Culpture Internet Explorer

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.

If you live out in the country and don’t have access to cable or DSL (digital subscriber line) service, how can you get high-speed Internet service? Simple – Satellite Internet. But who has the highest speeds and the best prices? Read on …

What is Satellite Internet Service?

Instead of using your phone line or a cable line to access the Internet, satellite service uses a satellite dish to capture then redirect a satellite Internet signal to your computer. Because satellite service does not have the bandwidth restriction that dialup service does, satellite service is up to 50 times faster than dialup.

High-speed satellite service is available to anyone in the United States who has an unobstructed view of the southern sky.

What Equipment do I Need?

In order to get satellite service you need a satellite dish to capture the signal sent by an Internet provider, and an uplink and downlink modem.

Which Provider Has the Highest Speed?

Of the four major Satellite Internet companies, HughesNet offers the fastest speed available – 5Mbps download speed which is 50 times faster than dialup.

It’s closest competitor, WildBlue offers upload speeds up to 1.5 Mbps. The next two providers, SkyWay and StarBand also offer speeds up to 1.5 Mbps.

How Much Does it Cost?

Thanks to the competition between satellite providers, prices have come down in recent years. For instance, you can get 1 Mbps service from HughesNet for $59.99 per month. That includes free installation, 24/7 technical support, and anti-spam and anti-virus protection. You also get a 30-day money-back guarantee.

WildBlue’s 1 Mbps service is $69.95 per month, SkyWay’s 1.5 Mbps service is $79.95 per month, and Starband’s 1 Mbps service is $69.99 per month.

The Bottom Line

If you want a super-fast Internet connection that lets you surf web pages like flipping through the pages of a magazine … an always-on connection that lets you talk on the phone while you’re on the Internet … and the ability to download music and video files in seconds instead of minutes or hours … then satellite Internet service is what you’re looking for.

As more computers become part of the world wide network thanks to high-speed internet connections, internet security is becoming an issue everyone needs to be concerned about. These malicious programs can do an endless array of bad things: Steal passwords, steal credit card numbers, send spam from your computer, use your computer to attack other computers and much more. Many people feel overwhelmed or lost by what they perceive to be a complex and daunting task, others ignore the issue entirely. Once you understand the threats and know a few basic concepts, the problem is simple.

Long gone are the days when simply being careful about clicking on a file or a link was enough to protect you. Once this was only a problem for people who traded illegal software, nowadays viruses and trojans regularly infect systems with no input from the user. Attacks are now cross platform and cross browser, using security holes present in helper applications. A trojan can target user regardless of browser or operating system.

Antivirus software is a good first step but has limited effectiveness. You want to keep the criminal out of your house not tackle him once he is in your living room. The number one way to prevent infections is to make sure every piece of software on your system is up to date and keeping itself up to date. Don’t ignore messages telling you that a piece of software needs to be updated. The vast majority of updates are to close known security holes, these holes almost always have active exploits taking advantage of them.

Another security step that is ignored even by most security professionals is using secure DNS servers. DNS servers are used to direct traffic to the correct web addresses. DNS servers can protect you in a number of ways. First, they can scan for and block sites for you; preventing your computer from even being able to get to a site trying to compromise your system. Second, just like anything else DNS servers can have security holes; many ISPs are lax about applying security patches to their DNS servers. Lastly, changing your default DNS server may make it harder for a virus to change it for you; many viruses will direct your computer to their own DNS server taking over all your internet activity. There are many free and secure DNS servers out there and setting one up on your system takes seconds.