How well do you know your web browser?

24 March, 2010

Web browsers are pretty important to us.

I can guarantee you’ve got one installed on your computer, and it’s most likely that you’re using one right now to read this blog post. Despite their ubiquitous nature, we sometimes encounter a bit of confusion over the concept of the ‘web browser’.

Your web browser is not the internet itself, nor is it part of a particular website. It’s merely a ‘window’ into the content that makes up the internet. Think of your web browser as a translator, waiting to be fed code and data so that it can be translated it into text, images and layout to make it easy for you to understand. It’s a program that resides on your computer, just like Word or Notepad.

Your web browser can be configured with a ‘homepage’, which is merely a website that is loaded automatically when the program is opened. Sometimes this page is mistaken as the browser itself, which is incorrect - your web browser remains independent of the websites you use it to view.

Web browser programs are typically free and widely available for download from a number of different providers. If you have a Windows PC or Mac with OS X, you’ll already have one installed - Internet Explorer on PC, and Safari on Mac.

There are alternatives however, and depending on your needs, may be a better fit. Three of the most common alternatives are Mozilla Firefox, Opera and Google Chrome. Both are developed and maintained by independent companies and as such have no particular ties to either operating system. These browsers are very-well featured and extensible with modules and addons, meaning you can really customise your browser to suit your needs.

If you’d like more information on which web browser to use, or if you’d like to ask us a question, get in contact with us via our Twitter account or via our online contact form.

Blog post written by Michael Bartlett of Feedia - Web Design Brisbane