list – The Most Inconsistent Person in the World

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This past weekend, I made the switch from Google Chrome to Microsoft Edge. It was a reluctant switch for me after using Chrome almost exclusively since 2012, but it was worth it. I noticed right away the major changes Microsoft made with Edge that I didn’t have with Chrome, and I want to showcase that.

My personal past grievances with Microsoft Internet Explorer were what made me reluctant to switch in the first place. They had started making the browser better since their Windows 10 launch in 2020 and it has (for better or worse) shaken off the past reputation IE has had. In fact, I have only used Internet Explorer to download Chrome. Well, not anymore

My switch to Edge happened because I knew a couple of people who had told me their CPUs were working too hard when using Chrome. After switching to Microsoft Edge, they noticed that their CPU wasn’t working as hard. That was a big change when I made the switch. I’ll get into that later, but here are other things I learned after making the switch

Switchover was easy

I’ll be honest — when I started using my current computer in October 2021, I used Microsoft Edge to download Google Chrome. I have used the browser a few times because my PDFs open there. However, the switchover was easy and painless because it copied what I had with Chrome. I’m talking about bookmarks, extensions, passwords, and even the current tabs I had opened on Chrome.

Microsoft Rewards

Another thing I noticed right away was the daily Microsoft Rewards tasks. I had been doing this every morning for the past week and in my opinion, it’s a great way to earn points by using Bing while learning about new things, even though I’m a Google person at heart. You can earn points by solving a puzzle, taking part in a daily poll, answering quick questions, searching certain items, and sometimes you get bonuses. You can even set a goal with those points. I set my goal of receiving a $10 Amazon Gift Card, which can be redeemed for 10,500 points (at the time I have 1050 points. That’s 10% for you math illiterates). Overall, I like this feature and I think you should give it a shot

Sleeping tabs save resources

This was a very noticeable thing for me, and this feature sets itself apart from Google Chrome. If enabled, Edge will put your tabs to sleep after a certain amount of time, from 30 seconds to 12 hours. I have mine set to 30 minutes. You can access it by going to Settings > System and Performance > Optimize Performance. From there, you can turn on “save resources with sleeping tabs” and you can then set a timer for when your tabs stay active. This has been a huge help as Chrome keeps your tabs awake throughout your time on the browser (and it will even reload after just 5 seconds of inactivity. I had to download an extension to stop it from happening)

Vertical Tabs

I was reluctant about this feature at first because I’m so used to having tabs on the top of the browser. I gave it a try and it felt as if I had decluttered my browser. You can even pin it for easier access, which is up to the user in hand. I decided to switch to vertical tabs and even pin them because I like to easily switch between them and the constant hovering over them gets annoying for my day-to-day operations. This is entirely up to you, but I would recommend it

Easy on CPU

This was a major reason I switched over. If you have been noticing that your CPU has been working overtime to keep Chrome running, you will be very surprised when you switch over to Microsoft Edge. It’s less taxing on your CPU and your computer fan will be very happy. This was the case for my mom, who had to switch over because her computer fan was working overtime and it was making a lot of noise. I even noticed it with my CPU. If you’re looking to lower your CPU output, this is the browser to use

Websites as Apps

I’m not too keen on this one because I thought they were apps that you can pin to your sidebar so that you can open them with ease. It turns out that they actually pin to your taskbar. My taskbar is cluttered as it is, so that was a huge no from me. If you’re up for it, go ahead, but I wouldn’t use it if I were you

Collections

The one thing my Microsoft Edge account did not copy over from my Chrome account was the Chrome Bookmarks. The bookmarks were great, but they didn’t have a way of organizing them. I just started using the collections feature after reading about it and how it’s better than keeping your tabs open indefinitely. It works like Bookmarks, but you can make more than one. So far I made two collections — one was exclusively YouTube videos I have saved since Saturday. If you’re into organizing, this feature is for you.

Bing is King

As mentioned earlier, I am a Google person at heart. The vast majority of my searches over the years were on Google. However, going to a new tab and searching on the browser bar will take you to Bing’s search page (you can get 5 points per search up to 55 points). It’s a minor inconvenience but it is Microsoft after all, so they have to promote their products. Just like Chrome and the Google search engine

Math Solver, Citations, Web Capture

I actually found this feature while setting up Edge and it immediately caught my eye. I added the math solver (which is useful for a math person like me), a citations button (to help me cite sources for important pieces), and a web capture (to take a picture of my screen when needed). There are also buttons for sharing, performance, web select, history, downloads, and more. Those can be found by going to Settings > Appearance > Select which buttons to show on the toolbar.

