What Browser Are You Using?

As a computer geek, one of the first things I do when I get a new laptop is fire up Internet Explorer and use it to download a better browser. Even though I am still amazed at how many people haven't tried using any browser other than IE, it makes sense. It comes pre-installed on every Windows machine and it doesn't require any more thought than clicking the icon. It is familiar and comfortable.

But there are a few browsers out there that are free to use and can make your web time more plesant. It doesn't matter if you are a technical person or not, but if you use a computer a great deal, there are many add ons and customizations you can make with some of the other popular browsers that can save you time and headache.

Here is a quick look at some of the other options and how they can help you.

Mozilla Firefox 3.0- Firefox has been gaining popularity over the past few years and is quickly becoming the most popular web browser. The company was started after Netscape (an old web browser) went out of business and the programmers decided to start a new company built around the idea of an open source web browser. Because the code is available to the public, other programmers are able to build add ons that you can download to customize your browser. The browser is free as are the add ons. One of the most popular add on is AdBlock Plus, which blocks most of the ads on the website you visit. There are even add ons to help you in the Real Estate Market, like Real Estate Peruser which allows you to search multiple real estate listing services at once. Many people enjoy Firefox's ease of use and lack of spyware. The people at Mozilla have a large and loyal fan base and a high degree of user satisfaction.

Google Chrome- Chrome is a new entry onto the web browser scene, but has been gaining ground to becoming the number 3 browser behind IE and Firefox. Like Firefox, Chrome is a free web browser. The Google browser is lightweight, doesn't hog a lot of system resources and is very fast. In fact, in many tests Chrome has clocked faster loading times than any other browser. Because it is still fairly new, it lacks some of the features and add ons that Firefox has, but it is a great browser for viewing multimedia. Google's goal in creating their browser was to rethink the way we use our browser to access the internet and to tailor a system that would make things faster and easier. And it looks as though they have achieved their goal. Chrome shows a lot of potential, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it outpacing Firefox in the next few years.

Opera- Opera was started as browser for a fee by a Norwegian company. It is now available for a fee and while it isn't quite as fast as Chrome or Firefox, it is a small program that takes up little computer space. Some of the great features Opera offers are Speed Dial, which allows users to program their most frequently used sites into a home page for easy access and the private browsing feature which allows users to web surf without saving any history. It has very fast initial loading time and offers a large library of accessories and widgets to enhance your experience. Some of my favorites is a notepad where I can jot down notes as I am visiting web pages. The downside is that many web pages aren't compatible with Opera and some people say that it crashes more frequently than the other browsers. Opera has been gaining market share within the mobile web community, as many cell phones and other devices use it as the default browser. To that end, Opera does offer syncing across all of your devices so that you bookmarks and other settings stay the same on all of your machines.

Apple Safari- Apple's browser is also free, and it is compatible with windows. It has a very sleek look and is easy to use. It doesn't offer all of the add ons that Firefox users expect, and it is just a little slower than Chrome. Safari is a great browser for Apple users who have to use a PC at work or on other machines.

Whichever browser you chose, it is important to think about how you use the internet and what your needs are in order to make an informed decision.

What browser do you use? Do you have any favorite add ons that help you with your business? Let me know in the comment section.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.