Discussion

What is the Best Browser?

Why is a browser important? It is the interface between you and the world wide web. A

browser allows the user to access specific web pages with ease. The browser translates

the code that was used to create a web page into a visual presentation of the

information on that page (this is called "rendering") (Sonnes, 2014). It is possible to

access items on the Web (files, apps, for example) without a browser, but most of us,

unless we are very proficient at using tools such as command line code, telnet, ftp, etc.,

prefer the simpler route of simply opening up a browser and typing in the name of the

site we want to visit. In addition, browsers make it easy to search for specific items,

move back and forth between pages at a web location, and bookmark pages that we

want to return to. Browsers also allow you to view multimedia embedded in the web

page, print content, and even provide access to an email application. Browser

extensions also provide some level of protection from sites that may be harmful to our

computer (sites that might contain viruses, worms, etc.).

So which browser is the best? That depends. Certain web sites are created to work

better with one browser than another (although a web site should be able to be

accessed by ANY of the most popular browsers). One of the things that impacts the

popularity of a particular browser the most is the speed at which a page can be loaded

(made visible to the user). Again, this speed of rendering a display of a web page also

depends on the internet connection (speed and bandwidth), the computer itself

(memory, processor speed), and the efficiency of the code underlying the web site. The

best browser is the one that meets your needs and works best on the platform you are

using (desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone) (Muchmore, 2018).

Do you recognize these browser names: Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera? Do

you have a preference for one? Why? Many of us become familiar with and

comfortable with a particular browser (maybe the one that came loaded on the device

when we bought it, or one that is used on our devices at work). It can be fun to explore

other browsers (multiple browsers can be loaded on the same device without creating a

conflict). In fact, it is probably a good idea to have more than one browser loaded (if

your device can handle the memory constraints) so that if a web page will not load using

one browser you can try another one.

Here is a short list of other browsers with which you might not be familiar: LYNX,

MIDORI, TORCH, VIVALDI, COMODO ICE DRAGON (Francis & Arora, 2017).

Intrigued? Want to see the latest reviews of the big 5 listed above? Just open up your

favorite browser and type in "Best browsers" or "Little known browsers" or "Best

browsers for smartphones", etc. One of the best tools that a browser provides is the

ability to do a search on a specific topic and get a list of all the sites, articles, blogs that

address the topic of interest.

References

Francis, R., & Arora, H. (2017, June 8). 6 lesser-known browsers: Free, lightweight and low-maintenance.

Retrieved from Computerworld.com: https://www.computerworld.com/article/2485269/web-

apps/web-apps-5-lesser-known-browsers-free-lightweight-and-low-maintenance.html?page=5

Muchmore, M. (2018, March 5). What is the Best & Fastest Browser? Internet Browser Reviews: 2018.

Retrieved from Hubpages.com: https://hubpages.com/technology/What-is-the-best-browser

Sonnes, S. (2014, July 7). What does it mean to "render" a web page? Retrieved from

PathInteractive.com: https://www.pathinteractive.com/blog/design-development/rendering-a-

webpage-with-google-webmaster-tools/