A recent recent time ago, in a galaxy very very near, a trident-toting Poseidon, a giant dinosaur on fire, a ninja who enjoys going on safaris, and a robot from the future all began a war that rages on to this very day, across the entire globe, right in your very own businesses and homes.
Ok, maybe I’m slightly exaggerating on the characters, but this war is almost as epic. I’m referring to the battle of browser dominance on your computer. Browsers are the applications you choose to view the internet with, and the four main companies jockeying for your attention are Microsoft, Mozilla, Apple, and Google. Microsoft brings the pain with Internet Explorer, Mozilla’s got game with Firefox, Apple offers the speedy Safari, and Google rules the market with Chrome.
Microsoft – Internet Explorer – Poseidon
I’m sure you’ve heard of Microsoft, Windows and Internet Explorer. Most PCs come with Windows preloaded, and every version of Windows comes with Internet Explorer. This has been true since 1995. I refer to Internet Explorer as the Poseidon of browsers – it is a trident-based browser, it’s ancient history, and much like Poseidon it can cause certain forms of mental disturbance, at least for web developers.
The reason Internet Explorer is not a favorite among web developers is because there are multiple versions of Internet Explorer which combine to create a strong market share – and each have their own way of rendering code. A fair amount of time goes into making sure each version of Internet Explorer renders the websites we create properly, because Internet Explorer is still a browser that a lot of people use.
If you have IE, I have to recommend upgrading to Microsoft Edge or another browser such as Firefox or Chrome. I am not saying this because it will make our job easier, but because IE has security flaws that can cripple your device. If you stay up to date with whichever browser you have, browsing the internet will be faster and much, much safer.
Mozilla – Firefox – Giant Dinosaur on Fire
Mozilla’s Firefox entered the market after Internet Explorer defeated Netscape Navigator back in the first browser war. I consider Firefox the Giant Dinosaur on Fire of browsers mainly because that is Mozilla’s logo, but also because Firefox, while powerful and customizable, can be a bit of a large beast in terms of how much memory it takes to use.
If you have a powerful machine or performance is a non-issue I highly recommend Firefox. Because it is built on an open-source platform, there are thousands of wonderful add-ons that you can very easily download and install to make your internet experience as personal as possible.
Apple – Safari – Ninja Who Enjoys Going on Safaris
In my mind, Apple’s Safari is a Ninja Who Enjoys Going on Safaris, because it’s super fast (like a ninja) and the browsing experience encourages exploration.
OK, maybe I’m stretching for a connection to the character I made up, but I recommend visiting their what’s new in Safari page to learn if you really think Safari is a good fit for you. I’d say Safari definitely gives browsing the internet that Apple “look and feel.”
Google – Chrome – Robot From the Future
Google’s Chrome is a Robot From the Future because basically, it’s been built differently to be faster than any browser before it. Check out this great comic that illustrates what makes Chrome different than Internet Explorer and Firefox. Chrome is fast, and also integrates the rest of Google’s services right into your browser. If you are a gmail user or are interested in other things Google has to offer, I recommend checking out Chrome.
Conclusion – The War Wages On
In the end, it’s all up to you. Whether you want functionality, reliability, security, or speed, a lot goes into picking a browser. If you stick with IE forever, your browsing experience will suffer as companies move away from and encourage users to stop supporting it.
We here at Weblinx Inc. guarantee that your website will display properly in every supported browser. I just wanted to share this information with you so you can have the best browsing experience possible.