A browser is a software program/application which allows users to
view and navigate the content of the World Wide Web. You are viewing
this web page through some type of Browser. Popular browser programs
include Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Netscape's Communicator,
Mozilla Firefox, Opera and Safari (Apple's default browser for the
Mac OS).
Basic versions of these programs can be downloaded free from their
publisher's web sites.
Browsers do not have precisely the same features, but their basic
capabilities are very similar. If you are a typical user, you'll
probably find that 80% of your time on the Web is spent using 20% of
your browse's capabilities. These capabilities include;
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Viewing and navigating the Web A
browser displays web sites. As you move from one site to another you
have the option to go back to the previous page as well as going
forward to a page you just viewed if you have used the back key.
These keys are very useful when viewing a web site that has not
placed links to different pages on their site.
-
Marking favorite pages. Browsers
can store a list of sites to which you want to return. Explorer calls
them "favorite places" and Netscape calls these
"bookmarks". Remember that these are links to web sites and
are not stored copies of the files themselves. This means that when
you click on a bookmark/favorite place, your browser will load the
most recent version of that website.
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Saving pages Your browser has the
ability to save the contents of a page to your computer. It is
important to remember that a single web page may contain numerous
pictures and graphic files. You must also have software applications
that are capable of viewing those images or you are saving them for
nothing. You must also respect any copyrights that may apply.
Not all browsers are alike and do not support all possible web page
features. So when creating web pages it is important to try and
design a page that it supported by as many browsers as possible to
allow for as many potential visitors as possible.
For a business the web site cross-browser compatibility factor is
even more important, as these potential visitors are also your
potential customers.
