Although I recognise that it is the most popular web browser; Microsoft's Internet Explorer is, in my opinion, far from the best. Past and present versions have been characterised with problems including performance issues , major security flaws and a less than impressive appearance. While I recognise that they are improving these areas in the desperate struggle to maintain a dominant market share, there are many browsers that surpass it and already avoid these issues.
The four most popular of these (in order of popularity from Stat Counter) are: Firefox, Safari, Chrome and Opera.
Firefox: The World’s second most popular browser is also probably its most versatile. This is due primarily to its solid core of user-developed content such as themes, add-ons and plug-ins. Mozilla also have a strong community and both official and unofficial support are easy to come by.
While it may be superior to Internet Explorer in many aspects, chances are they won’t be visible on the surface to most users. Those who make use of the add-on content however will be able to see a large difference both of the surface and in day to day use.
Safari: Although it’s not to my personal tastes, there is no denying that Safari is one of the most popular browsers. Apple patrons should be familiar with it as the default browser for Apple computers and other devices including the iPhone and iPod Touch. There is also a version for Windows that’s well worth trying however many users are put off by the appearance which seems out of place on a Windows based computer. The update manager is another frequent annoyance on an otherwise solid piece of software as it seems as if it constantly wants you to install software you don’t want to.
Chrome: Google’s new browser turns out to be solid, containing a set of well thought out features and clean interface. For the average user, this is the browser that I would recommend containing everything you need and nothing you don’t. The interface maximises the viewing area for the user without sacrificing any features. This in it itself is enough reason to switch from Internet Explorer and the numerous toolbars that your version undoubtedly has. As seen here it is also one of the fastest browsers.
Chrome is the closest I’ve been to experiencing the idealistic internet that was marketed to us in the 90s as it really does just allow the user to- for lack of a better word- “surf” the internet.
Opera: The forgotten browser. This unfortunate but true fact says nothing about Opera and its performance, appearance or security. For me Opera has a unique balance of Firefox’s features and Chrome’s simplicity. For an average user unwilling to switch to Chrome, Opera should definitely be considered. When I first tried it I found that it was like a breath of fresh air from Internet Explorer.
Conclusion: To put it simply, in my opinion Chrome is the best browser I have used for the average user, balancing features and design. Any of these four browsers are a good choice in my mind but if you choose not to switch then at least make sure that you have the most recent version of Internet Explorer as certain versions (6&7) are have large security holes if left un-updated.
In my next post I will be talking about how great a certain piece of software from Microsoft is. If you liked this article please check that one out when it is posted.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment