HomeTime To Upgrade Your Browser!
Web browsers are probably the most used software in this day and age. We access the Internet, play on-line games, access bank accounts, use them to power web applications such as Google Docs and so much more. There are so many browsers to choose from but which one do we choose?
Mozilla Firefox is the second most popular browser which has taken the market share from Internet Explorer. There is also Opera and Google Chrome which are also quite popular. Not to mention the Linux browsers like konqueror and Safari on the Mac.
Which one do we use?
Well the simple answer to that is one that has a good reputation for its security features. This has got to be a main priority nowadays with most of the security vulnerabilities coming from the web. Firefox no doubt has triumphed in the browser world as Internet Explorer announced yet another security flaw in December 08. Sadly a lot of people don’t like change and are scared of using another browser.
My advice would be if you are worried about security flaws then change to a more secure browser. Not all browsers can be 100% secure as they await the hackers to find these flaws but surely if you want peace of mind this is definitely an option.
Statistics
As I said earlier Mozilla Firefox is closing in on Internet Explorer as the most used browser software. According to w3schools in December 08 firefox had 44.4% of the market share compared to 36.3% the previous year. Internet Explorer 7 had 26.1% compared to 21% the previous year. Internet Explorer 6 is still widely used as people either haven’t upgraded their browser or just don’t want to.
Choice
Now for the choice.
We will start with Firefox which is easily configurable has many extensions to appeal to all different kinds of users. Opera is a lightweight browser which is renowned for its speed and simplicity especially on older computers. There are also widgets that you can install that also suit a variety of audiences.
There are others that are that promising on the browser front. Safari which is most popular on a mac but you can also get it on windows is safe and secure but lack customisation features. Flock is great for social networking enthusiasts it is based on the gecko rendering engine of firefox. Google Chrome is the newest which is very lean and has faster browsing but lacks the customisation features of Firefox and opera.
Conclusion
Whatever you choose you don’t need to uninstall Internet Explorer if you don’t want to as there are certain sites that rely on it, it still serves a purpose. The beta version of IE8 is also out for testing which shows more promise than recent versions, however all the bad press may have put a lot of people off.
