Best Web Browser?

Which Web Browser is Best?

There are millions of pages of information and entertainment available online. In order to maximize your Internet experience, you need to have a web browser that has the features and technologies that are appropriate for your operating system and your preferences. Below is information on four of the most popular browsers available, along with a summary of features to help you decide which is best for you.

Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer is the dominant player in the browser field with about 79% market share. A product of Microsoft, it offers a user interface that is similar to that offered by Windows Explorer. This internet browser has been designed for accessing a wide variety of web sites and content. Internet Explorer allows third parties to incorporate Browser Helper Objects and rich content into the design of their websites. Other valuable features offered by Internet Explorer include pop-up blockers and tabbed browsing capabilities. The main criticisms of this internet browser have focused on Internet Explorer's security problems. Microsoft is working hard to fix these problems, and they continue to provide security patches to Internet Explorer users.

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is an internet browser that works with just about any operating platform including: Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows. This graphic browser offers a great selection of features. Firefox pioneered tabbed browsing, which was recently picked up by Internet Explorer. This browser also offers integrated download management, live bookmarking, incremental find using the Firefox toolbar, anti-phishing protection, and a dynamic search system. Because it's open source software, there is a vibrant community of developers actively improving the base software, and creating Firefox extensions to add new features to the browser. Firefox is rapidly gaining market share, mostly at the expense of Explorer. As of February 2007, Firefox was used by about 14% of all Internet users, an increase of 5% over the previous year.

Opera

Opera is another cross-platform browser like Firefox. However, this browser is more of an "internet suite" than a simple browser. It provides users with the tools and technology to perform a wide variety of internet related tasks like viewing web pages, searching the Internet, sending and receiving emails, conducting online chats, and even displaying the latest Widgets. Opera was developed to perform well on small systems and low-end computers. It also has integrated features that make it a great choice for people with visual and mobility impairments. Another great feature of Opera is its mobile version, Opera Mini. This free download allows Opera users to access this internet suite on their mobile devices. Other features offered by Opera include: a download manager, tabbed browsing, notes, and a pop-up blocker. The drawbacks of this particular browser are related to its limited capabilities for add-ons, extensions, and Widgets.

Safari

Safari is a browser found on Apple Macintosh systems, but has recently been released for Windows too. It is a great browser that has been integrated into the Mac OS X operating platform. It has many of the same features as Internet Explorer and Firefox, including: QuickTime multimedia technology, a tabbed-browsing interface system, and internet searching tools. Safari uses Google as its main search engine, and it also offers users tools that automatically fill out web-based forms, manage passwords, check spelling, and block pop-ups. Safari is by far the most popular browser for Mac OS X systems, but people who use both Windows and Mac systems now have a choice between Safari and Firefox, since both offer a common interface and can share bookmarks.

Selecting an Internet Browser

There are several internet browsers that you can select from including those that were mentioned above. However, while most browsers offer similar features, not all browsers are created equally. The best way to find the browser that will work best for you is to first narrow down the field to include only the browsers that will work with your operating system. Then try out a few of the top browsers from this list to see which one has the features and extensibility that you want and need. If you want to learn more about alternative browsers and their user base statistics, visit the HitsLink MarketShare site.

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