Which Web Browser Should I Use?

The Internet is everywhere. The catch is that you need a web browser to use it. The good news is that nearly every device with a network connection comes with a browser built in. As is the case with lots of standard-issue tools, sometimes they lack features. Due to the sheer number of aftermarket web browsers, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. We’ve been asked “Which web browser should I use?” more than once. Let’s take a look at the most popular options.

Let’s start with built-in browsers. Microsoft operating systems ship with Edge, which is the replacement for the notorious Internet Explorer. Apple operating systems ship with Safari. Lastly, Linux browsers vary with your distribution and desktop environment. All of these options are perfectly fine for everyday use, and are relatively secure. So why do we have so many other browsers out there?

A little history

To help understand this, we need to look back at the early days of the public internet. Mainstream Internet usage exploded around the late 1990s. The most commonly used browser in the world was Internet Explorer. Additionally, Internet Explorer had access to Windows system internals. Malicious websites quickly sprung up to take advantage of these issues. To tackle this problem, organizations created their own web browsers.

Shortly thereafter, new features started popping up in third-party browsers. Tabs, plug-ins, and private browsing are some of the more popular features that have since become main stream. Plug-ins allow users to customize their browsers. These plug-ins add tools or features that a specific browser might not have. Private browsing allows users to open a browser window that will not record any session history, and reduce tracking.

Which web browser should I use?

We still haven’t answered our original question. Does it really matter which browser you use? Given the vast improvements in browser security since the 1990s, it’s really more personal preference anymore. If you’re looking to try something new, here are a few of our recommendations:

• Firefox – Firefox is privacy-oriented, and highly expandable through a massive library of plug-ins. Resource usage is pretty light, also.
• Brave – The newcomer pro-privacy and anti-ad browser. Built on Chrome’s Chromium engine, Brave supports some Chrome plugins.
• Chrome – Cross-platform support and very stable. A little high on resource usage, though. Make sure you have plenty of RAM. Like Firefox, Chrome has no shortage of plug-ins.
• Opera – Quick, and great for users who need to conserve data, such as mobile and satellite users.

Is there a browser that you think deserves an honorable mention? Are you still asking yourself “What web browser should I use?” Drop a comment below and we’ll get it sorted out! If you need a more information, don’t hesitate to contact us.

 

Article originally appeared on www.almacenetworks.com