Internet browser definition of Internet browser in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

Web browser

The application program that serves as the primary method for accessing the World Wide Web, which is one of the major services on the Internet. In order to view a Web site, its address (URL), such as www.computerlanguage.com, is typed into the search box at the top of the browser, and the site's home page is retrieved. The home page includes an index to other pages on the site as well as to pages on other sites, and those pages are retrieved by clicking "links," which are special graphic images or text (see hypertext).

Browsers have numerous features including bookmarks (Favorites) that store the addresses (URLs) of frequently used pages. Tabs are another useful feature that enable multiple Web pages to remain open within the browser (see tabbed browsing).

Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari...
The most widely used Web browsers are Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE), Mozilla's Firefox and Apple's Safari. All are free, and Firefox and Safari run in both Windows and Mac. There are also other browsers that are less widely known (see Opera and Maxthon). Google entered the browser arena in 2008 (see Google Chrome).

All browsers offer similar features, no matter which computer they run on. The way users interact with a Web page has more to do with the page than the browser. Web pages contain embedded programs that turn them into applications not much different than the software users install in their own computers.

Web Browser History
The Mosaic browser put the Web on the map in 1993, but by the mid-1990s, Netscape Navigator had 80% of the market. Vying for top spot, Netscape and Internet Explorer (IE) constantly added features that fragmented Web sites into competing camps. In the early days, one often found sites with notices such as "Best Viewed in Netscape" or "Best Viewed in Internet Explorer."

By 2008 Internet Explorer, which comes with Windows, had roughly 74% of the market, while Firefox had 18%. Safari came in third with 6%, and Opera and Netscape each had less than 1%. See World Wide Web, Mosaic, Opera, Firefox, Mozilla, Safari, Google Chrome, Maxthon, hyperlink, HTML and microbrowser.

The Most Well Known

Internet Explorer for Windows (top) and Firefox, shown here on the Mac (bottom) are the most widely used Web browsers. No matter which browser or platform, the user interacts with the Web page and its embedded code in a nearly identical manner.

The Opera Browser

A highly respected browser with its own following, Opera was the first to offer features such as the ability to magnify an image (see Opera). (Web page example courtesy of Pyramid Studios, www.artistexpo.com)

Web browser [′web ‚brau̇z·ər]

(computer science)

browser

(World-Wide Web)

web browser - A browser for the World-Wide Web.

Mentioned in	?		References in periodicals archive	?		Encyclopedia browser	?		Full browser	?
No references found	An IP change is still necessary despite all the security settings that your Internet browser can offer And at this point in time, the security of the Internet browsers is not really fit to protect your overall Internet privacy An IP change is still necessary despite all the security settings that your Internet browser can offer. Why An IP Change Is Still Necessary Despite Your Favorite Browser by Virender Labroo / Computers and Internet community Sony said Tuesday that its Vaio-brand computers sold in the United States would have Google's Chrome as their default Internet browser, boosting the search engine giant's fight against rival Microsoft. Google Chrome gets boost with Sony tie-up by AFP / AFP Global Edition Schmidt added that "there is a defensive component" to the launch of Google Chrome, the code of which will be open source so no rights will have to be paid by anyone using or adapting the software, which will be a competitor to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, the dominant Internet browser. Google chief admits to 'defensive component' of browser launch by AFP / AFP American Edition	internationalization Internationalization of Capital Internationalization of Production internationalized domain InternatsionalNaia Literatura Internaut internee internet Internet 2 Internet Access Provider Internet access router Internet Ad Hoc Committee Internet Adapter Internet addiction Internet address Internet advertising Internet age Internet Alliance Internet appliance Internet Architecture Board Internet Archive Internet archiving Internet Assigned Numbers Authority Internet backbone Internet backbones Internet browser Internet cafe Internet Chess Server Internet computer Internet Control Message Protocol Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers Internet directories Internet domain name Internet e-mail service Internet engineer Internet Engineering and Planning Group Internet Engineering Steering Group Internet Engineering Task Force Internet exchange Internet exchange point Internet Experiment Note Internet Explorer Internet explosion Internet Express Internet faxing Internet filter Internet firewall Internet forensics Internet forum Internet Foundation Classes Internet gateway	Internet Bill Inquiry and Payment Internet Bill of Lading Internet Bill Presentment and Payment Internet Bird Collection Internet blackout Internet blackout Internet blackout Internet blackout Internet Blog Serial Number Internet BMW Riders Internet Board Game Server Internet Book Database Internet Book Database of Fiction Internet Book Information Center Internet Book List Internet Booking Engine Internet boom Internet Borrower Inquiry Services Internet box Internet Brain Segmentation Repository Internet Bridgestone Owners Bunch Internet Broadcast Internet Broadcast Internet Broadcasting Systems Internet Broadway Database Internet Brokerage Investment Association Internet Broking Systems Internet Brothers Quality Internet browser Internet Browsers Internet Browsers Internet Browsers Internet Browsers Internet Browsers Internet bubble Internet Bulk Filing System Internet Bullet Chess Organization Internet bulletin board Internet Bulletin Board Communications Service Internet Bullseye Marketing Model Internet Bumper Stickers Internet business Internet business Internet Business Administration Internet Business Alliance of Nevada Internet Business and Marketing Internet Business Application Internet Business Capital Corporation Internet Business Center Internet Business Consumer Bureau Internet Business Development for Entrepreneurs Internet Business Development Group Internet Business Exchange Internet Business Forum Internet Business Infrastructure Internet Business Law Services Internet Business Network Internet Business Pages

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

Encyclopedia browser

Full browser

No references found

An IP change is still necessary despite all the security settings that your Internet browser can offer And at this point in time, the security of the Internet browsers is not really fit to protect your overall Internet privacy An IP change is still necessary despite all the security settings that your Internet browser can offer.

Why An IP Change Is Still Necessary Despite Your Favorite Browser by Virender Labroo / Computers and Internet community

Sony said Tuesday that its Vaio-brand computers sold in the United States would have Google's Chrome as their default Internet browser, boosting the search engine giant's fight against rival Microsoft.

Google Chrome gets boost with Sony tie-up by AFP / AFP Global Edition

Schmidt added that "there is a defensive component" to the launch of Google Chrome, the code of which will be open source so no rights will have to be paid by anyone using or adapting the software, which will be a competitor to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, the dominant Internet browser.

Google chief admits to 'defensive component' of browser launch by AFP / AFP American Edition

internationalization

Internationalization of Capital

Internationalization of Production

internationalized domain

InternatsionalNaia Literatura

Internet Access Provider

Internet access router