Articles » The Evolution of Web Browsers
The Evolution of Web Browsers
Since the mainstream use of the internet from 1995, we've seen a number of web browsers come and go. AOL Netscape was the first dominant player until around 1998, when it was then overtaken by Microsoft Internet Explorer. From 2005, Mozilla Firefox came on the scene and was soon wrestling with Internet Explorer for its share of the web browser market.
With Google Chrome now gaining increased popularity, hot on the tail of Firefox, it appears that in the evolving world of internet technology, not one web browser (or supplier) can dominate the market for too long.
Knowing there is a choice
Even though there has always been a choice of different web browsers, a large proportion of internet users (particularly less experienced ones) may be not be aware of the other browsers that are available or haven't considered choosing a different internet browser.
The EU, in an attempt to provide greater freedom in the European market have stepped in to force Microsoft to now offer a selection of alternative web browsers to European Windows XP, Vista and 7 customers.
Millions of Europeans who may not have originally thought about different internet browsers will now be faced with a choice and will be more tempted to try out alternatives. This increased competition should bring further innovations to the web browser market.
Since this recent action, the web browser market in Europe has already really opened up. In just a few weeks, millions of Europeans have made the move away from some of the more well known browsers, seeing what the other equally viable options have to offer. Smaller browser companies like Opera have experienced a massive surge in their number of users.
The Internet Explorer 6 dinosaur, soon to be extinct
Unfortunately many people have stuck with Internet Explorer 6 simply because it has come bundled with their operating system or they have turned down the option to upgrade. Even though this web browser is over 8 years old, it still has a relatively large share of the web browser market.
Internet Explorer 6 is known to have several bugs, including a number of serious security and website compatibility issues. The continued use of Internet Explorer 6 has been a bane for many web developers, as it is unable to support many of the latest advancements in web design and functionality.
With internet technology steadily moving forward, Internet Explorer 6 users will soon find that many newer websites won't display properly or simply won't work. Because of the program's limitations, there is a widespread movement strongly encouraging people to upgrade to later versions of Internet Explorer (7 or 8) or other web browsers. Internet Explorer 6 is especially dated now and many popular websites like YouTube, Facebook and Digg are planning to shortly discontinue support for it altogether.
Is Chrome the new black?
Google Chrome was introduced towards the end of 2008 and has steadily gained ground on Mozilla Firefox in the popularity stakes. Chrome is said to run quicker than Firefox.
There is a difference in the overall appearance and the functionality of some of the features. Some prefer the aesthetic layout and usability of Chrome and say it is less cluttered and more efficient.
Uniquely, Chrome has a separate task process for each opened tab, which requires more memory consumption, but provides a lot greater browsing stability. This means if one of the tabbed websites is playing up and causes the tab to crash, the entire browser won't.
While a lot of people avidly swear by Chrome, many committed Firefox users continue to point out that Firefox is far more extendable as it supports a number of advanced add-on features and is better integrated to work with Windows operating systems.
Both Chrome and Firefox have their own individual benefits and there is still much contention on both sides as to which browser is better.
So which is the best browser?
The updated browser.
Whichever browser you choose, it is imperative that you use the latest version of your browser and keep it up to date. Most web users already know the potential dangers of going online and use firewalls, anti-virus and antispyware software to help protect their computers and their personal information.
Unfortunately, a lot of us forget (or aren't fully aware of) the importance of updating our web browsers. As well as providing essential online security, web browsers form a very integral part of our internet browsing experience.
Keeping your browser up to date is certainly worth 30 seconds or less of your time and will provide a number of benefits:
The latest security
Hackers are always looking for security holes in web browsers and there are many websites lurking on the net designed to try and steal your personal information or install malware onto your computer. Web browser developers are always fighting back and continually improve their software security to make their browsers less pervious to internet attacks.
More options, better ease of use
Updates often contain new features that are unavailable in older versions. Enhanced privacy options, navigation tabs that allow you to switch between websites within one browser window, as well as a range of other options are among the recent improvements in web browser development. By not regularly updating your browser, you may be missing out on a number of features that will increase your browsing enjoyment.
Faster browsing
Speed is a very important factor in the advancement of internet browsers and all the industry leaders are continually working on making internet browsing as fast as possible.
Greater compatibility
As website design is progressing, some newer websites may contain layouts or visual effects that cannot be displayed or supported on older versions of web browsers. The latest browsers will support older sites, but not vice-versa.
Support of additional plug-ins
With each new web browser update, more plug-ins often become available, offering advanced users special features for specific technical needs.
Updates are free
The most popular browsers are free of charge to install and update. Improvements in security and features come at no additional cost.
At the end of the day, there are many serviceable browsers on the market you can choose from. As almost all are free, there is no reason why you can't install a number of different browsers on your PC and try them all out to find out which ones you prefer.
More and more internet users are becoming aware of the browser choices available. With greater competition and diversity in the web browser market, the only way for web browsing technology is up.
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