Archive for December, 2010

10 Different Web Browsers You Might Want to Try

Posted by admin on 12/25/2010 | 0 Comments

Ever since Microsoft’s Internet Explorer unseated Netscape Navigator as the preferred browser – back when the pickings were slim indeed – Internet Explorer has been the default “choice” for PC users. For a number of years, IE held sway without competition due to the technological complications involved in designing websites compatible with multiple browsers. It just made life simpler for web developers to work with one standard. So inertia ruled the day, at least for a while.

Nowadays, there’s a healthy assortment of browsers available, with a great number of enhancements as a result. Let’s look at 10 options for various platforms, worth considering for your default browser:

  1. Firefox – Designed by Mozilla to be a faster, safer, and more versatile alternative to IE, Firefox offers extensions and themes that make it a more powerful and personally customizable browser as well. Key features include tabbed browsing, which allows the user to have multiple web pages open within a single window; integrated search engine; private browsing sessions. With thousands of extensions, add-ons and themes to choose from, Firefox is an incredibly diverse browser.
  2. Google Chrome – an open source entry by Google into the browser field, they’ve taken some notes from Mozilla and created a handsome version of their own. Google Chrome offers many of Firefox’s best features, such as incognito browsing, their answer to Firefox’s private browsing mode. Tabbed browsing is included, and even enhanced by way of the ability to move tabs from one window and creating a new browser window, and something called related tabs. When a new tab is made from an existing one, it is placed next to that tab, thus maintaining a tighter browsing environment. You no longer have to keep track of which open tabs are part of the same browse/research session.
  3. Safari – Originally developed exclusively for Apple, Safari is now also available for PC’s. As you might expect from a Mac-based product, Safari’s look, feel and operation is all about being lean and uncluttered.
  4. Opera – While still at a compatibility disadvantage, Opera has some great innovations going for it, including interactive voice commands, bookmark syncing and thumbnail preview feature.
  5. Flock – Flock was developed by Mozilla for the social networker, heavy on features that make it easier to share photos and videos, and keep up with friends.
  6. PhaseOut – An IE-based browser, PhaseOut is sharp-looking and customizable. It has good security features such as anti-phishing. Considering it’s based on Internet Explorer it seems primed for expanding its suite of features down the road, to keep pace with the competition.
  7. Deepnet Explorer – Offered as an alternative with P2P  functionality. Deepnet Explorer has tabbed browsing, anti-phishing and pop-up blocker software, but lacks some popular features such as spell check.
  8. WebbIE – Designed for the visually impaired, WebbIE is a browser equipped with Accessible software for accessing news, audio, podcasts, and RSS feeds via the user’s screen reader.
  9. Maxthon – Maxthon is a relatively fast-loading browser with some nifty features. Mouse gestures allow you to navigate via movements of your mouse. Magic Fill is a feature that will automatically fill out forms for you. Though not as loaded with features as Firefox, Chrome and IE, this browser is a decent all-around platform.
  10. Avant Browser – Another IE-based browser, Avant Browser also has the mouse gestures feature, tabbed browsing, and an integrated search engine. Billed as the world’s fastest browser, this one’s worth a look.

So there you have it: 10 alternatives to Internet Explorer, with a wide range of features and customization options to choose from. It’s a great time to be a surfer.

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