Which browser should I use?

Which browser to use to surf the net is a really good question that nobody can really answer. It depends on the user. Until 1997, Netscape was the most popular browser. Then, Microsoft's Internet Explorer started getting more and more users. It is installed on every new machine you buy that has any version of Windows on it. Internet Explorer has now surpassed Netscape as the most popular browser. Many sites, such as this one, are designed to be viewed in one browser over another one. That is because both Netscape and IE show pages differently. There are certain html (the programming language used to create web pages) codes that are only recognized in one browser over another.

Great, but that still doesn't tell me which one to use.

Well, I suggest that you install the newest versions of both IE and Netscape that your computer can handle*. (Currently, Netscape and IE are both promoting versions 6 of their software.) If you see a web page that tells you the page was designed to be viewed in a specific browser, load that one up and view the page. Neither browser takes up so much hard drive space that a standard computer's hard drive should have a problem.

Once you download a browser, you must install it. I always suggest that you read and print the instructions BEFORE you start the process. If you have any questions, get an answer before you start installing. Both Netscape and Internet Explorer offer full directions on exactly how to install their browser.

*It is always suggested that you check the system requirements prior to installing any software. If you are unsure if your machine can handle it, ask a friend who knows about computers to take a look at your system first.

The Importance of Updating

The most important thing is to make sure your browser is updated. Some people like to keep their copy of IE or Netscape 3.0 on their machine and surf the net that way. That is fine, but these users will miss a lot of the newest features available on the web. As a web developer, I get e-mail's often from users who complains about the way a web page looks or that they did not have access to navigation, or other features because the site was designed for a newer browser. I design a majority of websites for IE or Netscape 4.0 or higher. IE 3.0 is very different from IE 4.0. A good example of not upgrading is like still using a rotary phone instead of a touch-tone. You will still be able to make phone calls, but will have trouble when calling for customer service when you are asked to enter in "1 for billing", "2 for service", etc. If you computer is older and just can't handle upgrading to a newer browser, there isn't much you can do.

One thing to watch out for is that some new versions have "bugs" - problems with the software that the people who developed the program didn't catch. I always backup important files before I do any upgrading. You may also want to talk other people who have upgraded their browser, just to see if they ran into any problems. When Internet Explorer 4.0 first came out, a lot of people ran into huge problems with their computers.

You also need to have the latest plugins. A Plugin is an add-on program that helps you view additional content that the browser alone doesn't understand.
Click here to read up on Plugins.

Other Options

There are many other browser out there besides Netscape and IE. If you are an experienced user, you may want to try some of those out. I also use a browser called Opera. It's great, super fast and easy to use. The problem is that many sites don't show up correctly when I use that browser, including this site. So, I just keep a few different browsers on my machine and can pick which one to use based on the site I'm visiting. However, Netscape and IE are still in the majority when it comes to which browser people are using.