Tag Archives: Mac
Browser Wars
Posted on 15. Feb, 2010 by Kenny.
Yesterday I announced that Google Chrome was my app of the week, mostly becasue of the extensions capability. I’ve been using Firefox for the last several years and have been very excited to move to Chrome. However, I realized that most people generally use Internet Explorer if they have a PC. If they have a Mac, then there’s a good chance they’re using Safari. What browser you use is totally a personal choice, but I think that most of these people use these browsers simple becasue it’s what was on their computer when they got it and they’re just happy with it. The problem is that most of these people don’t know that there could possibly be a much better experience right around the corner. This blog post is simply to reveal some options you didn’t know you were missing.
So, here’s the basic rundown of the big four browsers.
Internet Explorer: Seriously, are you really using this? It’s slow and often riddled with security issues. Do yourself a favor and download any other browser. You’ll be glad you did. Internet Explorer is the oldest browser of the big four. It also has the largest market share, but that certainly isn’t an indicator of how good it is. In actuality, their market share has been decreasing to the other three big browsers simply because they’re better. IE has not been innovative in many years. It can do some of the “extra things” the other browsers can do, but mainly becasue it has adapted and copied over the years to remain relevant.
Safari: It’s a genuinely positive browsing experience. The basic, entry level Mac user tends to use Safari and be happy with it as a web browser and it really is good. It’s probably the dominant Mac browser simply becasue it comes with the Mac and new Mac owners don’t know any better. When you compare Firefox to Safari, Firefox usually wins when it comes to features and usability. Safari does include plugins which create extra functionality, but the number is limited mainly becasue of Apple’s iron grip on all Apple products which lessen development from outsiders.
Firefox: For many years now, Firefox has been the open browser that people came to when they got tired of a poor browsing experience or being told how they should browse the internet. The stigma for quite some time was that if a person really wasn’t very computer savvy, they used Safari or Internet Explorer, but once they moved beyond what was handed to them, they moved to Firefox. Firefox is very customizable from aesthetics to functionality. Thousands of developers are constantly creating new plugins to allow you do to all kinds of cool stuff. Personally, I moved to Firefox about 3 years ago and my experience has been amazing. The plugins make all the difference in the world. As a result, my browser experience is always changing and getting better.
Chrome: I don’t know that anyone saw Chrome coming when they jumped in the browser war a little over a year ago. Chrome was designed to push browsers to the next level. Changes were made to the way Chrome operates as a browser to make it faster. We all want a faster experience and Chrome has taken big steps to make that happen. Another really cool thing Chrome did was to make each tab it’s own individual process. That means when the page your surfing fails and locks up, it doesn’t lock up your entire browser. Just close out of that tab and you’ll see all your other tabs work just fine. Like anything new, the layout is a little different and it may take some getting used to, but the experience is better. Like I posted yesterday, Chrome just added extension functionality so you can customize your browsing experience. However, what Chrome did differently is to separate the extension processes from the browsing processes so your speed experience isn’t minimized as a result of extensions. Firefox users have always known that when more plugins are installed, the slower the browser ran. Not true of Chrome.
So, that’s an overview of the current browser war. Yes, it was my opinion. It’s based on my experience of using all four browsers. So what do I use? Well, since I’m a Mac, I don’t even have access to Internet Explorer anymore. I use Safari about once a week and it’s usually just as a backup. Sometimes I come to a web page that doesn’t display correctly, so I’ll open Safari just to see what it looks like there. That’s really the only reason I use Safari. Primarily though, I’m still a Firefox user; however, Chrome may have just swooped into the lead with all the extensions. Chrome for the Mac is still technically Beta and I’ve occasionally encountered it’s bugginess. Until the glitch I run in to while editing blog posts on WordPress is fixed, I’ll probably still use Firefox primary. After that, I see a switch in the works.
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I may use a Mac, but I didn’t drink the Kool Aid
Posted on 20. Oct, 2009 by Kenny.
I don’t know what kind of Apple hate this post is going to bring down on me, but I’ve just gotta vent.
