Browser Software

A web browser is a software application which enables a user to display and interact with text, images, videos, music, games and other typical web page information. This page is usually located on the World Wide Web but may reside on a local area network. The Web page’s text and images may be linked to other Web pages at the same or different website. Web browsers allow a user to access information quickly and easily by following these links. Web browsers format HTML information for display, so the appearance of a Web page may differ between browsers.

While the Internet did exist for decades prior to the first graphical browsers, it was not a mass-market application. The web browser dates back to late 1980s. The first web browser, the WorldWideWeb, launched the modern Internet and started an on-going revolution that gives no signs of abating. There are now an estimated 1.4 billion Internet users, almost all of whom access the Net via a browser. At the time of this writing the approximate market share of personal computer browsers is (Microsoft) Internet Explorer: 72 %, Firefox: 19 %, and (Apple) Safari: 7 %. No other browser has 1% of the total market. One of the most recent contenders is Google’s Chrome.

While Safari comes from Apple, you can run it on Windows computers.

Web browsers communicate with Web servers primarily using HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol) to fetch web pages. These pages are located by means of a URL (uniform resource locator), the address. Most URLs begin with http: which specifies HTTP access. When the URL starts with https:, the data is encrypted prior to transfer. The file format for a Web page is often HTML (hyper-text markup language) but a multitude of other formats are supported. Image formats include JPEG, PNG and GIF. Plugins allow for a multitude of other formats including audio and video. Browsers support a variety of e-mail, chat and other services. No wonder that in many peoples’ minds the browser is the Internet and the Internet is the computer.

Opera, another choice for Internet browsers.

Arguably security is the most important consideration in the selection of an Internet browser. The Internet is the gateway of choice for computer viruses, spyware, identity theft, and threats to children. Most browsers will help defend your computer and your family against these attacks.

Many people are comfortable with using several Internet browsers, even at the same time. I prefer working with Firefox and yet find that Internet Explorer is the best browser for the Google Images web site. And to my way of thinking Apple’s Safari browser displays web pages most attractively. By the way, you can run it on Windows computers. Whichever browser (or browsers) that you choose, take the time to learn the fine points. This will help you work and play more efficiently.