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Browsing around
In the beginning, there was no Netscape or Internet Explorer. The only way to see and show Internet information was with the command driven, text-based browser called Lynx. There were no web browsers with graphical interfaces like we have today. Then, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) was born. Web sites moved beyond just cold, hard text to include multi-colored images, sound and animations. A new kind of browser was needed. In 1993, the first multimedia browser called Mosaic appeared on the scene. Navigating the web now involved pointing and clicking on images or text. The rest is history. In 1994, a commercial version of Mosaic called Netscape hit the market. Soon after, the Web and the Internet became household names. It took less than one year for Bill Gates to realize that the web browser market had a future and that he had to get a piece of it. So, in 1995, Microsoft released Internet Explorer 1.0. Many did not see a big difference between the two browsers because they were still both based on the same Mosaic code. So Netscape remained the preferred product for most people. It wasn't until 1996, with the release of Internet Explorer 3.0, that people started moving away from Netscape towards Explorer. The two browsers offered comparable features but there were two big differences. Explorer was free compared to a $50 cost for Netscape. Most importantly, Explorer was bundled or included with Windows 95 software so that anyone who bought a PC automatically got it as a browser instead of Netscape. Today, the battle continues for control of the browser market although the statistics argue that Explorer has more users. The most current versions of the software are Netscape 6 [home.netscape.com/browsers/6/] and Internet Explorer 5.5 [www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.htm]. Explorer 6 is also available in beta (trial) mode without technical support and for advanced users who regularly test pre-release software. I would not recommend using Netscape 6 it because it is too unstable, too buggy and, too slow to load. Wait, instead, until the debugged versions 6.1 or 6.2 come out. If you are bold enough to try out beta versions, you can access Netscape 6.1 at [home.netscape.com/browsers/6/index61pr.html?cp=dowpod61pr]. Otherwise, stick with Netscape Communicator 4.7 available from [home.netscape.com/browsers/4/index.html]. It's a lot less clumsy and bulky than Netscape 6. Netscape and Internet Explorer don't offer much of an alternative from each other. If you want to experiment with something completely different and which is not based on Mosaic code, you should try the Opera browser from Norway [www.opera.com/opera5]. Opera is slowly building a cult following among experienced Internet users and advertises itself as "the fastest browser on earth". It is smaller than other browsers, taking up about 1.75 megabytes if you opt not to select the Java option on download. Its small size means that it consumes few system resources and works well on computers with only 386 and 486 processors and dial-up modems. Also, unlike with Netscape and Explorer, Opera allows you to have a number of screens or windows open simultaneously without slowing down your system by having to open a new browser each time. You can get Opera for free in sponsored mode with advertising or you can pay $39 US and get a version without ads. The arrival of Opera on the browser market is good because it allows for more choice and diversity. Unfortunately, one of the recent trends in browser use is that Internet Explorer is gaining increasing control of the market. And that is not a good thing if you want better versions and cheaper prices. Ultimately, the best browser will always be the one that fits well with your operating system, suits your computing style and generally makes viewing the web a non-troublesome experience. That means you need choice. The only way you'll be able to get that choice is if the competition continues and the browsers battle on. Previously published in The Express 08/01
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