Most computer users are well aware of Google’s ability to track down just about everything on the Internet, but few are aware that Google moonlights as a calculator:

• To perform a calculation, type it into the Google Search box followed by the equal sign, and click Google Search or press Enter. Google displays the answer. For example, to determine the average of three numbers, you might type (350 + 895 + 64)/3 = and then click Google Search.
• To covert units, type the desired conversion and click Google Search. For example, if you’re running in a 10K tomorrow and want to know how many miles that is, type 10 kilometers in miles and then click Google Search.
• To covert currencies, type the desired currency conversion and click Google Search. For example, to convert a certain amount in U.S. dollars into euros, you might type 200 USD in euros and click Google Search.

For more about using Google’s calculator, check out “How to use the Google calculator.”

For many years, I’ve been convinced that Microsoft had won the war of the Web browsers with its Internet Explorer. Sure, a handful of people use Safari or Mozilla Firefox, or some other browser, but according to Net Applications, Internet Explorer accounts for about 73% of the usage share in Web browsers (Mozilla Firefox 18%, Safari 6%, and Opera, Netscape and others representing less than 2% combined).

Yet, search engine company Google has felt the need to enter the fray with its new browser Google Chrome. Personally, I’m pretty happy with Internet Explorer, so I see no reason to switch, but I figured I’d give Google Chrome a whirl just to make sure I wasn’t missing out on some fantastic new feature. (You can download and install Google Chrome for yourself by visiting www.google.com/chrome.)

Here’s a list of what Google considers the top features of its new Web browser followed by my perspective (in italics):

• New Tab page: Designed for convenience, the New Tab page shows a sample of your most visited sites, most-used search engines, and recently bookmarked pages and closed tabs. 99.9 percent of the time, I find myself going to Google to search for what I’m looking for, so having all this stuff pop up doesn’t help me. I’m also concerned that it’ll make the new tab take longer to load, which is exactly what happened when I set up a custom Google home page using Internet Explorer. I’d rather have a very simple page open when I create a new tab.
• Application shortcuts: Some websites function more like applications than simple, static pages, so Google Chrome lets you create shortcut icons on your desktop for these applications. This just seems like another way to bookmark a page or create a shortcut to it. I don’t see it as any major breakthrough in functionality. It’s more of a new way of thinking about something that’s been around awhile.
• Dynamic tabs: You can drag tabs out of the browser to create new windows, gather multiple tabs into one window or arrange your tabs however you wish. Dragging tabs within my browser window is good enough for me, and I can already do that in Internet Explorer.
• Crash control: In Internet Explorer, if a Web page on one tab crashes, it takes down the whole browser. In Google Chrome, the tabs act more independently. If one page crashes, I can close the tab without closing down my browser, restarting it, and opening all the pages I previously had opened. Great feature, but still not enough to get me to switch.
• Incognito mode: In Incognito mode, I can browse without leaving a trail of Web site addresses I’ve visited. This “privacy” doesn’t really concern me. If my kids were younger, I think I’d be more concerned that they’d have an easier time hiding their wanderings from me. (Besides, Microsoft is building this capability into its next release of IE.
• Safe browsing: Google Chrome warns you if you’re about to visit a site that increases your vulnerability to phishing, malware, or other threats. Big whoopy, most browsers have security features.
• Instant bookmarks: You can bookmark a page simply by opening it and clicking the star next to the page address. Not bad, but I don’t bookmark pages all that often anyway.
• Importing settings: Google makes it easier to switch browsers without losing anything, because when it installs, it can import bookmarks and other settings from your previous browser. This is great, but first you have to convince me to switch.
• Simpler downloads: If you click a file to download it, you don’t have to deal with a separate window or dialog box that pops up. The download progress is displayed right inside the browser window. Again, big whoopy. I have no problem dealing with a little pop-up window when downloading files.
• Speed: Supposedly Google Chrome will load certain pages faster than Internet Explorer, but I’ve heard these claims before, and I don’t see much of a difference among the browsers I’ve tried. What seems to have more of an effect on speed is my Internet connection and anti-virus software.

