video camera, which is a little washedout on its first youtube outing. I can see myself getting a tripod and recording off that. Seeing as it will be more steady than using the webcam on my laptop, which I am using right now.

Planning to recording the pub, both PJs and Creepy’s and also film outside. Now these are different situations, and will show how the video copes with things such as movement and the like.  These seem like good tests of the video. I will also take pictures, but I already know my camera is fantastic at dealing with that.

Yeah, as hard as it sounds, I actually ramble more when I’m talking than I do when I am typing.  🙂

Anyway, trying to get up the intrest, so if you enjoy my crap talking please Rate, Review and Subsribe.  I will love you forever, and will be  your best friend.

Enjoy whats left of your Saturday. xox<—-have some naughts and crosses

**P.S.- product review was unexpected, but I thought I would give it a shot, seeing as I have been watching a ton of them recently**

**also- do not like new youtube to much, I’ll get used to it though**

Techology? Enough please.

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

I seriously can’t take it.
After the almighty Windows fail of yesterday, I switched on my laptop today and it tells me their is no audio device driver. It was there last night. How did it vanish over night.
I did manage to go to the HP site and download it, and i have it now.
Crazy.

I am supposed to be tidying up, but I obviously got distracted by important things, like blogging.
I am finishing my flag drawing. Which is supposed to be a tattered flag, and the message is going to be like a thing like ‘how united is country where its lying in tatters’ or something like that.

Also been inspired by the reccent Harry Potter competition http://news.deviantart.com/article/86393/ and am aiming to create something for Fleur Delacour for Wednesday the 29th July. Whether or not I am ready for then will mean that I’d have to hold off till friday the 31st. (which may well happen as I am working all day Monday, tuesday, Wednesday of that week).
I have something in my head very blue, and ice queen like, mostly because she is part Veela, and that is how I imagine the Veelas being in my head.