Apparently there are a few of you getting new computers for Christmas. (Do not let the kids read this if they do not know about it.) I have received many questions about what to do to set them up. I have several suggestions; however, one of the best I have written about before. If you missed Ninite, go to DoubleClicks.info and search for "Ninite" to read all about it.
The next most popular question I get is something like, "I can’t afford to pay the $99.99/year for Office 365 or $399.99 for Office Professional." In my opinion there is one very clear answer, "Libre Office." If you have not read my information regarding it before go to the site and search for "libre."
Finally, there is the question I don’t believe I have tackled before. The question is usually stated as, "Ron, what is the best browser for me to use?" The answer is easy, "I have no idea, thanks for asking."
Now on to a slightly more helpful answer, since for you personally, I have no idea what you would favor. There are many excellent browsers out there and they all have some features which may be better or worse than one of the others. To me it is sort of like brands of cars. One person would say that a particular car manufacturer has the only good cars available…the best in the world. The next person will tell you why they hate those cars with good reasons. It is all a matter of personal taste and preference.
So the following is my personal opinion concerning browsers. Keep in mind that when I started out on the internet, the browser everyone wanted was called, "Netscape" and would cost you around $50. Now owned by AOL, it has pretty much disappeared from the scene and is free. All browsers are now free so the cost barriers are gone.
Here are the top five in use today in alpha order. I have included a short description, my opinion and the percentage of people using this on average this year as of the end of October.
- Chrome, "Get a fast, free web browser, one browser for your computer, phone and tablet." You can tell who owns this puppy by the link. I think this is an excellent browser and my #2 favorite. It is fast and does allow you to have the same bookmarks, etc. between your devices. 52.08%
- Firefox, "Different by Design, Proudly non-profit, Innovating for you, Fast, Flexible, Secure." OK, this is my favorite, again it is a preference since I am used to it and have been using it for years. It has more "plug-ins" than the others which are added features allowing you to do different tasks online. 28.49%
- Microsoft Internet Explorer, included with each and every Windows computer sold and must be left on your computer for other things to work properly. I use this for work only as our company makes all of its software for MSIE only; however, with some Firefox plugins I can make most things work on FF instead. 12.55%
- Opera, advertised as the smallest and fastest browser in the world! For me this is an OK browser but just doesn’t have the snap and pizazz of others. 1.73%
- Safari, you can tell by the URL who owns it. My opinion on this one is the same as Opera, so again personal preference. 3.95%
The top three here have always been the top three by percentage for many years; however, they have jumped back and forth in order for a few years. Google’s Chrome browser is excellent and if you do not have a preference yet, try it or any of the others and form you own opinion. They are all able to do what you need, so enjoy the variety.
