Monday, #4: Safari vs. Rover apps

          The common denominator between the Safari and Rover apps is that they are both internet browsers, however there are major differences in the two.
          Through watching the YouTube tutorials on Safari and Rover apps, the most significant difference I noted was the data usage of each. Safari loads all data all at once, and no additional kilobytes are used while on the loaded page. By contrast, Rover is not actually connecting to a webpage, but rather is acting as the "middle man." Rover is really just streaming video of the desired webpage, causing data to be in use constantly.  Because of this fact, Rover is really no good for institutional use because it will eat up the bandwidth (the amount of data available per second).
          Unlike Safari, Rover is specifically educational. It was developed by teachers and administrators, and has a built in filter used to block young learners from accidentally (or purposely) visiting inappropriate sites. Another positive aspect of the Rover app is that since iPads do not support adobe flash, Rover can help. However, you still cannot download and install plugins through Rover, because these do not comply with iPad.
          A negative aspect of the Rover app is that as an effect of the constant data usage, the quality of picture is a little lower, and there is often a response delay. The "gestures" used to run the app are also slightly different, and would have to be learned in order to use the app efficiently.
          I believe that I would prefer the Safari app over Rover. This is because Safari seems to have many more features that can be done, including bookmarking websites, searching specific words or phrases within a webpage, and keeping multiple tabs open simultaneously. Safari also appears to be a more efficient browser, using up much less data than Rover. As a teacher, it would be smarter to use Safari rather than Rover, so that multiple students could have the opportunity to use a browser at the same time.