What is a Browser?
Are you sure you know what a web browser is?
In this video lots of people think they know, but less than 8% asked, answered correctly.
A browser isn’t…
- A browser isn’t Windows or Mac — they are operating systems.
- A browser isn’t Google or Yahoo — they are search engines.
A browser is…
- A browser is a programme on your computer that will allow you visit websites.
To open a browser you click on it’s icon.
Once your browser has opened, you enter a web address, such as www.dezertdezine.com to get to the website that you want to visit.
What are the world’s most popular browsers?
At the time of writing this article the world’s most popular browsers in order of popularity were:
- Internet Explorer
- Firefox
- Chrome
- Safari
- Opera
Source: StatCounter Global Stats – Browser Market Share
Which web browser should you use?
As you can see, in June 2011 the world’s most popular browser was Internet Explorer. However, popularity doesn’t guarantee quality and although Microsoft’s latest version of Internet Explorer, IE 9 is certainly it’s best so far, it’s still not as good as any of the other major browsers listed. To make matters worse IE 9 can’t be installed on Windows XP.
Currently, my favourite browser for surfing the internet is Google’s Chrome browser. To me it feels like it’s the fastest and it supports practically all the new technology that web developers are starting to incorporate into modern websites. I recommend you give it a shot.
Where can I download these great browsers?
- Get Google’s Chrome browser
- Get Mozilla’s Firefox browser
- Get Apple’s Safari browser
- Get the Opera browser
- If all else fails, get Microsoft’s Internet Explorer
Remember all these browsers are completely free to download and use. It’s perfectly OK to run several different browsers on your computer at the same time.
Always try to keep your browsers up to date.