Mira Mehdi, Class of 2015
Click on the image to visit Mira’s blog

Editor’s Note:

I am pleased to introduce Mira Mehdi, a junior at BHS and one of the newest members of the Help Desk. In her premiere post, Mira examines Chrome and Safari and provides her input on which browser she prefers to use for her school work. In addition to her interest in learning more about technology, and offering solutions to students and teachers with their technology problems. Mira’s favorite subjects are math and history. Mira is also a member of the BHS TED-Ed Club. As a part of this experience, Mira is excited to develop her public speaking skills and connect with people who are as innovative as she is!

At Burlington High School, we integrate technology into our education system. This means that the students and teachers work on their iPads, as well as their laptops. Burlington Public Schools has provided us with our iPads and they have also provided teachers with their choice of either a Mac or PC laptop. Although I have a school issued iPad, I bring my personal MacBook Pro to school with me everyday. I typically use Safari, because that’s the default browser that comes with any iOS device. What some people don’t know however, is that they can download other internet browers that are actually, in some ways, better than Safari.

1. Opening Multiple Tabs

Some may say that Safari works much faster than Google Chrome; however, try opening 20 tabs under Safari and 20 tabs under Chrome. For me personally, I have noticed that Chrome will keep the same speed it had before, whereas Safari will become much slower and start lagging.

2. Voice Search

Unlike Safari, Google has a built-in voice search button in the address bar. This is a great convenience for anyone who has a disability which prohibits him or her from using the keyboard easily. You have to click the microphone icon on the right side of the omnibar, or omnibox, to enable it.

3. Omnibox

In Google Chrome, you are allowed to register a keyword with the address bar, which is also known as the omnibox. Chrome lets you surf the web faster and directly from the same box you would enter to type in “Google.com” or any other search engine. Search results and website URLs appear while you are typing a keyword or keywords.

4. Easy Access To Most Visited Websites

Sometimes, we visit websites very frequently but don’t want those websites to be bookmarked. With Google Chrome, every time you open a new tab, multiple thumbnails pop up of your most visited websites. It gives you quick and easy access to the websites Google Chrome thinks you will go to next.

5. Incognito

Google Chrome gives you the option to browse in Incognito mode. Browsing in “Incognito mode” is pretty much the same as browsing in a private mode. According to Google, when using incognito mode, “webpages that you open and files that you download while you’re incognito aren’t recorded in your browsing and download histories. All new cookies are deleted after you close all incognito windows that you’ve opened. Changes you make to your Google Chrome bookmarks and general settings while in incognito mode are still saved.” This is very convenient if you’re planning a surprise party for someone who also shares the same device you’re using to plan this event.

6. Syncing With Other Devices

If you sign in to your Google account, it allows you to sync your omnibox bookmarks, passwords, tabs, and other data. You can sync them between computers, Android devices, and iOS devices. All you need to do is sign into Google Chrome with the same ID and your information is with you anywhere you go.

7. Swiping Between Tabs

We all have experienced the struggle of changing tabs on Safari. There is no possible shortcut, you have to click each tab all the way on the top of the page to change tabs. Google Chrome lets you swipe the edge of an iOS device (iPad, iPhone, etc.) to switch tabs easily.

8. Clearing Data Within The App

Google Chrome allows you to clear your cookies, history, saved passwords, etc., right within the  app through the settings button.

9. Saving Passwords

Like most people, I have different passwords and accounts for many different websites. I tend to confuse and/or forget them. In Google Chrome, they give you the option to always remember the user name and password under the websites you login to. You can activate this through Chrome’s “save passwords” feature.

10. Videos

I have experienced both Safari and Google Chrome. What I like better about Google Chrome is that they have fewer problems. I take SAT courses every Saturday and for my class we have to watch videos on the Kaplan website and take quizzes. Safari frequently freezes whenever I watch a video and also doesn’t inform my teacher if I have taken the quizzes or not. I’ve since been using Google Chrome and have not experienced any problems, so far.

Overall, Google Chrome is fast, efficient, and time-saving. I definitely won’t hesitate to recommend to someone that Google Chrome should be their main browser.