As most internet users have found out, not all browsers are created equally. Internet Explorer was basically the one most used for several years, but then quickly got tired of the fact that the internet moved faster but your browser didn’t. Or that they made the application increasingly more complicated to the point of not being able to even get into a lot of websites without what seemed a required PhD in astrophysics.
I do have to say that Internet Explorer is getting better, but it’s no longer my favorite.
Now we have choice (which we had before but few realized it . . . remember Netscape?). There’s basically 4 top browsers available and like any tech thing there are a lot of opinions. I keep 3 of them on my PC and occasionally switch between which one I use. I also do this to see how a website I manage looks in each. Here’s a general overview of each:
- Internet Explorer which is now up to version 9 and 10 supposedly coming soon. Version 9 was supposed to tackle the speed issues that Explorer has been lacking but I still find it rather slow. If you are a Windows XP user you can’t get IE 9. Occasionally there are a few professional web services I use that require Internet Explorer so I still use it here and there. The controls could be simplified for users more in my opinion ad the settings are still too complicated. Have to wait and see what 10 brings.
- Chrome by Google which is my browser-of-choice. I’ll be honest that when this first came out a few years ago I didn’t care for it but now up to version 15 and I have been using it for over a year now. It’s very quick, simple without sacrificing security, tons of great add-ons, and best of all . . . I can sync it. The syncing feature is great because it backs up all my custom settings to my account and I can easily bring up my Chrome browser from any internet connected computer. Definitely one to check out if you haven’t.
- Firefox by Mozilla. This company really opened the door to browser customizing and custom add-ons. Prior to going to Chrome, Firefox was my main choice. It’s not as fast as Chrome at startup or surfing but a lot faster than Internet Explorer. It’s pretty easy to use and there is a great selection of add-ons available. I just updated to version 9 and have been pretty pleased with it’s performance.
- Safari by Apple. I have very little experience with Safari. I installed it once and didn’t find any benefit so I uninstalled it. It’s well-designed and pretty efficient and easy to use. There is a Windows version available also.
The thing I like is that there is really strong competition in the browser arena and these companies are doing some really nice things to make using the web easier and more enjoyable. So which browser are you using?
