Tech Solution Blog

Where would we be without the Internet? True, it is an essential element of today’s lifestyle, but it can be riddled with pests that we could do without. Here are a few ways to fix some of the web’s biggest pests.

Whether it is pesky ads, pop ups, over done Flash elements or other unfriendly happenings, the Internet can make your life miserable instead of productive and enjoyable. But it does not have to be like this. Here are several ways to use Google’s Chrome browser to alleviate these irritations.

- Google’s Chrome browser has taken care of the slow browser speed and some of the crashing problems. It is built to keep from crashing the whole browser when a Flash element crashes in one tab. This in itself is a great improvement. While good, Chrome does lack some of the abilities Firefox has such as its impressive “about:config” tool.

- Remove pesky ads. One way to stop pop-out, roll-over or forever blinking ads is by using AdBlock Plus Firefox add-on or with AdThwart Chrome extension. All you have to do is point at an ad you want to nix and it will prevent it from showing up there or somewhere else on the net. If you want to totally “blacklist” an ad, use AdSweep along with AdThwart.

- Flash blocking. Want to block flash on a site that gives you problems? Firefox and Chrome both have extensions called FlashBlock that will selectively block flash elements along with Microsoft Silverlight. The extension resides in the address bar. You can also “whitelist” useful flash elements.

- Make those links clickable. Have you ever seen a great article, blog or forum post that contains links that are not clickable? Wouldn’t it have been nice if the author had taken the time or had the knowledge to make the links so you could click through to the website mentioned? Chrome has an extension called Clickable Links that fixes this very issue. One of the problems with this extension is that it does not open the link in a new tab unless you remember to press Ctrl-click.

- Get rid of the formatting. If you want to strip out all of the HTML formatting when you copy and paste text from a web page, then Chrome’s Copy Without Formatting extension is for you.

- Block sites. If you want to stop sites from showing up at certain times of the day or on your computer at all, you can use Firefox’s add-on Leechblock. LeechBlock is a simple tool designed to block time-wasting oraggravating sites that can suck the life out of your day. Just specify the sites you want to prevent and when you want to stop them.

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Why Google Chrome ?

Three reasons why it matters3. Because Windows needs more competition
Nearly two decades after Microsoft Windows conquered the PC, very few real challenges have been mounted against its dominance. Long-time rival Apple Macintosh has recently had a resurgence, but it’s still hovering at less than 10% of the total market. This market is ripe for innovation and a new competitor. In many quarters, Windows fatigue has set in, especially in the notoriously price-conscious consumer market and in light of the Vista debacle. The virus, spyware, and security troubles of Windows are its biggest weaknesses and Google is wise to target those soft spots with Chrome OS.

2. Because Chrome OS will be cheap
Google has confirmed that the Chrome OS will be open source and will not have any licensing fees. That will enable Chrome OS-based netbooks to be cheaper than both Windows-based netbooks and ARM-based smartbooks from Qualcomm. Plus, once we start talking about nettops, it’s entirely possible that we could see a $100 PC (without monitor) running the Chrome OS.

1. Because it’s from Google
Google is the 800-pound gorilla of the Internet. Because of its brand strength and star power, it’s always a big deal when Google enters new markets. Nothing that Google does will go unnoticed or fail simply because it didn’t get enough exposure.

Four reasons why it’s virtually irrelevant4. It’s running Linux
So is 2010 going to be the year of Linux on the desktop since Chrome OS is based on Linux? Every year for the past decade was supposed to be “The Year of Linux on the Desktop.” It hasn’t happened and it’s not because it was an idea ahead of its time or it needed a stronger champion. The mass market has rejected Linux on the desktop. Linux is nothing more (or less) than a niche OS loved by a loyal group of highly-technical users. Even Google can’t change that, unless it’s prepared to write Linux device drivers for all of the world’s printers, digital cameras, keyboards, and mice.

3. It’s too late
By the time Chrome OS is released, Windows 7 will be everywhere (at least in the consumer market) and Mac OS X will be faster and simpler with the release of Snow Leopard. If Google really wanted to make a powerful entrance into the OS market, the time to do it would have been mid-2007 when it was obvious that Windows Vista was a failure and it would take Microsoft a couple years to fix it. The opportunity for an OS to make a major impact on the PC market has passed. The OS just isn’t that important anymore. Windows and Mac both do a pretty good job of making the OS get out of the way as quickly and easily as possible. Chrome OS probably won’t be able to do that because it will start out with massive device driver incompatibilities with PC accessories.

2. Google hasn’t proven it can build an OS
Google hasn’t exactly knocked anyone’s socks off with Android, its mobile OS. While Android has potential and still has time to develop, it feels like beta software in a market that demands greater “finish” and attention to detail (see iPhone and Palm Pre). Plus, Android itself was originally touted to be a netbook OS. Therefore, the release of Chrome OS is a de facto indictment against Android, despite the fact that Google executives have tried to downplay it. Maybe Google has realized that the Java software sitting on top of a Linux codebase in Android would have severe performance limitations on a PC. Whatever the case may be, the fact that Google will have overlapping netbook operating systems does not inspire a lot of confidence that Google knows what it’s doing in the OS market or has a sound strategy.

1. It’s limited to netbooks
So here’s the skinny on netbooks. They have two great features: They are small and cheap. They also two big drawbacks: They are terrible and a lot of consumers regret buying them (verified by a recent NPD survey). The consumer backlash against netbooks has already begun and by the time we see Chrome OS netbooks from Google’s hardware partners in the second half of 2010, the netbook phenomenon will either have retreated into the background or morphed into something better. And then Google will have to scramble to make Chrome OS available on a wider variety of notebooks computers, as well as on nettops.

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