Computer Tips: Browsing With Tabs

I've been meaning to do more computer-related posts, but I'm lazy. It can be tiring to work up a tutorial about something, obsessing over whether it has too much information or not enough, or whether it's something everyone knows and you feel I'm talking down to you. Yes, I'm insecure! But I know little tips can be such a big help, and I like to help. Many of you will already be aware of stuff I post here, but some of you might learn something or at least know someone who could benefit from the post, so feel free to pass it on.

Let's talk about tabs. Once you start using them, you'll wonder how you managed before.



This is how they in Internet Explorer, but Mozilla Firefox is very similar. I just figure most of you who aren't familiar with tabs are also using IE.

ADDING A NEW TAB
When you first open your browser window, it will probably just have one tab on the left side. Go ahead and push on that squarish button at the top of your browser and add another tab. You can add a lot of them, if you want! Now click on the actual tabs to get to their individual pages. Easy! If you're like me, you like to monitor several sites at once (for me it's my email, my Google Reader, and a few others), so why not have them all open, each on their own tab?

But what if you're browsing a site and see a link you'd like to follow? Don't just click on the link unless you're certain you want to leave that page. Instead, open the link in another tab. There are two ways.

OPENING A LINK IN ANOTHER TAB BY RIGHT-CLICKING
1. Right-click (i.e. use the button on the right side of the mouse) on top of the link and you'll see a drop-down menu (I would show you, but I can't seem to get a screen capture on a right-click menu).

2. Now left-click on "Open in New Tab" or whatever is the equivalent menu item.

The link will be opened in another tab.

(Your browser settings will determine whether you are immediately taken to that tab or not. I personally have my browser set to stay on the current page and not jump me to the other tab right away, but it's a matter of preference. Preferences can be changed in Tools-->Internet Options.)

Here, try it on this link to another of my posts: Deepwood Estate (again)

OPENING A LINK IN ANOTHER TAB WITH THE SCROLL WHEEL
Did you know the scroll wheel on your mouse is also a button? Hover over the link, and instead of clicking with the right or left mouse button, click on the link by pushing down on your scroll wheel. It should open the link in a new tab. If it doesn't, it's a settings issue that I might be able to help you with, but not in this post. Feel free to question me in comments or email.

I hope this was helpful to at least one or two of you. My tips won't always be quite as beginnerish, but I do enjoy helping beginners!