Browser Wars
MSIE, Firefox, Safari - Your Options & Info
A browser is software on your computer that allows you to view information typically located on the internet. This software is what allows you to "surf the web" and visit internet websites. The most common web browsers available include Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera, and Netscape. Although browsers are typically used to access the internet, they can be used to browse local networks or intranets as well.
As with any other software, there are pros and cons to each unique software that is available. These criteria are what typically governs the decision on the use of the software. However, in the case of web browsers, the availability to the average user has driven what browser is used and widely accepted. Microsoft began including their browser, Internet Explorer (MSIE), with all their software packages and updates. This has aided in the popularity of the MSIE browser because it is what people started using and they don't want to make the change. On Macintosh systems, the Safari browser is the default browser and thus has most of the Mac users. One of the independent browsers that has evolved is Firefox and it is quickly gaining popularity on all systems. Most browsers are available free of charge, and each has their advantages and disadvantages and you should evaluate each browser for your specific uses.
There are many areas to look at when selecting and using a browser, but there really are two major aspects that we feel are the most important. These two factors are the user interaction and the security of the browser. A successful browser must perform well in both areas.
The user interaction includes many factors which we will reference as the personal preferences. As stated above, most people starting using MSIE so they feel the most comfortable with that browser. However, the features available in the other browsers, such as Firefox seem to outweigh the familiarity aspect in our opinion. MSIE has actually starting adding in some similar features into their new versions, but to me Firefox has the edge with their extensions, tabbed browsing and proper rendering of webpages.
In the user interaction area provides an issue that some websites have erroneously forced people into one browser. Some websites design their web applications to only work with certain browsers and will only support that browser. To be frank, this is an error in judgment on the programming team of the website, but they do this because they prefer to do less work. However, this requirement should not govern your daily use. You can have multiple browsers on your machine and use the necessary browser on that site only.
The second major area of concern when analyzing the use of browsers is security. Since you are connected to the internet and constantly downloading information to your computer, you might be at risk of downloading harmful content. Every time you visit a webpage, you are downloading numerous files to your machine. Believe it or not, everything you see or do on the web is downloaded and stored on your machine! Most of the time these files are harmless and are of no concern. However, this makes it easy for spyware, viruses and malware to get onto your machine without your knowledge. In addition to the firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware programs that should run on every machine, the browser should still be considered as the first line of defense. With the various plugins (shockwave, ActiveX Controls, etc) installed on your machine, these can provide loopholes into your system. From our experience, Internet Explorer is the main target of these type of attacks.
Speed is another concern. The browsers speed is simply how long it take the browser software to process and render what it is supposed to display for you. Typically, the times for this are relatively small in comparison, but if you are dealing with large files, pages and constant interaction it may play a role. Various reviews have been done on speed tests.
Overall, our recommendation is the Firefox browser for everyone. You can download your copy of the software at http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/
Please stay safe while surfing the web and enjoy your time.
As with any other software, there are pros and cons to each unique software that is available. These criteria are what typically governs the decision on the use of the software. However, in the case of web browsers, the availability to the average user has driven what browser is used and widely accepted. Microsoft began including their browser, Internet Explorer (MSIE), with all their software packages and updates. This has aided in the popularity of the MSIE browser because it is what people started using and they don't want to make the change. On Macintosh systems, the Safari browser is the default browser and thus has most of the Mac users. One of the independent browsers that has evolved is Firefox and it is quickly gaining popularity on all systems. Most browsers are available free of charge, and each has their advantages and disadvantages and you should evaluate each browser for your specific uses.
There are many areas to look at when selecting and using a browser, but there really are two major aspects that we feel are the most important. These two factors are the user interaction and the security of the browser. A successful browser must perform well in both areas.
The user interaction includes many factors which we will reference as the personal preferences. As stated above, most people starting using MSIE so they feel the most comfortable with that browser. However, the features available in the other browsers, such as Firefox seem to outweigh the familiarity aspect in our opinion. MSIE has actually starting adding in some similar features into their new versions, but to me Firefox has the edge with their extensions, tabbed browsing and proper rendering of webpages.
In the user interaction area provides an issue that some websites have erroneously forced people into one browser. Some websites design their web applications to only work with certain browsers and will only support that browser. To be frank, this is an error in judgment on the programming team of the website, but they do this because they prefer to do less work. However, this requirement should not govern your daily use. You can have multiple browsers on your machine and use the necessary browser on that site only.
The second major area of concern when analyzing the use of browsers is security. Since you are connected to the internet and constantly downloading information to your computer, you might be at risk of downloading harmful content. Every time you visit a webpage, you are downloading numerous files to your machine. Believe it or not, everything you see or do on the web is downloaded and stored on your machine! Most of the time these files are harmless and are of no concern. However, this makes it easy for spyware, viruses and malware to get onto your machine without your knowledge. In addition to the firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware programs that should run on every machine, the browser should still be considered as the first line of defense. With the various plugins (shockwave, ActiveX Controls, etc) installed on your machine, these can provide loopholes into your system. From our experience, Internet Explorer is the main target of these type of attacks.
Speed is another concern. The browsers speed is simply how long it take the browser software to process and render what it is supposed to display for you. Typically, the times for this are relatively small in comparison, but if you are dealing with large files, pages and constant interaction it may play a role. Various reviews have been done on speed tests.
Overall, our recommendation is the Firefox browser for everyone. You can download your copy of the software at http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/
Please stay safe while surfing the web and enjoy your time.
Internet » Browsers