What is a web browser program?

A web browser is a computer program (software) that is used for viewing web sites and web pages. This means, the program in which you are reading this web page, whether you are using a desktop computer a laptop or even a mobile device such as your cell phone, is a web browser.

How can you get a web browser?

Like I mentioned above, if you are reading this page, you already have a web browser installed and running on the computer. However, there are many browsers available, mostly for free, and some common browsers are Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera and Safari.

Internet Explorer

Microsoft's free Internet Explorer is the most popular web browser in the world and is available primarily for the Windows operating system; comes preinstalled. There is also a version of the Macintosh but its development has been stopped by the company.

Firefox - also known as Mozilla Firefox

Firefox, developed by Mozilla Corporation, is the second most popular browser. It supposedly offers enhanced security and privacy. The browser is available for various operating systems including Windows, Macintosh, Linux/Unix and can be downloaded for free.

Chrome

The latest free web browser in the market is Google Chrome. At the time of writing, it is available only for the Windows operating system and can be downloaded and installed in a few minutes. If you need help, please refer the page on how to download and install Google Chrome.

Opera

The Opera web browser is credited to have introduced several features one of which include the popular tab browsing. Opera has never been able to gain a substantial market share from the leaders; however, it has its loyal user base who would swear by the browser.

Apple's Safari web browser

Safari is the default web browser on Apple Macintosh systems and also on the iPod Touch and the iPhone. A year back, Apple released a version for the Windows operating system, which has a-not-so-high user base.

Which browser should you use?

The choice of which web browser to use is completely yours. As for me, I have three - Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome. However, make sure you have the latest version of the software. Do not download and install a software that is outdated - it would most likely have security holes. Also, if you are a web developer, or planning to become one, you might think of installing all the five popular browsers to check for cross-browser compatibility of the web pages you create.

How to web browsers work?

Web pages are written in the HyperText Markup Language (HTML) which is essentially a set of tags that instruct how the page should be displayed. The tags also contain information and links to other files, such as images, that may be a part of the web page. Web browsers understand HTML and can thus "decode" and present the web page to a reader. Actually, this question demands a longer reply and you can turn to how a web browser works page to read the details.

Browser poll

Here is what other visitors think. Why don't you vote for your web browser too?