Rowan County Public Library

What Is a Web Browser? A web browser is a software application that allows you to browse the internet, provided that you have an internet connection. If you are using a PC, you will have Internet Explorer installed by default. Mac’s have Safari installed by default.

The Browsers The five most common browsers are: Internet Explorer Mozilla Firefox Google Chrome Safari Opera

Which One Is Right For Me? In this guide we will be discussing the key features of each of these 5 browsers. Overall, it’s really up to personal preference. Though some browsers do out-perform others in certain areas. While we will be discussing each of these 5 browsers today, it may be best to download each and give them a try to best determine which is right for you.

Speed Comparison Please note that Safari is not included in this speed comparison. Based on Tom’s Hardware Browser Grand Prix, an independent study, Firefox is currently the fastest browser. Speed isn’t everything, though, so let’s look at the features and background of each of these browsers.

Mozilla Firefox Key Features: Fastest current browser High stability Minimal data usage Clean interface Highly customizable Large selection of plug-ins

About: Mozilla Firefox Firefox is a web browser for Mac, PC, and Android developed by the independent, non-profit organization: Mozilla. Firefox uses the Gecko Layout Engine, which meets current and anticipated web standards. Firefox is free and open-source. It has over 450 million users world-wide. It is supported via donations and fund raising and has hundreds of plug-ins and themes developed by independent users.

About: The Mozilla Project The Mozilla Project seeks to provide free and open-source web based materials to users world-wide. It is funded by the Mozilla Foundation, a non-profit organization that seeks to promote net neutrality and ensure free access to high quality web tools. The Mozilla Corporation is overseen and funded by the Mozilla Foundation. It exists to develop Mozilla’s various free, open- source web tools such as Firefox and Thunderbird.

Google Chrome Key Features: Very fast browser High stability Minimal-moderate data usage Clean, simple interface Google account integration

About: Google Chrome Google Chrome is a free web browser for Mac, PC, and Android that is developed and produced by Google Inc. Much of Chrome’s code is open- source via Chromium. While Chrome supports extensions or plug-ins, it does not allow for extensions obtained outside of the Chrome Web Store. It has long been a rival of Firefox, with most users preferring one of the two browsers.

About: Google Inc. Google Inc. is a for-profit organization specializing in internet-related services and products. It is based in Mountain View, CA. It’s rapid growth has facilitated the production of several products included the Google Search Engine, Chrome, Google+, Gmail, and more. Google Inc.’s Google Search remains the most used search engine in the world, processing more than 3 billion searches per day.

Internet Explorer Key Features: Easy to use, built in parental controls Bing integration Built-in browser for Windows Toolbar integration Improved speed, stability, and security

About: Internet Explorer Internet Explorer is the default web browser for machines running a Windows operating system. It is developed and produced by the Microsoft Corporation. Internet Explorer is one of the most commonly used web browsers. It’s usage has declined, however, since the introduction of Chrome and Firefox. It is often criticized for it’s lack of features, user-created content, and slow speeds.

About: Microsoft Microsoft (the Microsoft Corporation) is a for-profit organization which primarily produces, develops, and licenses technology and web based products. Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates. Today, Microsoft develops and produces it’s popular operating system Windows, Xbox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office, as well as many more products.

Safari Key Features: Apple product integration Simple design and interface layout iCloud integration Simplified sharing of sites

About: Safari Safari is a web browser developed and produced by Apple Inc. for Mac OS and iOS devices. There is also a version available for Windows. Due to it’s use primarily with Apple products, it is only the 4 th commonly used browser, behind Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox. Safari does not support flash on iOS and does not support certain versions of flash or java on Windows and Mac builds.

About: Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is a for-profit organization based in Cupertino, CA. It primarily produces and develops Apple (Mac and iOS) specific software, hardware, and web based tools. It was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. Apple is often criticized for the price of their products compared to their PC counterparts, as well as their products incompatibility with 3 rd party hardware and software.

Opera Key Features: “Speed Dial” shortcuts Keyboard shortcuts Available on most devices

About: Opera Opera is a web browser developed and produced by Opera Software. It is available on Windows, Mac OS, iOS, and Android devices. It is the least popular among the most common web browsers, coming in at the 5 th most popular in the world. Opera has been criticized for it’s lack of UI customization. It has received praise, however, for it’s modern design and stability.

About: Opera Software Opera Software is a Public Stock Company, based in Norway. It is most well known for it’s development of the Opera web browser. It was founded in 1995 by Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner and Geir Ivarsøy. Despite designing a competent browser, Opera Software has not met with the success of any of it’s competitors.

Browser Usage Image Source: anniewin.blogspot.com

Which Browser Is Right For Me? Today we’ve covered the top 5 browsers, but there are many more browsers. Each browsers has it’s pros and cons, and, ultimately, it’s up to your preference as the end user. Hopefully this guide has given you an idea of what to expect from each of these 5 browsers, but in order to really determine which is right for you, you need to download each and give them a try for yourself.

Browser Downloads Firefox: Google Chrome: chrome.google.com Internet Explorer: Safari: Opera:

Questions? Thanks for visiting Rowan County Public Library. If you have any questions, we’re happy to help.