This month we’ve talked in general terms about what to look for in an “alternative browser” – i.e., another browser instead of, well, IE (Internet Exploder, Internet Exploiter, or its given name, Internet Explorer). We’ve talked about pop-up window blocking, tabbed browsing, integrated search engines, importing of bookmarks and other internet settings, download management, and security features. Let’s get into the nuts and bolts of the specific browsers themselves.

If you’re a Windows user (still?), a browser “instead of” IE really means “in addition to”. Because, try as you might, you can’t really remove IE from your system. Plus, due to the longtime hegemony of the Windows platform, and in direct conflict with accepted web standards, many web developers design their web pages for IE, not for the Internet at large. Therefore, you need to have IE around to have some sites load and display “correctly”. Ironically, some of the “features” that Microsoft built into IE to tighten their iron grip on the internet are being used by hackers to exploit IE for their evil gains. I come not to bury IE, just to suggest pushing it into the background where it can’t do as much harm. I also find it ironic that the browser designed to take over the internet is now being relegated by many to a back-up status. OK, on to the “new kids on the block”.

The first “new kid” has actually been around the neighborhood a long time. Back in 1998, the founders of Netscape, still flat as a pancake from being steamrollered by the IE juggernaut, decided to continue to develop their never-released 5.0 browser suite. It has risen from the ashes as the Mozilla Internet Suite (www.mozilla.com). It’s somewhat similar to Netscape Communicator, in that the suite includes: an integrated, full-featured, standards-compliant web browser (a direct descendant of Netscape Navigator); a module to handle email and newsgroups; web developer tools; and, a chat client. With the Mozilla Internet Suite, the cliché “jack of all trades, master of none” holds true. There are better browsers, better email clients, better web developer tools, and better chat clients out there for the same price (free). My advice: go for the best individual product.

Right now, the browser getting the most buzz and most positive reviews is another Mozilla foundation project called Firefox. Firefox has all the features bases covered, but really excels in its fast, standards-compliant rendering engine, managing web downloads, lightning fast “find as you type” page search, small installation footprint (around 5MB for the Windows version, around 7 MB for the Mac OS X version) and the capability to customize the whole experience. Although this article focuses on web browsers, I should point out that the makers of Firefox have developed an excellent email and newgroup client, called Thunderbird. Both Firefox and Thunderbird are free downloads from www.mozilla.com.

Not every alternative browser/web suite comes from Mozilla. In 1995 a Norwegian telecommunications began developing a browser they called Opera. Unlike most other browsers today, Opera was written brand new from the ground up. Also unusual for today’s browsers - you have to buy Opera ($39). You can download a free version, but that version will besiege you with annoying advertising banners you either buy the full version or delete it from your computer. Will Opera’s features compel you to actually spend money for a browser? One of Opera’s problems is it tries to do too much. It has a complicated, over-busy interface, that may prove interesting for the geeky but confusing for the day-to-day browser.

© 2004 Peter F. Zimowski