Internet Explorer: You either really like or or you really hate it. One thing for sure, IE is a prime target for hackers due to the fact it is so widely used. But we recommend using multiple web browsers not because of security issues alone. Sometimes, web browsers just break. And if you only have one installed, you might not be able to easily access the Internet. Not only that, there are other browsers that perform differently and depending on what you’re doing, you might opt to choose one over the other. Certainly, web site developers need to have several installed on their computer to make sure their code is behaving properly on all platforms. Here are some of our favorite web browsers. You should install at least three of them. But be careful, each will try to become default, so be wary of the check boxes and buttons you click during the installation.
Firefox - Firefox is the second dominant web browser and should be install along side Internet Explorer, even if you choose to stick with IE. You will be able to import your favorites and even add custom themes to give it a different look and feel.
Google Chrome – Chrome is a strange little browser because it acts more like a search engine than a web browser. You can type queries into the address bar instead of real URLs and it quickly helps you find whatever you’re looking for. It’s fast and actually a nice little web browser once you get used to it.
Opera - Opera is the Little-Browser-That-Could and has been around for quite a while. It never really took a foothold with the Internet community, but there is certainly nothing wrong with it.
Safari - Safari is to Apple as Internet Explorer is to the PC. Safari has a PC version if you feel so inclined to run it.
These are all great browsers, but our top three picks to have on all machines is Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome. If you have recommendations of your own, be sure to let us know here or join our free computer forums and post a comment there.
