What Is a Web Browser?
A web browser is a software or computer program that lets you browse, access sites or information, and interact with all data on the Internet. The launch of the proprietary web browser Netscape Navigator in the mid 1990s heralded the breakthrough growth and subsequent acceptance of the Internet revolution by millions of users worldwide. Since then, many browsers--Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, Konqueror, Opera, Safari and more--have come on board, featuring different capabilities, benefits and add-ons.
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Modern Capabilities
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Most modern browsers present webpages as flat documents replete with images, pictures, video and text. Some advanced web browsers, such as Opera, provide full keyboard and voice control to interact with the browser.
Features
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While bookmark and download management, auto updates, and search engines are features prevalent in most web browsers, it is now possible to load add-ons and extensions to make browsing more dynamic, enriching and engaging.
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Internet Explorer's Dominance
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During the past decade or so, Microsoft's Internet Explorer has emerged as the most popular and dominant browser because of the sheer number of computers that run Windows. Internet Explorer has gone through seven version changes, with IE 8 being the latest release by Microsoft.
Surges by Other Browsers
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Internet giant Google's web browser, Chrome, has caught the attention of pundits and technology enthusiasts. Internet Explorer's recent vulnerability to hackers and other security and patch issues allowed Apple's Safari and open-source browser Mozilla Firefox to gain ground.
Browsers on Other Platforms
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Web browsers are no longer restricted to computers or computer-based platforms, extending to mobile devices such as personal digital assistants, smart phones, machine Internet devices and other hand-held communication devices.
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