Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari – Which Should I Choose?

Currently in 2010 you have a range of choices regarding which browser you can surf the web with. This article covers each of the top 5 browsers giving a brief explanation of each.

Statistically as of June 2010 your most likely viewing this article in the Firefox browser. Firefox now holds around 46% of the market share with the dominance and monopoly of Internet Explorer, in all its various versions diminishing.

Originally Internet Explorer was the default browser on any install of a Windows operating system resulting in the majority of people starting and continuing to use the browser.

After some legal battles with the EU Microsoft has been forced to give the users of Windows OS the option to from the five most popular browsers. So what browser do you choose?

There are five main options all with varying applications, pros and cons.

Mozilla Firefox:

For a user who likes to customise their web experience this is the browser for you. Firefox has a massive library of plug-ins and add-on, with categories ranging from Appearance through to Privacy & Security.

Although its important to note that compared with Chrome and Opera Firefox does slow down after adding to many plug-ins. However with every new release this is changing very quickly.

Chrome:

Renowned for being the fastest browser available with a simple and easy to use interface. The ability to add plugins (extensions) has recently been implemented as well as increased security for passwords.

However a lot of people are concerned about how much information they would be giving to Google if they are using a Google browser Gmail, Buzz, Maps and Search.

Opera:

Unlike Google Chrome and Firefox, Opera comes ready with extras and add-ons already included however it doesn’t support extensions in the same way the other two previous browsers do.

However a lot of web programmers don’t test websites on Opera so in some cases web pages may not load correctly. Opera is still a fine choice for those who don’t want to have to mess around adding extra security or changing various settings.

Safari:

A browser primarily associated with Apple products, Safari can be used across all platforms. Previously Safari was not as competitive as Chrome, Firefox, or Opera in terms of security, speed, and customisation. This has changed as of June this year with the latest version.

Internet Explorer 8:

Internet Explorer previously installed with every version of Windows operating system. Version 8 is a vast (and desperately needed) improvement on all previous iterations of the browser. Specifically in terms of speed and security. However even with this improvement IE8 is still lagging behind its competitors significantly.

Which Should I Choose?

Personally I choose Firefox purely for its security, customisable functions and plug-ins although Chrome is beginning to grow on me particularly with the integration of other Google Products it makes for a seamless web experience. It all depends on what you what to get out of your browser. The most important thing to note, whatever browser you’re using, make sure you update it regularly. With all the increased competition newer, faster and more secure versions are being released almost constantly.