A browser is a program that
gives you the ability to look at the sites on the Internet.
When you enter an address such as
http://www.yahoo.com
into a browser your computer
finds the address on the Internet. It connects to
the "server" computer
that is hosting the site with that
address. The
server sends back a file of information
in code. The browser reads
the code interprets the file and
displays it as the Yahoo Web page
on your computer, complete with
colorful graphics, animation, and
sound.
Like most Internet users, you are probably
used to using Netscape
Communicator or Microsoft Internet Explorer as your browser.
They are the two most widely known
graphical browsers. However,
even these two browsers interpret
the code in different ways which
means that the resulting page the user sees is not
always the same in Netscape as it is in
Explorer. Try opening one of
your favorite sites in Explorer, minimizing it, then opening
the same site in Navigator and comparing them.
Besides Netscape and Explorer, there are leaner, faster browsers available
that can offer you greater Internet surfing speed and ease
of use. In fact, there are dozens
of different browsers available serving many different needs
such as text only or special handicapped friendly browsers.
One browser you may want to try is Opera
- a very popular browser that
has received international recognition for being
faster, smaller and more standards-compliant than other
browsers. Opera is a user-friendly, versatile,
and fast Internet/intranet browser that also offers a
newsreader and an email program. The keyboard plays a more
integral role in surfing with this browser, which can make
moving around the Web easy and fast. You can run multiple
windows, even at start-up, and special features are included
for users with disabilities. Using Opera as a disabled user
means being able to access the Net quickly and efficiently.
Only Opera makes it possible to navigate with one key only,
bringing the wonders and resources of the
Internet to thousands of visually or physically
handicapped users.
You can download a free trial version of Opera at -
http://www.opera.com.
Another
streamlined browser you may want to try is K-Meleon.
It's fast, has a minimal interface, and is fully standards-compliant.
While it does not contain a
built-in email program, if you access your email from a
web-based account such as Yahoo or Hotmail, you don't need
it anyway. You can download K-Meleon
at -
http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net.
If you're an America Online
user, the concept of a browser may be a bit confusing
because AOL uses its own built-in browser. If you have AOL
but want to see how very different the
World Wide Web and be when viewed through a different browser, just logon with
AOL and, after you're connected, minimize the AOL screen and
open your preferred browsers. You might be very surprised at
what you find!
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