Considering that the Internet is such an important part of our lives in business and at home, using the right internet browser is one of the most important components when using the Internet. There are a wide variety of different browsers to choose from including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Windows Internet Explorer to name just three. At JDR we speak to clients regularly that ask us which internet browser we use and which we recommend.
When you buy a new widows or mac computer you already have a web browser pre-installed. When someone asks us at JDR which browser should I be using, it probably means that they are having issues with the internet browser or have been told by someone that the internet browser they are using is out of date and not very good.
Below are answers to the most common questions asked and which internet browser is the best for each.
Which is the fastest?
Speed is something we can never get enough of, especially when we are online. Whether it is online banking, buying some clothes from an e-commerce website or just browsing the latest news, we want it fast. It’s also the most common question we get asked here at JDR when it comes to a browser choice. “Which is the fastest internet browser I can get?”
Using the internet needs to be fast in business and at home and we all get frustrated when a website we want to interact with never seems to materialise and all we get is a blank white screen.
A browser speed test in 2013 was run by Lifehacker and the fastest web browser at the time was Chrome followed closely by Firefox. Unfortunately Windows Internet Explorer didn’t fair too well and proved to get bogged down easily with bugs.
JDR Recommends: 1st Google Chrome, 2nd Mozilla Firefox, 3rd Safari
What are Extensions?
Extensions to your web browser are the same as apps on your smart phone. They are at hand to make your Internet experience better and give you more power when surfing the internet. Extensions to your browser come in many forms just like apps. Here are 4 examples of add-ons and extensions:
- Colour Picker – enables you to choose a colour online and copy this to a clipboard for using elsewhere.
- Ad blockers – Gives your web browser the power to block unwanted adds while you are online.
- Theme Changers – Lets you change the theme of your web browser to meet your needs.
- Download Status Bars – Shows you exactly how long a download is taking and how long is left.
Firefox and Chrome are the leaders in add-ons and have thousands that add features to your browser. If there is something you want to do or change, odds are there’s an extension to do it.
Safari and Internet Explorer have add-ons, but there aren’t nearly as many available and they aren’t as developed as Firefox and Chrome.
JDR Recommends: 1st Google Chrome & Mozilla Firefox, 2nd no other browsers come close
Which has the best Security?
Security online is one of the biggest issues business and consumers face when spending time online.
Security is a moving target, since exploits can be discovered at any time. The latest results from 2014 report put Internet Explorer dead last with Firefox close behind for security, but all of the browsers were shown to be vulnerable in one way or another.
The big takeaway on browser security is to be watchful of plugins, mainly Java and Flash. Chrome has a big advantage here because they bundle the Flash plugin with browser updates. You have to update Flash yourself with other browsers.
JDR Recommends: 1st Google Chrome, 2nd Mozilla Firefox, 3rd Safari
Which Browser is used the most?
The table below shows which browser was used the most from January 2014 till October 2014. The table shows that way ahead of all the others is Google Chrome, followed in second place by Firefox and Internet Explorer is in third.
Conclusion
At the JDR Group we all use Google Chrome as our choice of internet browser. This is because it fully meets the needs of our business and is great for speed, extensions and security. Therefore we recommend that Google Chrome offers the best all round internet browser.
Our other recommendation is to stay away from Windows Internet Explorer as this browser has lots of bugs, can be very slow and provides little in terms of improvement and customisation.
The best thing to do is download the latest version of Google Chrome and set this as your main choice of internet browser to get the best possible online experience.
Article by Dale Bonser
