Browsers have come along way since the Mosaic browswer from the early 1990s. Netscape dominated the market until Microsoft took web browsing more seriously and introduced Internet Explorer (IE) and bundled it with their operating system. Soon IE had a strong hold on the market, which lead to Netscape rethinking it's business. It decided to open source their browser, which lead to the creation of Mozilla. Although, IE still dominates, it's share of the market has slowly diminished. For those of us spending a lot of time on the Internet, using the right browser is important. Below are the major players to consider:

BROWSER	GENERAL INFO	PROS	CONS
Internet Explorer	Microsoft did fall a bit behind in the browser war, but IE7 marks a vast improvement over previous versions. Includes improved security, tabbed browsing, easier and integrated searching, RSS feeds.	vastly improved tabbed browsing antiphishing technology improved favorites management	still doesn't comply with web standards not as customizable closed source
Mozilla Firefox	Offshot of Netscape (no longer supported), an open source browser which touts better security, tabbed browsing and customization. Firefox is the key browser that has reduced the market and usage share of Internet Explorer.	open source customizable with great extensions tabbed browsing standards compliant faster rendering	memory hog, especially if using many tabs many extensions are also cause for memory leaks
Safari	The predominant browser used my Mac owners, Apple has also made a windows version available. Devotees cite speed, performance and simmple interface as key reasons to switch.	speed and simple interface includes pop-up blocker tabbed browsing	security not as advanced as other browsers not as customizable
Opera	Although Opera has a small share of the market, it has a loyal following. Opera is considered a faster, more advanced browser and tends to have more than most need in a browser. It includes BitTorrent capability, but still ahead of what available, so a bit much now.	generally faster and more secure more features immediately without extensions standards compliant Password manager (The Wand) tabbed browsing	learning curve can be a memory hog closed source
Flock	Based on Firefox, Flock is being called the browser for social networkers or the web2.0 browser. It integrates with many social software such as Facebook, MySpace, del.icio.us, blogging integration, etc.	cool, slick interface easy installation tabbed browsing social networking integration	learning curve still young and has some bugs only download from their website

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