Informative Writings
» Lesson on Internet Browsers
A web browser is a software application that allows for internet access; it connects you to the online world by “harnessing” your internet connection and is a vital tool for viewing webpages, videos, images, and other web-related content. As internet access becomes a larger necessity each day due to the many people flocking over to e-mail, browsers are also increasing in importance and essentiality.
Browsers range in many different shapes, sizes, and even popularity. For instance, if you are a Windows user, you are probably familiar with Internet Explorer (IE), the most widely used browser in existence. While most people use IE, a good third of the internet population uses Firefox, an entirely separate browser with different standards. Those are the two main browsers, but that does not mean that they’re the only ones (there’s also Opera, Netscape, and Safari, to name a few).
With all of these different browsers in existence, it’s more than likely that one will raise the question, “Are some browsers better than others?” The answer to that is yes. By “yes”, I mean that some browsers conform to web standards more fully than others and have a much cleaner interface. Because of these differences, I’ve constructed this article to educate you about the pros and cons of every browser that I’ve used, so that by the end, you should be able to make an informed decision as to which is right for you.
Warning: Reviews contain bias. (;
Internet Explorer
Initial release: 1995
Created by: Microsoft
My opinion: Crappy browser!
Internet Explorer, or “IE” for short, is the default browser that comes with almost every Windows computer. If you are unsure as to what a good browser is and you have Windows, chances are that you’re using this one (If you use AOL or AOL Explorer, those are basically the same as IE but fall under a different name). Although the overwhelming majority of internet users use IE, that does not hide the fact that it is a low quality, subpar browser.
Incase you haven’t heard, there’s an organization out there called W3C. These people invented the World Wide Web itself and are out there to establish rules and guidelines for the internet. Internet Explorer, however, does not meet these standards very well, and an overwhelming percentage of the time it does not read HTML/CSS correctly.
In short, IE makes creating webpages an absolute nightmare for web designers, as they must find a workaround for dozens upon dozens of bugs. IE recently came out with “IE7″, which is supposed to be the version without all the bugs, but it still fails in many areas where Firefox excels. If you’re using this browser, I highly recommend that you search for a better alternative.
Mozilla Firefox
Initial release: 2004
Created by: Mozilla Corporation
My opinion: Best browser ever!
Firefox was originally created in 2003 and began as an experimental branch of Mozilla. Ever since, the browser as gone under numerous changes to improve accessibility and convenience for its users.
The browser is almost completely up-to-date with W3C standards and has a clean interface that all its users notice. Since it is a lot less buggy than Internet Explorer, it is much faster and promotes a great browsing experience.
In addition, Firefox has tabbed browsing and extensions, both godsends that I could never live without (seriously). You can even switch between themes to make Firefox look the way you want.
In short, I recommend this browser to anyone, whether you’re a hardcore designer or just a person who wants to browse the internet. You won’t regret it!
Opera
Initial release: 1996
Created by: Opera Software
ASA
My opinion: Up-to-par with Firefox
Opera is a great web browser with a clean interface and is largely comparable to Firefox. In some areas, it’s considered even more standard compliant–i.e. it doesn’t read the deprecated “center” tag, while Firefox still does. While a little lesser-known than Firefox, when put into use, Opera also gets the job done pretty well.
I prefer Firefox personally. My reasoning is that I’d already become accustomed to Firefox when I noticed Opera’s existence. Firefox also has a larger global community, so there are inevitably more extensions for the browser. Personal biases aside, Opera’s still a quality browser that deserves attention.
Safari
Initial release: 2003
Created by: Apple Inc.
My opinion: It’s alright.
Safari, Firefox, and Opera are fairly similar when it comes to standards; they’re all constantly developing in the area of efficiency. However, some people claim that Safari is too buggy and unreliable to be placed on the same level as Firefox.
I’d have to say that the best part of this browser is its smooth interface, but in my personal opinion, the browser is a little slow. For this reason, I rarely ever use Safari even though I have it installed.
Although Safari is known for being Apple’s official browser, it is able to be downloaded on Windows PCs. Some people have qualms about how well it runs on Windows, however. It’s up to you to form your own opinion.
Those are all the browsers I’ve come to use so far. If you personally use a browser that isn’t listed, feel free to comment on a blog and share your thoughts about it. But keep in mind that seeing as I probably haven’t used it myself, I won’t be able to make a detailed description for this page, so please don’t ask me to review it.