School Web Browsers

Posted by Alan Sanders on Apr 29, 2011 in Telegram Past News

 

It is well known that our school network is rather slow, which is expected of large networks, but what can be done to make this faster?  This problem lies not only in the network itself, but in the choice of web browser.

Our school runs, primarily, on Internet Explorer.  This is one of the most popular web browsers and it is common to find it as a default browser on the average desktop computer.  However, this is by far one of the least efficient browsers and one of the least secure. 

In the technology lab, the computers have the default web browser set to internet explorer, but Mozilla’s Firefox internet browser is also loaded onto the computer.  When on the internet on these computers, it is clear that Firefox is the faster browser by a long shot, so why isn’t this the default web browser?

Firefox is a free web browser offered by Mozilla, a non-profit organization who states on their website that their goal is “to promote openness, innovation and opportunity on the web.”  Firefox is given praise for its many options that make it possibly the most customizable web browser on the market.  This means that even if you have a computer that is not optimal to run Firefox, then you can personalize it so that it will run smoother and more efficiently. 

The downside to Firefox is that it uses up much more memory than Internet Explorer and has higher system requirements than Internet Explorer.  If memory was limited and processors heavily outdated, the computers may not be able to run Firefox, however it is proven that the school computers can handle it since it is used in the tech lab.

So now you surely have to wonder why the school doesn’t make the switch now.  Well one possible solution is the school’s security system can only place blocks on websites if you are using Internet Explorer and it may be difficult to change these settings network-wide.  If this was the case, though, the school could have simply loaded the program onto the computers when they installed the network when this school was built just a few years ago to have all security implements in place.

It is hard to know for sure why the school doesn’t use other web browsers, but there are several reasons why it should.  With more efficient web browsers, students and staff could browse the internet at much faster speeds, making them more effective in completing their work (in theory). 

The school’s options for other free web browsers that are better than Internet Explorer aren’t limited to Firefox alone.  Other free browsers that are faster than Internet Explorer are Google Chrome and Opera.  Opera is the second oldest internet browser ever, being founded in the ‘90s, has been revamped over the past couple of years.  It claims to be the fastest web browser on the market, but it has some flaws with security and bugs that cause it to crash.  Google Chrome is a new web browser that it is similar to Firefox in many ways and rivals its speed and sleek design.

All of these options are free and offer better performance than Internet Explorer.  If Dixon High used one of these browsers, the internet would be noticeably faster for everyone.