IE vs Firefox vs Chrome vs Opera

When it comes to browsing, there's a lot more than just Internet Explorer available. And there’s so much more you can get done, so many extra features you can have.

These are four of the more popular Web browsers currently battling for supremacy in cyberspace. Read on to find out what they are all about.

Internet Explorer (IE)

Internet Explorer (IE) is the oldest of the pack, and somehow, resting on their laurels hasn’t done them much good. They are still the largest user base, but that probably has a lot to do with the fact that it comes bundled with Windows.

One major aspect going for IE is that it offers maximum compatibility to websites. You may come across a few Web pages that aren’t completely suited to view in other browsers but that number is few and far between. IE has also started offering add-on functionality like their major competitor Firefox.

Firefox

The favourite of millions and pipped to take over the top spot from IE very soon, Firefox is known for its ease of use, 1000s of free extensions, add-ons and themes.

There are extensions for literally everything that you feel the need for. If you know what you are doing, then Firefox is immensely tweak able to Net faster speeds.

Chrome

Google's Chrome (unsurprisingly) offers the best integration with the Google search engine and other Google extras. It’s the one to try if you are a Google fan. Google waited and waited to launch their browser, so that they could pick up the best features from all the others.

Plus there are some nice little extras-- like instant thumbnails of oft-visited websites (which can also work against you!) and ‘incognito’ mode, which lets you browse through websites without leaving a trace. Another big advantage is that Chrome treats each tab as separate in the interests of stability and speed. Here, if one tab crashes because of a website, only that tab will close, and not the entire session or browser.

Opera

Opera is not very popular, primarily because it is not completely customisable. But it does offer a lot of features and extras by default which have to be added manually in Firefox.

Only thing is, Firefox comes to you in a lean, streamlined and speedy form, which you then add to according to your exact requirements. Opera is a little 'bloated' in that regard. But they were the first to offer integrated mail, widgets, chat and RSS clients.

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Google Chrome Web Browser Shines

No longer is a beta, Google’s Chrome Web browser a capable contender to Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.

However, the search company's browser not have some basic features found in IE, Firefox and Opera, and limits users who want to characterize settings and customize their browser. In spite of its shortcomings, browser users should give Google Chrome a try.

Just a few short months ago, Google surprised the Web world with the make public of the beta of Google Chrome, a new Web browser direct from the search massive itself.
So what does the launch of Google Chrome 1.0 mean for the Web browsing world and the Web in general? Well, the simple fact that it is from Google has a major impact, and should put the browser in a good place to fight with Microsoft and Mozilla for market share.

But what about the browser itself? From a severe usability standpoint, Google Chrome is one of the most attractive and instinctive browsers I have ever used, and is probably the most impressive first version of a browser ever. Once a user gets over some of the foibles and differences from other browser interfaces (such as tabs at the very top of the window and no file menus), Google Chrome quickly begins to feel like the right way to surf the Web.

Hopefully that post will help you any time you need computer repair related news, will get in that blog. Google Chrome also has some other nice touches, such as a hybrid search address bar and integration with Google Gears to provide desktop Web applications. However, not everything about Google Chrome shines brilliantly.

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Microsoft preps to push IE 8; makes blocking tool available

As it has done with previous Internet Explorer (IE) releases, Microsoft has made available an IE 8 blocking toolkit to allow users to keep Microsoft’s browser from being downloaded automatically on their Windows machines.

In a January 6 posting to the Microsoft IE blog, company officials noted that Microsoft is planning to push the final IE 8 release via its Automatic Update (AU), Windows Update (WU) and Microsoft Update (MU) update systems. To keep the release from being pushed, customers can download the blocker toolkit from the Microsoft Download Center.

Unlike some previous versions of the toolkit, there is no expiration date on the latest blocker. The toolkit can be configured by running the registry file on client machines or via Group Policy, according to the IE 8 blog posting.

Once the final IE 8 bits are ready, Microsoft is planning to mark them as a top priority for distribution, officials said via the blog entry:
“The IE8 update will be released as the highest priority update for each operating system. For Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, it will be listed as Important. For Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, the update will be listed as High Priority. Delivery of IE8 via AU will begin after we make IE8 available from the Microsoft Download Center. Of course, users can always decline to install IE8 through AU when it is offered.”

Microsoft hasn’t provided a final release target date for IE 8, other than to say some time in 2009. Late last year, company officials acknowledged Microsoft would not be releasing the final version of IE 8 before the end of calendar 2008, as some company officials had claimed previously. Instead, Microsoft is planning to distribute in the first quarter of 2009 one more public test release, Release Candidate 1, before it rolls out the final IE 8.

I’m not sure if we’ll see RC 1 of IE 8 this week. While Microsoft is expected to release the official version of Windows 7 Beta 1 to private and public testers over course of the next three days, the build of IE8 that is part of Windows 7 Beta 1 is still Beta 2, company officials said on January 7. (The refreshed partner test build of IE 8 that Microsoft released privately in December was designated as “RC1″ but isn’t the official RC1 release, the Softies have said.)
When I asked earlier this week, Microsoft officials wouldn’t comment on when IE 8 RC1 would go live.

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