Browsing for Browsers

One of the common denominators in our technology-based world is change.  Just when you begin to be comfortable with a computer program, online service, computer, smart phone or other digital gizmo, they change it.  One of my favorite quotes attributed to Marshall McLuhan, the Canadian philosopher and communications theorist, summarizes what many of us feel.  “If it works, it must be obsolete.”

Online browsers seem to be high on the list of computer software that seems to change more often than some of us change socks.  A browser is a program that allows us to connect and interact with the internet, finding information, reading newspapers, listening to music and watching videos.  Some of the most popular are Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari. Since it is hard to keep up with all of the changes that are prevalent in all of them you might want to use just one. But which is the best?

All will work most of the time and all have certain features that set them apart from the others. So as to the question which is best… it depends on how you use the internet.

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer has been around for a long time and once was the browser used by most of the world.  Since it was bundled with the Windows Operating System many people never even thought to use another.  Explorer is a good bread and butter way to navigate the internet for most general users. July 2013 statistics show that it is used by about ¼ of all internet surfers worldwide.

Another once very popular browser is Firefox.  This free program from the non profit Mozilla is based on all open source software.  This means that developers all over the world contribute updates and improvements.  Like Internet Explorer, Firefox is a very good choice for those who are general users of the internet.  Less than 20% of internet users regularly use Firefox.

Currently the most widely used browser is Google Chrome. First released in 2008, Chrome now accounts for almost 50% of all browser usage today.  The rapid rise in acceptance comes from the domination of Google in most every facet of internet and computer use.  Once just a way to find things online, Google now provides panoply of services like Gmail, video calling, personal calendars, translation service, Google Earth and Maps to mention only a handful.  If you use any of the suite of Google services, Chrome is your best bet since it “plays well” with all them.

Finally, a distant fourth, is Safari from Apple.  Now garnering less that 10% of internet users, it works well on Apple products but brings little to the non-Apple user.

Of course you can load any or all of these browsers on your computer and use the one best suited to what you are doing.  I find that choosing one and staying with it is the best choice since all have features and commands that are not common to all.