Home > Browsers

 Popular Browsers 

Microsoft Internet Explorer
The world's most popular by far. I do not recommend getting the latest major version until it has been out for a few months, and they have had a chance to fix the bugs. So, when version 7 comes out, stick with 6 for a while.

Netscape Navigator
Once the #1 browser, but slowly eroded by IE's superiority. If you want to remain faithful, try Netscape's Mozilla instead.

Mozilla
Netscape browsers are built from a Mozilla base. Use Mozilla. It is leaner and nicer, yet still familiar. An even leaner version, called Firebird is available. Also slim is K-Meleon. Take a look at the 101 things that the Mozilla browser can do that IE cannot.

Opera
Clued up surfers use Opera. Once you get used to it (it will take a few days, but it's worth it), you will appreciate just how mych faster and more stable it is - and features the other browsers will copy in a year or two.

Apple Safari
If I had an Apple computer, I'd choose this over Microsoft

Figures for SearchEngineZ users:

1. Microsoft Internet Explorer 93.87%
2. Netscape Navigator 4.68%
3. Mozilla 0.56%
4. Other 0.50%
5. Opera 0.22%
6. Apple 0.17%

Note: There are many times more Opera users than statistics suggest. So that it can access sites which have seperate code for Netsape and Internet Explorer, Opera identifies itself as IE by default. Which means that even if half the planet was using Opera, the figures would still show 95% as using IE. I would guess the true figure is something like 3-5%.

 Specialized Browsers 

NeoPlanet
Basically a skinnable version of IE

Lynx
Text-only browser. Great for webmasters who want to know how search engine spiders see their site.

Arachne
Small size, runs on Linux or Windows.

RapidBrowser XP
RapidBrowser is the first desktop application specially designed for high-speed users. Unlike regular browsers that are only client applications, RapidBrowser is a client/server application. By storing options, preferences, and multi-media playlists on the server, RapidBrowser is the most customizable application for broadband consumers.

 Browser Add-ons 

Avant Browser
A freeware upgrade for Internet Explorer. It addsa pop-up stopper, extra mouse functions, multi-window browsing, a built-in Google search engine, cleaner & safe recovery from crashes.

BookMarklets
Each bookmarklet is a tiny program (a JavaScript application) contained in a bookmark (the URL is a "javascript:" URL) which can be saved and used the same way you use normal bookmarks. Free.

FavOrg
Favicons are the little pictures that sometimes appear alongside entries in you Favorites. FavOrg is a tool to help stop them disappearing on you, etc.

Web-Based Bookmark Managers
Access your bookmarks/favorites from anywhere, and have a back-up copy as well.

 Uncommon Browsers 

See this excellent page for one person's annotated page of links, or else visit the browser category at Google Directory