Skip to main content

Alternative Web Browsers - What are the Choices?

Internet surfers seeking out new web browser options have a few good choices to consider, and luckily, all the browsers in this category boast positive attributes and cool features that can make anyone’s browsing experience a good one. In the end, it’s up to you to pick one that fits your specific needs, as everyone looks for something different in a browser. But one thing’s for sure – you’ll never go back to IE. Opera The Opera browser sings to a tune all its own. One of the more popular alternative browsers available, it is highly acclaimed by new and veteran users alike. This browser is well-known for loading pages very quickly (especially important for those of us still puttering along on a dial-up connection) and making the browsing experience a smooth one, especially compared to the sometimes-grueling loading times that are the trademark of Internet Explorer. Opera is lighter than its competitor as well, weighing in at much less than Internet Explorer. The browser comes with a lot of features people have come to expect in the realm of alternative browsers (such as tabbed browsing and a pop-up blocker) that make it faster and easier to navigate the web. Another thing about Opera is that it lets you choose whether or not to run certain features, such as java applets. These are small applications written in the java programming language that can slow down a browser. If you specify, you can turn off certain JavaScript functions. If you’re willing to sacrifice some features that bog down other browser software in order to enjoy the benefits of a faster online experience, Opera is probably the perfect browser for you. Opera can be downloaded for free – in the past you had to pay for the ad-free version, but with the release of the latest version all that has changed. Another plus: no security issues have yet to be associated with the browser, so it’s your best bet for surfing safely, although compatibility issues may sometimes hamper your ability to view particular websites. Firefox Firefox is gaining steam as a favorite alternative browser, although it has been the top choice for quite some time amongst old-school Internet addicts and those who make good use of tabbed browsing and other user-friendly features not available with Internet Explorer. As it cements its position in the world of mainstream browsers, you can expect even more people to jump on the Firefox bandwagon (Grandma included). There’s good reason why Firefox is fast becoming a favorite browser. It offers a simple design, fast browsing, and a safer Internet experience. The browser blocks pop-ups, viruses, and spyware – and it doesn’t contain near as many security holes as Microsoft’s IE, meaning the chance of falling prey to browser hijackers and other such online vultures is slim to none. Patches are made available very quickly when problems do arise. Browsing is faster because you won’t have as much spyware clogging your computer’s arteries, making your trip down the information superhighway slower than molasses. And of course, anyone who has tried to open multiple windows on Internet Explorer knows that tabbed browsing is the most convenient way to surf the web – it sure beats having a million separate browser windows open at once. Another great aspect of tabbed browsing on Firefox: when you open a window in tabs the browser doesn’t automatically take you to the new tab – instead, you remain at the original page. The latest version of Firefox even lets you move tabs around after opening them. Alternative browsers can be a lot more fun than IE as well. Firefox, for instance, offers neat features such as live bookmarks, an integrated search bar, automatic software updates, and the ability to customize the browser by taking advantage of a number of available extensions. As usual, the trimmed-down browsing experience means not all web pages can be accessed through Firefox. Lacking ActiveX support, this browser can’t display certain types of web pages, although the majority of websites can be viewed using Firefox. Safari For all you Apple users out there, Safari is your best bet for an alternative web browser. If you own a Mac, you probably already know about Safari, as it came bundled with Mac OS X, but it’s worth mentioning as an alternative to Internet Explorer simply because it is another option that works well for most web users. Safari possesses all the usual browser features, such as bookmarks, but it also offers features people have come to expect from the other popular alternative web browsers currently on the market. The browser offers tabbed browsing and an integrated Google search box, similar to Firefox, and an automatic pop-up blocker. Again, like its competitors, Safari also offers a faster browsing experience for the keen Internet junkie. Many Mac users prefer Safari to Internet Explorer for Mac for the same reasons more people have been flocking to Opera and Firefox. Overall, it makes the whole Internet experience faster, and the browser is very easy to use.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

India's swine flu death rate is increasing

Friday, August 14, 2009 MUMBAI: A 26-year-old woman died Thursday of H1N1 swine flu in the southern city of Bangalore, raising India's death toll from the virus to 20, authorities said.The death was the first reported in India's information technology capital, the Press Trust of India reported.Meanwhile in Pune, the worst-affected in India, two more victims of the virus died Thursday, raising the death toll in that western city near Mumbai to 12, the report said. The victims were an 11-month-old boy and a 75-year-old old woman.US media reported movie halls, schools and colleges were ordered closed Thursday for three days to a week in Mumbai, the commercial and financial capital of the country, as fear of the pandemic spread.Prajakata Lavangare, a spokeswoman for the government of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, said similar orders were issued in Pune, which is also located in the state.The woman who died in Bangalore was identified only as Roopa, a teacher in...

Suicide bombings kill 18 in Iraq

Thursday, August 13, 2009 MOSUL: At least 18 people, most of them members of the ancient Yazidi religious sect, were killed when two suicide bombers blew themselves up on Thursday in a packed cafe in northern Iraq, a local government official said.At least 31 people were also wounded after the bombers detonated suicide belts packed with explosives in the cafe in Kalaa town, in the district of Sanjar, local district chief Dakheel Qassem Hasoon, told a foreign news agency."Two suicide bombers entered the Cafe Barbaroz at 4:30 pm (1330 GMT) and blew themselves up, killing 18 civilians and wounding 31. Most of the victims were Yazidis," Hasoon said.Kalaa, northwest of the insurgent stronghold of Mosul in northern Nineveh province is predominantly populated by the minority Yazidi religious sect, as well as Arabs and Kurds.The attack is the deadliest since Monday, when 51 people were killed across Iraq, including 28 members of the tiny Shabak sect cut down when two truck bombs det...

US drones to target Taliban in Afghan war

Friday, July 31, 2009 WASHINGTON: The US military plans to use more drone aircraft to target Taliban militants in Afghanistan while focusing less on hunting down Al-Qaeda figures, report said on Thursday.Although defeating the Al-Qaeda terror network remains an overriding goal for Washington, officials now believe the best way to pursue that objective is to ensure stability in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan instead of Al-Qaeda manhunts, the paper said, citing US government and Defense Department officials.It was more important to prevent a slide towards violence and anarchy that could be exploited by Al-Qaeda, which used Afghanistan to stage its attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, the officials said."We might still be too focused on Bin Laden," an official said. "We should probably reassess our priorities."The shift in priorities for the drone fleet comes despite President Barack Obama's declaration that defeating and dismantling Al-Qaeda ...