Something I really don’t like is that I can’t find a HOME button anywhere. When I browse, I feel a little like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. I like to wander, but I always like to feel that I can click my heels together and head home – to Google’s home page where I can start another search. I can’t find a HOME button. If I’m missing something, somebody please let me know.

Am I going to switch browsers? Probably not. I don’t see anything I couldn’t live without here and I don’t see something I definitely can’t live without – a prominent HOME button.

No, I’m not on Microsoft’s payroll. I’m just tired of seeing companies rolling out the same old wheel and pretending that it’s a marvelous new invention. I’m sincerely unimpressed.

If you tried Google Chrome, let me know what you think. Does it have enough to convince you to change browsers?

I love Google, but I think I love Post-It notes even more. I’m constantly writing lists and sticking them on my desk, the bottom of my monitor, and the walls on either side of me. Unfortunately, the notes sometimes peel off, and I end up losing track of what I’m doing (or should be doing).

I checked out iGoogle the other day and discovered what I believe could be the perfect solution – an iGoogle “gadget” that displays a tiny notebook right on my Internet Explorer Home Page. Here’s what it looks like:

As you can see, iGoogle has all sorts of interesting and useful gadgets you can add to your home page. Check it out:

1. Open a Google account at Google.
2. Sign in to your account.
3. Click the iGoogle link in the upper right corner of Google’s home page.
4. Start customizing your home page!

You’ll be amazed at the gadgets that Google has to offer. You can add stock tickers, weather reports, a dictionary, calendar, Gmail, Google News, and much more. (And no, I don’t own Google stock.)

Tip: For more cool gadgets, check out LabPixies.

You can always visit Google and click the Advanced Search link to customize your search, but the Advanced Search page can be a little bulky when you’re trying to find something in a hurry. Instead of doing that, consider typing search operators in the search box to customize your search:

• Google omits some common words from searches, such as “I” and “and.” To force Google to include a word in a search, type a plus sign right before the word you want included: for example, +who am i
• You can broaden your search to have Google search for items with the words you typed and also for items that contain synonyms of the words you typed by typing a tilde before each word: for example, ~dog ~training will also turn up pages for canine education… theoretically, anyway.
• Google typically narrows your search by displaying links for only those pages that have all the words you typed. To broaden the search, so Google displays pages that contain any of the words you typed, use the “or” operator: for example, pizza or spaghetti or nachos.
• You’ve probably visited sites that allow you to search the site. If a particular site does not offer a specific search tool, you can use Google to search the site. Simply type the word or phrase you’re looking for followed by “site:” followed by the site’s URL. For example:
  carrier pigeons site:petcaretips.net.
• You can search for a range of numbers by typing two periods between the numbers that define the lower and upper limits of the range. For example: HDTV set $750..$1500 (when searching for a range, always include the unit of measure, such as $, pounds, miles, or gallons)
• Search for an exact phrase by enclosing it in quotation marks. For example, “how to jump start a car”

If you have additional tips on how to use Google’s search operators, feel free to share them with other ComputerChimp.com visitors.

When I first came up with the idea to write Google Simplified: Top 100 Tips & Tricks and pitched the idea to the editors at Wiley, the first response I received was, “That might be a good idea, but where are you going to find 100 tips on how to use Google?” I hung up the phone, fired up my computer, and headed to Google. I started jotting down tips. In about a half hour, I had about 110 tips and was now concerned that I wouldn’t be able to cover everything.

I typed up my list of tips and sent them to the editor. The next day, she called to make me an offer.

Google is incredibly robust, and its clever and talented developers are constantly rolling out new tools and features. Stay tuned to find out about the most intriguing and useful ones.

Most computer users know how to “google” topics and people to find information, but Google offers a huge selection of cool tools and features that most people never even realize exist.

I encourage you to explore Google when you have some free time. Visit Google at www.google.com, click the more option, and then click even more >> or go directly to the More Google Products page to see what Google has to offer. Over the next several weeks, I will be writing about the Google tools that I find most useful and fascinating, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, here’s a tip for you. Go to Google. In the search box, type define: followed by a word, phrase, or acronym whose meaning you want to look up (for example, define: google), and click Google Search. This is a quick and easy way to check the definition of a term without having to travel to a separate dictionary site.