A recent issue of PC World reviewed a number of internet browsers. The article was a reminder of the often confounding choices facing computer users. It's true that an open marketplace offers many options, but just as often, those choices are accompanied by proportional confusion.
Though the PC World article reviews six browsers, I'd like to focus on the four browsers most used at GSB: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari. But before we get into a discussion of specific browsers, here's a quick summary of browser history and performance features.
Some time ago, when the internet was developing into an interconnected set of web sites that were created in different styles using different computer coding, it became quickly evident that a separate application tool was needed to view web sites and navigate to other sites. This application tool became known as an "internet browser," quickly shortened to browser. Browsers, like any software application, can become favored by users or fade from the scene: remember Netscape Navigator? Today's browsers have evolved into multi-purpose tools that not only facilitate web browsing, but allow for organization through bookmarks (a.k.a favorites) and for efficiency through plug-ins.
When considering which browser to use, there are a number of considerations. Each browser has a certain "look" to it, and one may be personally preferable. Browsers load pages at different speeds, and faster is better. But they type of page you are loading may determine the load speed for a given browser. Browsers can also differ in security, ability to sync with other devices you are using and ability to customize graphic themes. So while the core function remains the same - navigating to web sites - different browsers offer a different computing experience to users.
Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) is very commonly used because it is the default browser shipped with the Windows operating system. This means that if you have a PC and want to use a different browser, you'll have to go to a web site and download it, and then adjust a setting to make it your default. In the PC World's review, IE ranked strong in terms of processing HTML 5 graphics and its security features, but lagged in terms of customization and bookmark syncing. In IE, you can block sites from cataloging your browsing habits and you'll have the advantage of a Microsoft assembled list of sites with a history of tracking visitors even after they leave a web page.
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| Internet Explorer has a stripped down look compared to earlier versions. |
Mozilla's Firefox is another widely used browser. It too will load graphics relatively quickly and is distinguished by thousands of available plug-ins and add-ons. These are very specific software instructions to allow to a function or design element to be added to the browser.
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| Mozilla's Firefox: To the left, book marks are listed. They can be easily hidden to enlarge the site's viewing area. |
Google's Chrome works well with JavaScript intensive pages. This code is used by many popular sites such as YouTube and Facebook because it promotes quick loading speeds. One of Chrome's tricks to load quickly is to start loading a typed URL before you've clicked "enter." Chrome also lets you close frozen pages without restarting the browser. Chrome's security is built around a feature called "sandboxing" in which your browser use is separated from your other computer files. In this way, it is far less likely that web-generated malware will infect your personal files.
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| Google's Chrome supports many plug-ins and add-ons though the absence of a RSS feed could be an inconvenience. |
Finally, Apple's Safari is included in this post. Because Safari is shipped as the default browser with the Apple OS in all Macs, it's used quite a bit a GSB, especially by student users. It's notable for excellent security and syncs well with other devices using Apple's OS (think iPhone and iPad). Tested against all three other browsers, it loads slow, but users like some of the built in display modes. It's also very easy in Safari to block all cookies (those tracking software bits that tell web sites where you've been).
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| Apple's Safari, like any browser, can have any web page set as a Home Page. Here, www.google.com is the home page. |
If you've made it this far you certainly may be wondering why four screenshots have been added to this posting. they seem about the same, and are totally recognizable as Google's search engine site. The four screen shots are a reminder that these four browsers are far more similar than different. They all have an identical core purpose - to navigate to web sites - and each does the job well. That said, by experimenting a bit, you may find you prefer one over another. And one last caveat; it is always advisable to run the latest version of a browser. The latest version will include securing updates and as well as features that allow the browser to fully display the content on web sites that are evolving. Generally, if you're running a browser, you'll be prompted to update your version. You should go ahead and update your preferred browser for the best web browsing experience.
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