Conclusion

Overall, I’m happy to make the switch to Edge because of lower CPU outputs, ways to earn points using Bing, and the number of features that Chrome just didn’t have. I hope this review finds its way to your decision to use Microsoft Edge

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Besides Anti-MLM content, I have also started watching other videos about scams and other predatory tactics. One of which involves NFTs and Crypto. Like Forex itself isn’t a scam, I don’t believe Crypto itself is either, but the people involved in it seem to think this is the next “get rich quick” scheme. I have watched videos about those who invest money into it only to lose that and more when the market goes under. Here are some of the things I’ve learned while watching this content

Decentralized currency isn’t always a good thing

Like MLM reps, crypto traders want to trade goods and services among each other without having a centralized exchange system. However, it can also backfire on them because of the major day-to-day swings. A bitcoin could be worth $400 today and tomorrow it could be $1800, or on the other spectrum, a coin could be worth $20,000 today but $5000 tomorrow.

Some have used the 2008 economic downturn as the sole reason

Okay, I can tell you this… I was in college when the 2008 economic downturn happened. My family was affected by it (and our hometown was majorly affected as well). We still had our home and everything, but jobs were scarced. I get that. I also know that even though we never really got back to where we were, new opportunities have popped up to where we can not only contribute to the economy, but we can also (at least) try to live comfortably (which is hard here in the US). For those who invest in crypto, they say they do it because they are still affected by the downturn 14 years later and they want their money back. This part here makes me sad because I too want to get things back, but this just isn’t the answer.

They hate billionaires and hedge fund managers

You know what, me too. Hard work combined with your best work ethic won’t get you to a million bucks. If you have heard the saying “the first million is the hardest to make”, there’s a reason for it. Crypto investors know this too, but want to get there quickly just to be on the same level as the billionaires and multimillionaires they despise. Hedge fund managers are also their ire because they invest on Wall Street and made millions in stocks. If you have ever lived through the 2021 GameStop and AMC stock events, you know why

They love to hold on to their “earnings”

Speaking of GameStop and AMC, crypto bros loved to hold on to their “earnings” just because of the belief that they can send the stock higher in price in order to sell it later in what they call it “to the moon”. They did it like any other investor would do… buy low and sell high. Then again, they are fighting the Wall Street investors who, and I hate to say this, have better tools for where to invest their money. They always say, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” and again, there’s a good reason for it

Some invested in crypto to be able to pay for stuff

This I may get behind if it wasn’t being taken for the joke that it is now. They want to pay for expensive things like weddings, social events, or even want to take care of family one day. With the volatility that it has now, I really don’t see this as a viable option. It’s easier to say “maybe they shouldn’t have them if they can’t afford it”, but try telling that to them. They will double-down

Some do it to avoid paying taxes

I get it, we don’t like taxes. I don’t either, but we have to pay them every year. Some invest in it so that they don’t have to pay taxes on their crypto earnings because they feel that the government takes too much from them. Now with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, they might not be doing that for much longer, so keep that in mind when tax season comes

They don’t really own the “artwork”

Now, we’re going to go on the subject of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens. The idea is that if you buy an NFT, you own a “piece” of the item, like if it is a digital asset. These are unique and it’s a one-of-a-kind token that is irreplaceable. An example of that is the monkey “artwork” that you may have seen all over the internet. That seems simple enough, but there’s one problem with that concept that I will talk about in the next section

They see right-clicking as the enemy

So the loophole with this is that people will post their NFTs like it’s something very unique, but they’re just JPEG images that others can right-click on, just like any other image. In other words, it’s duplicatable. Having watched Noble Xenon’s Crypto Bros series, NFT bros don’t like it when people right-click their images to save, but unless they knew how to disable that, there’s nothing they can literally do.

Crypto Mining good or bad for the environment?

Back to cryptocurrency, have you ever wondered where the coins even come from? There’s something called ‘bitcoin mining’ or ‘crypto mining’, where a computer operation generates a coin for circulation. It’s also a verification system to make sure the coins go where they’re supposed to go. Forbes has more info on that, but as they use multiple computers with game cards and special CPUs to operate such a thing, I would say it’s not a good thing for the environment for the same reason physical mining isn’t. Using equipment for hours on end affect performance overall and I haven’t really seen those trying to mitigate it outside of putting a portable fan next to it.

Overall, it’s not sustainable. Crypto might be the thing of the future, but unless they have a fiat-based backup plan, I don’t think it will stand on their own. Yes, central banks are shady, but it is a “necessary evil” that we have to live with.

Where do you stand on this? Let me know below in the comments