Not the same thing

Files and programs are not the same thing.

Search engines and browsers are not the same thing. 

Is that important? Almost as important as knowing that the brake and accelerator pedals aren’t the same thing.

 

Files and Programs are not the same thing

Are you getting a new computer and do you want your stuff transferred? That shouldn’t be a problem, but it’s good to understand just what we mean by ‘stuff’.

Files and programs are not the same thing. Documents, music, pictures, email, address books, and Favourites/Bookmarks are files, and can be transferred if you know what you’re doing.

Programs are what create and handle those files. Word is a program, it lets you read and create documents. Programs need to be installed, not transferred. This is true because the makers of programs want to sell more programs. It is also true that some older programs might not be compatible with your new version of Windows. For programs that are important to you, check to see if you can get an upgrade at all, and especially check to see if you can get one for a discount or free. You will still need to install it.

Google is NOT a browser

So many people are confused about browsers and search engines. They are not the same thing. A car and a map aren’t the same thing, either. Your browser is like a car, transporting you to your destination. A search engine is the map you need to find your way.

A browser is a program on your computer that allows you to visit places on the World Wide Web called websites. You’ve been using browsers all along, even if you didn’t know it.

Internet Explorer is a browser made by Microsoft. It comes installed on Windows computers. If you’ve ever clicked on the lower case blue ‘e’ with the gold line through it, you’ve used Internet Explorer. On Windows 10, you also get the new Microsoft browser called Edge. 

The Firefox browser from Mozilla is a good alternative to Internet Explorer (and Edge). It is safer and generally faster than IE. You can download Firefox here: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/. I like Firefox a lot. I’ve been using it for years, and strongly recommend it. 

Chrome, from Google, is now more widely used than Internet Explorer. It’s fast. You can download it here: http://www.google.com/chrome. There are other browsers as well, notably Safari from Apple (but it will run on Windows).

Each of these browsers is a little different, but the thing they all have in common is that they exist for the purpose of guiding you through the World Wide Web. For the best brief explanation of this I have ever seen, visit this page (in your browser) from Common Craft.

Get to know your browser; it’s one of the most important programs on your computer. What browser are you using? Find out here: https://whatbrowser.org/. What browser should you choose? It’s entirely up to you.

Google IS a search engine

A search engine is a site on the World Wide Web that finds and organizes information for you, based on what you tell it you’re looking for. You get there using --- wait for it --- a browser.

If you want to find the answer to a question, or you want to find some websites about a particular topic, you open up your browser and use a search engine to find what you’re looking for. Each search engine is just a place on the Web, and you get there with your browser.

Google has the overwhelming lead in the search engine market, but there are plenty of other search engines. You might be familiar with Yahoo! search, and Bing, which is Microsoft’s challenge to Google search. If you are concerned about a lack of privacy with Google, Yahoo! Bing, or anything else, try DuckDuckGo. It’s a good, fast, rich alternative that doesn’t collect or share personal information, and does not track you. Look for it in a browser near you.

 

Do you need help with your computer? I'm here to help you and your home or business computer get along.

Links

CommonCraft Explanation: Browsers http://www.commoncraft.com/video/web-browsers

What browser am I using? https://whatbrowser.org/ 

Download Firefox http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

Download Chrome http://www.google.com/chrome

Download Safari http://www.apple.com/safari/

Download Opera http://www.opera.com/

Computer Care Kelowna http://computercarekelowna.com/

Getting Along With Your Computer Column Archives http://rlis.com/column.htm

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RSS Feed: http://rlis.com/rlis.xml

 

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.