The digital world is indeed mesmerizing if you know how to navigate through the intricate mechanisms of modern technology – allowing access to millions or probably billions of data at the click of a finger. Sure, the conventional way of browsing through books in the library still holds its appeal for some who miss the feeling of paper on their fingertips. Still, convenience has always been the mark of superiority, and doing it the old-fashioned way is not in that area anymore.
As such, the innovators of humanity have developed web browsers – applications designed to help the user access the information available online through their respective means, offering several perks and quirks that would either make you hate them or tolerate their interface at the very least. The terminologies are often confused with something else due to the overlapping functionality of particular objects of reference. Perhaps it might be more efficient to first shed some light on what web browsing entails once and for all.
Browser vs. Search Engine
To make it simple, a browser is an application used to browse and access the internet in the first place. Without browsers, search engines would have nothing to occupy and utilize to provide their searches. Search engines are used to “search” the internet, but they are not the primary means of access to the online world itself. Google, Yahoo, and Bing are search engines, while Chrome, Firefox, and Safari are examples of browsers.
The Big Ones
Google Chrome
Google Chrome is perhaps the most popular browser out there in the market. It mainly caters to the masses with its general-use interface – offering what the public would mostly need and, consequently, nothing unique that sets it apart from the rest. It does have consistent updates, though, and considering that bugs are always around, let us call that a plus.
Mozilla Firefox
Known for its legacy and popularity, Firefox is the open-source browser developed by the Mozilla Foundation. It boasts support with 97 languages in total, and it is supported by almost all operating systems available. It does have a unique Multi-Account Container that allows multiple account log-ins in different tabs – making browsing more convenient and seemingly “decluttered” in its appeal.
Apple Safari
Being the default browser for the Mac and any iOS system, the Safari is undoubtedly a strong contender in this race – offering various firsts such as being the first to offer reading mode to declutter the web articles you are planning to read. It is likewise exciting to learn that fingerprint protection is likewise now integrated even to heighten the security of Apple users when it comes to their gadgets.
Microsoft Edge
With the previous computability issues that Microsoft was facing in its default browser, they decided to use Chrome’s rendering code to develop the Edge browsing program – an application that boasts compatibility even with Apple’s macOS and even their earlier Windows versions.