Browser Wars: Old favorites and new challengers

By Hunter Schloss, Triangle Copy Editor

See that blue “e” on your computer’s desktop? Of course you do. You probably click it several times each day. What you might not realize, however, is that there are other browsers out there that do a better job than Internet Explorer (IE) when it comes to surfing the web.

You’re not alone if you thought Internet Explorer was the only browser out there – around 95% of all web sites are viewed with the popular Microsoft program. This is due to the fact that virtually all computers come pre-installed with Windows on them, and therefore IE as well. What’s more, IE “just works” for most people.

So why should I switch?

The first reason that comes to mind is IE’s horrible track record when it comes to security. The latest version, IE 6, has been out for more than three years and has yet to undergo a serious and much-needed makeover. Consequently, hackers, criminals, and general bad-doers have had three years to hone their skill at infecting users’ computers with all sorts of spyware and viruses. One such security hole is actually marketed as a feature of IE – a tool called ActiveX. Originally designed to add a heightened level of interactivity and multimedia to the web, this “feature” has become the main vehicle by which spyware and other malicious programs install themselves on computers without the user’s notice or consent. The most famous example is one that happened earlier this year. A virus now being called “download.ject” installed itself on every computer using IE, which had the potential to steal confidential passwords to unauthorized third parties via the use of a program called a keystroke logger. How did this program install itself undetected, you may ask? That’s right – ActiveX. Sure, Microsoft issued a patch for the virus, but at that point it was too little, too late.

Another incentive to change browsers is IE’s lack of support for certain standards on the web. The most notable of these standards is a language much like HTML called CSS (short for “cascading style sheets”). CSS aids HTML by defining how a website is supposed to look – everything from font colors to layouts. This poses a catch-22 for web developers: code the way one “should” do it and risk faulty web pages for 95% of the population or code in a fashion that looks best in IE and throw all proper standards and procedures out the window? The end result is an internet riddled with inconsistencies which can stifle any proposed improvements to the way websites are developed.

Finally, most IE users just don’t realize what they’re missing with such an old browser. The most notable feature that jumps out when using an alternative browser is the use of tabbed browsing. Tabs allow you to easily switch between multiple web pages within the same window instead of cluttering up your taskbar with multiple windows. The whole concept sounds simplistic, but both the better interface of tabs and the small speed increase your computer experiences from not having to handle multiple windows at a time expedite your web surfing experience. Another characteristic these other browsers have is an integrated popup blocker. IE users have to go through the trouble of downloading third party software like the Google toolbar for this feature.

What else is out there? And which one is right for me?

Other popular browsers for Windows include Mozilla/Firefox (www.mozilla.org), Opera (www.opera.com), and Maxthon (www.maxthon.com – formerly called MyIE2). All of these browsers have a few things in common, the most important of which is that they’re all free (although with Opera you’ll have to pay to get rid of the advertisements at the top). None of them even bother with ActiveX, making them much more secure than IE. They also all employ tabbed browsing, proof that it is simply a more efficient web experience.

Mozilla/Firefox

First, of all, Mozilla/Firefox are really two different browsers made by the same company. If you really need everything but the kitchen sink in your browser, download Mozilla – it not only has a browser but a chat, email, and html client included. For the small and speedy stripped down version, download Firefox.

Mozilla/Firefox is currently the most popular alternative browsers out there, with around 4% market share. The first thing you notice about it is that it’s small – only a 4.5MB download, which greatly helps its speed. Mozilla/Firefox’s philosophy seems to be to just give you what you need, and let you install anything else. With that said, Mozilla/Firefox is not a browser short on features. Highlights include greater control over javascript on web pages (another security concern), an integrated pop-up blocker, and resizing images so they fit in the browser window. Some web pages, however, don’t display correctly, but these are definitely in the vast minority.

Of course, this “only what you need” attitude means you’ll have to install whatever customized plug-ins you may need, such as Flash, Shockwave, and Quicktime. For any other features you may have grown accustomed to, there are multiple extensions that you can download, ranging from enabling mouse gestures to notifying you when your gmail account has a new message. There are also multiple themes to change the look of the entire browser, from modern to kid-themed

It is ironic that both Mozilla and Firefox are making headway in the browser market against IE, since they are both based on Netscape code, the same browser that Microsoft tried desperately (and successfully) to kill. In fact, Mozilla/Firefox was actually spun off as a separate project from Netscape in the company’s last few days.

Opera

The most striking thing about Opera is the ads at the very top of the window. They’re not too distracting, and you can get rid of them by paying $39 (but who really wants to do that?). Opera has most of the features other browsers have, but it really shines in its ease of use when searching. It features a very handy pull-down menu next to the address bar that includes options for searching Google, Amazon.com, Ebay, Download.com, and more. Other commercial sites are included automatically in the bookmarks, although some people may see that as more of an annoyance than a service. If your favorite site isn’t on the list, you can always add it.

This user interface can seem a little intimidating at first, if only because there are too many options cluttering the screen. There are two toolbars at the top right below the ads and another toolbar on the left side. Thankfully, you can customize Opera to suit your preferences.

Maxthon

If you happen to enjoy the look and feel of IE and yet still want to switch, Maxthon is for you. All of its controls look very similar to their Microsoft counterparts, which leads to a more intuitive feel than the other two browsers. Like Opera, however, Maxthon is full of different options and settings, so getting this browser to work just how you want it to may take awhile. The method of displaying all these options is instinctive, with each setting belonging to a specific subgroup. This applies especially to the bookmark system, where it is very easy to separate your favorite web sites into groups for easier referencing.

The biggest downside to Maxthon, though, is its stability. A few times when I was opening large files or when I tried to switch between tabs too fast the program would lock up. While this is aggravating, Maxthon has the ability to open the last webpage you visited at startup, which minimizes the pain of frequent lock ups.

The browsers reviewed here are by no means the only ones; they are only the most popular. There is one that fits whatever experience you want to get out of the Internet. Each browser has its advantages and disadvantages, so be sure to go beyond even this simple review and find out for yourself which browser is right for you.