by Charles Miller

"Which browser are you using?" When I ask that question it never ceases to amaze me how many people have no idea what I am talking about. When someone phones me with a technical question I often need to start off by asking "Are you using a computer or a smart phone?" They always know the answer to that one. Next I might ask "Is your computer a Mac or Windows PC?" And they usually know the answer to that one too. But when I ask "Which browser are you using?" it is rare for someone to know the answer even though their browser is the program they use every day and use it more than any other program.

A web browser is a software program installed on your computer or smart phone that you use to access websites that are located on the internet. When you surf the internet your browser on your device is what retrieves files from a web server and then displays the page on your screen. Your browser is the program that does this. You use your browser to read the news, view your email, watch online videos, immerse yourself in social media, do online banking, etc.

The reason I often need to ask "Which browser are you using?" is because there are many different ones. Apple's Safari, Microsoft's Edge, and Google's Chrome are among the most popular browsers, but there are more, MANY more. In order for me to be able to answer a caller's question I often important for me to know which browser they are using.

I know there are a lot of internet users who are using their computer and/or smart phone just as it came out of the box… and there is nothing wrong with doing that. If you bought an Apple computer or phone then your browser would automatically be Apple's Safari. If you bought a Windows PC then the default browser is Microsoft Edge. If you bought an Android phone or ChromeBook computer then the default browser is almost always Google Chrome.

Think of the web browsers as different makes of automobiles, and the internet as the road. It makes little difference if you drive a Chevrolet, Honda, or Tesla on the road, and likewise you can surf the internet with any browser whether it be Safari, Edge, or Chrome.

Perhaps now you better understand that the manufacturer of your computer or smart phone installed their browser, but that is not your only option. If you use a Mac you can download and install Microsoft's Edge browser (not sure why you would, but you could). You used to be able to install Apple's Safari on Windows computers but Apple gave up on that years ago. You can install Google Chrome on Mac or Windows computers, also on iPhones and Android phones. In large part because there are versions of Chrome for all these different systems, Chrome is the world's most used browser with about 67% global market share.

These "Big Three" browsers (Chrome, Edge, and Safari) account for some 90% of the worldwide browser usage. The remaining 10% is made up of many different niche browsers with names such as Firefox, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi, Maxthon, Aloha, Konqueror, and many more.

Among the niche browsers there are ones that offer features that might improve your internet experience, so that is well worth considering. The only reason most people are not using one of these other browsers is that they never knew any other choices exist, so if you are interested in possibly improving your online experience please come back next week for some more about this.

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Charles Miller is a freelance computer consultant with decades of IT experience and a Texan with a lifetime love for Mexico. The opinions expressed are his own. He may be contacted at 415-101-8528 or email FAQ8 (at) SMAguru.com.

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