Which browser should you use to surf the Internet, Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator? Maybe you use an alternate browser like Opera or Lynx. You might be thinking, "Does it really make any difference which browser I use?" Actually, it does. Not all browsers are created equal and the browser that you use can affect the way you view web pages. Because each browser manufacturer decides which features and codes it's browser will support, you may not be seeing the web pages you view exactly the way the designer wanted you to.

There are all kinds of variables that make the pages you view look the way they do. Some of these variables include the platform you use (PC or Macintosh, Web TV, PalmPilot), your screen resolution and the plug-ins you have installed (Flash, Java, Shockwave, ActiveX). But one of the biggest variables is the browser that you use, and even more important, the version of that browser that you have installed.

At this point in time, the two most popular browsers are Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. When Netscape Communications introduced their free browser to the World Wide Web back in 1994 people were switching overnight from the then-popular Mosaic browser. Netscape Navigator offered much more than Mosaic and it seemed that nearly everyone converted. A year or so later, Microsoft developed and introduced its browser, Internet Explorer, and the browser wars between the two began.

As their competition developed, both companies began introducing new versions of their products quite frequently. Each new version offered more and more new features for web site designers to use. But this new technology was not shared between browsers. Netscape was the only browser able to support some of the new codes and features and Internet Explorer was the only browser able to support others.

Because of this lack of support for basic standards, using different browsers shows web pages in different ways. Imagine if all clocks did not keep time in the same way or if your automobile had the gas and brake pedals in a different order or position in different makes of cars. It would certainly make things a lot more difficult.

While today's most current versions of these browsers are becoming more and more similar, there are still enough differences in them that web site designers often make multiple sites for each browser or include features that will only work on one browser or the other and not even be visible in other browsers.

As of the writing of this article, the most commonly used browser is Internet Explorer. With the introduction of its version 5, it jumped ahead of Netscape Navigator and really began drawing in people. At this time, the most current version of Internet Explorer is version 6.0. Netscape Navigator just introduced version 7.0 in a test form. It has not been fully released yet. It is a preliminary version that users can try and comment on. The last full version Netscape released was version 6.2.

And, there are at least 100 other alternative browsers out there. Opera and Lynx are probably the most popular of these alternatives. Opera has the biggest number of users of the alternative browsers. It touts itself as the fastest browser available and because of its low memory usage, and small footprint, Opera is particularly useful in older PCs (386SX with 6MB of RAM minimum). The most recent version of Opera is 6.04. If you frequently turn off graphics in your browser, you might like using the Lynx browser. Lynx is a text-based browser that allows users to move through the Web without any graphics or multimedia. Lynx, is particularly popular for people with disabilities and if you are only surfing for information, and not entertainment. Lynx is the most popular text-only browser in the world. The most recent version of Lynx is 2.8.4.

With new browser versions being introduced on a regular basis, it pays to check and update your browser on occasion to keep up with the current technology. Many people just continue using the browser that came with their computer and never upgrade. Don't you want to be able to view everything the way the site designer intended you to?

You can update your browser version or download additional browsers by clicking on the links below and downloading the current version. You can install and use more than one browser on your computer, if you have the disk space and resources available. These browsers are all free, but they do take a while to download. So try to plan the downloading in the evening when you won't be using your computer.

Internet Explorer 6.0 Current version of the most popular browser in use today. File Size: 17000 KB Operating Systems: Windows 9.x, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows XP (IE is also available for Macintosh and Unix - click on Related Technologies on Microsoft's menu for these versions) Minimum System Requirements: 486/66-megahertz (MHz) processor or higher (Pentium processor recommended), 16 to 32 MB of RAM Memory required dependent on operating system used This edition of Internet Explorer will not run on Windows 95 systems. If you would like to download the previous edition of Internet Explorer, version 5.5, which does run on Windows 95, click here.	Netscape Navigator 6.2 Most current fully released version. Version 7.0 is currently available for testing. File Size: 30872KB Operating Systems: Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Mac OS 8.6, 8.61, 9.x, Mac OS X, Red Hat Linux 6.0, 6.1, 6.2, 7.0 with X11 R6 Minimum System Requirements: Windows and Linux - Pentium 233 MHz, 64 MB RAM, 26 MB hard drive space Mac OS - PowerPC 604e 266 MHz, G3, G4, 64 MB RAM, 36 MB hard drive space If you would like to test version 7.0, click here to go to the version 7.0 download site.	Opera 6.04 Most popular alternative browser that works good with older machines. File Size: 11295KB Operating Systems: Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Linux, Mac and other miscellaneous platforms Minimum System Requirements: Pentium class systems with 16 MB of RAM and at least 12 MB of free disk space (these Windows minimum system requirements are similar for other operating systems) Version 5 has lower system requirements and works well with older PCs. Click here to go to the version 5 download site.