I was having a conversation with a fellow blogger yesterday (I won’t say any names as to not place a target on this person as well). I was talking about my current email situation. Last week I switched my work email over to gmail becasue I so passionately hate Entourage. Really, my biggest problem is that I just needed to be able to freakin’ sync my google calendar with my work calendar in any way. I’ve explored every option available and the best solution I had was to forward my email to gmail and use a google calendar. The positive side of things is that my wife can now see my calendar and all is well on that front. However, there are some issues I have to work around. Man, I wish it would just work.
I guess this is what frustrates me. Google sync came out for Outlook nearly two years ago.
A few months ago, I needed to work with some videos to put on our Kids Church computer which is a Windows machine. In order to work with this video file, I had to purchase the codec for $25. On a Windows machine it wouldn’t have cost me anything.
I just read about this amazing Bible software, but currently it’s just for Windows.
Oh, and Chrome. I was so excited for Chrome to come out over a year ago. Is it out for the Mac? Nope, not yet. I’m actually using a developers build just so I can use it on my Mac.
When these things happen, it reminds me why I left Apple before. Oh yes, I did. I grew up on a mac. I had a mac all through college (I was the only one in my dorm with a mac). It was the incompatibility that drove me NUTS. I was always frustrated to go to the giant computer store and walk by isle after isle of PC software to get to my end cap of software compatible only for the Mac.
It’s different now. Apple makes a remarkable product. I really do love my MacBook Pro. I love my iPhone. However, (for those of you PC people one day dreaming of switching), it’s not all unicorns and rainbows (I don’t even know what that means). There is a price to pay. By moving to Apple, there are things you will be giving up. You’ll be joining a niche community. At times, you’ll feel limited. At other times, you’ll spend a lot more money. Although they make quality hardware and innovative products, they aren’t the perfection that Mr. Jobs would like you to believe.
Okay, so that was my Apple rant. I feel better now. 
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The day I quit Entourage
Posted on 13. Oct, 2009 by Kenny.
Yesterday I stopped using Entourage. Done. For good.
I switched to a Mac over a year ago. There was a lot of things to get used to. Some of them good, some of them bad. Email was one of the bad.
I’ve been an Outlook user for years and for the most part, it was a great product. It did most things I needed pretty well. The problem has always been syncing. Getting my calendar to sync with my wife’s calendar is MONUMENTAL. Almost two years ago, Google created a program that would sync my outlook calendar with my google calendar. It was an answer to prayer and all was happy in the Conley household. Then I switched to a Mac.
Entourage is just stupid. It’s a watered down version of Outlook that doesn’t have all the functionality. There are plenty of things that I hate about Entourage, but the one that hurt the most is that it won’t sync with my Google calendar. There are several other 3rd party apps that do (or claim to do this). Most of them involve you syncing your Entourage with your iCal account and then syncing your iCal with Google Calendar. I’ve been unsuccessful at doing this. The last time I attempted this, it broke Entourage completely.
So, I finally said “no more.” I emailed the IT department and asked them to forward my email to my Gmail account. I love Gmail. Now I can have the same experience with my work mail that I do with my personal mail. Best of all, my personal calendar and work calendar are now one. Now my wife can see what I’m up to at any time or add things to my calendar. No more calendar meetings. The only downside is that most of my co-workers are on Outlook/Entourage, so I can’t really see their availability unless I open up Entourage.
Gateway is talking about moving to Google Apps. I hope we do. If that happens, then calendar sharing and seeing co-worker availability will be so easy! So, if you hate your email, you might want to consider switching to Gmail too.
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Google Chrome for the Mac is here… kinda
Posted on 09. Jun, 2009 by Kenny.
Last summer Google released Chrome for windows. I downloaded it on my wife’s computer. I was very impressed as it is fast. Very fast. Unfortunately, it’s taken a year for them to develop Chrome for the Mac. They still haven’t even developed plugins yet, which is what I love most about Firefox.
Well, you can now download the developers version of Chrome for the Mac. Google discourages general users to download this as it’s buggy and many things don’t work yet. But, if you want to take it for a test drive and see how it works, you can. Click here to get it.
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