Intro

Internet browsers are displacing operating systems and other software products as a hot area of competition these days as various vendors role out new versions of their products. Some are old standards like Microsoft Internet Explorer. Others are open source like Mozilla Firefox, available to the public for use and modification. Then there are the newer players in the browser wars: Google Chrome, Apple Safari and Opera.

Which one is right for you?

The growing importance of online software has made the browser a very important tool.  No longer just a means to view websites and do searches, browsers now deliver internet-based applications from on-demand service providers. Instead of the software application residing on your personal computer, it now resides on a website and you access it through the browser. You can do almost anything through your browser that you currently do using your desktop software, from email to document creation, spreadsheets, presentations, databases and more.

The Options

When Internet Explorer became the dominant browser after the demise of Netscape in 2003, it enjoyed a virtual monopoly until software developer Mozilla created the first version of Firefox the following year. Firefox was free. It was operating system independent, whereas Microsoft Internet Explorer was an integral part of the Windows operating system.  But there were inherent problems with Firefox. Because most websites were written specifically to work with Internet Explorer, they didn’t always run as planned on Firefox, or on any other third-party browser that arrived on the scene.

But all of that is changing now according to Jim Rapoza, of eWeek Labs who in a recent article pointed out: “the growth of AJAX-based websites and improved standards support by web developers have largely changed this. While Internet Explorer-only web applications still exist they are by far in the minority.”

Hence the new browser wars with some pretty slick-featured browsers to choose from. The incumbent, Internet Explorer recently released Version 8. Mozilla Firefox is now in Version 3.5. Google Chrome has been released in Version 2. Apple Safari just released Version 4, and Opera Software has had a makeover as well with the release of Version 9.6.4.

It should be noted that regardless of what browser you choose, security remains an issue for all with Internet Explorer remaining the browser of choice for hackers just because it is a Microsoft product and still the market leader. Erik Larkin, in his article “Is IE8 Actually Safer?” states “the jury’s still out,” on whether Internet Explorer will prove to be a more secure platform than Firefox and other browsers.  Larkin points out that one thing is for certain, if you are using Internet Explorer 7, an upgrade to Version 8 is a “no-brainer. If you are still using Version 6 he states, “first re-install Windows, because you’re probably already infected six ways from Sunday.”

Compare

How do these various browsers compare? In eWeek Labs’ tests they rated them based on 8 criteria:

The security issue remains the weak link for all browsers largely because the internet is the common avenue through which viruses, spyware, malicious codes and malware get spread. The challenge for browser developers remains putting security features in place that do not impact performance. All browsers include warning systems for known malware and phishing sites.  All include better security certificate verification and handling. But running a browser and accessing the Internet without appropriate firewall and antivirus applications is a risk. As Rapoza notes, “when it comes to security, [people] should not rely on browser vendors.”

Tips on Choosing

All these browsers are reasonable choices. But here are some basic recommendations to help you in determining which would work best for you:

1.    If you are looking for the browser that has the least security issues, then pick the one with the smallest market share because it is the least targeted. That would be Opera.

2.    If you are a Mac, user then Safari or Firefox are your best routes to go.

3.    If you like Google products, then Google Chrome is an excellent choice for your Windows PC.

4.    In terms of security, Internet Explorer, with its still dominant market share (better than 70%), is the most vulnerable to hacker exploitation but you can be assured that every website will run as designed.

5.    My own personal preference is Firefox because it operates equally well on Windows, Linux and Macintosh PCs and has a rich set of add on tools. So it is the perfect second choice for Internet Explorer users. But my second choice personally is Google Chrome.

6.    If all fails and you can’t decide, download and use two of the less popular browsers, as they are less targeted by hackers.

To learn more or download any of these browsers, click on the links provided above in the article or through the browser logos.

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Definitions
Browser:
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web.

Internet-based Application:
An application that is accessed via web browser over a network such as the Internet or an intranet. It is also a computer software application that is coded in a browser-supported language (such as HTML, JavaScript, Java, etc.) and reliant on a common web browser to render the application executable.

AJAX:
An acronym with the “J” referring to Java, a programming language that enables applications to run within existing web pages without any hiccups. What this means is that any browser, not just Internet Explorer, can be deployed for Internet use, providing performance compatibility and reliability.

Open Source:
Software whose source code is published and made available to the public, enabling anyone to copy, modify and redistribute the source code without paying royalties or fees. Open source code evolves through community cooperation.

Operating System:
An interface between hardware and user; an OS is responsible for the management and coordination of activities and the sharing of the resources of the computer.

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