Update Your Parents' Browser this Christmas
Most of us get to see our parents only during the holidays – like for example the winter holidays. And each time we visit them, they get us to do stuff for them. In my case I always have to drive everybody around and I have to fix whatever computer problem my pops encountered recently. Associate Product Manager with the Google Chrome Team, Jeffrey Chang, is on the same page. When he goes home he also becomes his parent’s personal tech support.
“I know this phenomenon isn't unique to just my family. If you're unofficial tech support for family this holiday season like I am, one of the things you'll want to consider is checking that your family is using the latest version of their browser. Why? For me, an up-to-date browser makes a huge difference: not only so that my parents can get to what they need when they're on the web, quickly and easily but also so that I can rest assured that they'll be browsing the web more safely and securely with the latest version of the browser with security updates,” commented Chang.
I have to say that I completely agree with Cheng. Using an outdated browser to surf the web is not exactly advisable, nor is it a good idea from a security point of view. Even if the browser your parent’s use has the auto update feature turned on, they might still be using an outdated version. This year the version number was bumped to Firefox 3.5, Chrome 3.0, Safari 4, Opera 10 and Internet Explorer 8.
You could take the time to explain to your parents what a web browser is. As Google found out earlier this year, most people have no idea what a browser is. Most of them confuse a browser with a search engine. So take the time to explain this to your parents. Use this Google-created video if you have to.
“You can also check out Google Pack, a collection of free Google and third-party software that's ready to use in just a few clicks. From anti-virus software to keep a computer more secure and voice applications like Skype to help you keep in touch once you leave, to Google applications like Google Earth, Google Pack's applications help your family get the most out of their computer,” added Chang.
“I know this phenomenon isn't unique to just my family. If you're unofficial tech support for family this holiday season like I am, one of the things you'll want to consider is checking that your family is using the latest version of their browser. Why? For me, an up-to-date browser makes a huge difference: not only so that my parents can get to what they need when they're on the web, quickly and easily but also so that I can rest assured that they'll be browsing the web more safely and securely with the latest version of the browser with security updates,” commented Chang.
I have to say that I completely agree with Cheng. Using an outdated browser to surf the web is not exactly advisable, nor is it a good idea from a security point of view. Even if the browser your parent’s use has the auto update feature turned on, they might still be using an outdated version. This year the version number was bumped to Firefox 3.5, Chrome 3.0, Safari 4, Opera 10 and Internet Explorer 8.
You could take the time to explain to your parents what a web browser is. As Google found out earlier this year, most people have no idea what a browser is. Most of them confuse a browser with a search engine. So take the time to explain this to your parents. Use this Google-created video if you have to.
“You can also check out Google Pack, a collection of free Google and third-party software that's ready to use in just a few clicks. From anti-virus software to keep a computer more secure and voice applications like Skype to help you keep in touch once you leave, to Google applications like Google Earth, Google Pack's applications help your family get the most out of their computer,” added Chang.
