You May Be Using the Wrong Browser

Sick of pop-ups and patches for IE? Try a different window on the Web.

Which Web browser do you use? If you're like most Internet users, it's Internet Explorer. And I'm guessing the main reason you use IE is sort of like George Mallory's explanation for taking on Mount Everest in 1924: Because it's there.

That's understandable. IE is reasonably fast and stable, it offers a decent assortment of features, and it's certainly easy to use. But it has plenty of shortcomings. For example, browsing in IE without an ad blocker means spending hours pouncing on pop-ups. And I'd give my right mouse button to be able to customize the interface or manage my bookmarks more efficiently. I have other gripes, too, which I'll discuss as soon as I download the IE security patch du jour from Microsoft.

While Microsoft has made an effort to improve some features--easier cookie management and more-accessible security settings come to mind--it hasn't kept pace with the rising tide of spyware, online ads, and security threats. So why hasn't IE gotten better? The answer lies in one statistic: 95 percent, the portion of surfers who use IE. With that kind of dominance, Microsoft doesn't have much motivation to improve. And now that Microsoft and America Online, Netscape's parent, have resolved their long-standing differences, AOL has little incentive to continue work on Netscape, IE's main rival.

Increasingly, I've found myself wondering if there isn't another browser that offers more of the features that I--and, I suspect, plenty of other users--want. So I decided to check out the latest versions of a couple of alternatives.

I'm happy to report that at least two better Web browsers exist: Opera version 7.1, developed by Norway-based Opera Software, and Mozilla 1.3. (Mozilla is basically an open-source version of Netscape, but without the AOL marketing hype and, according to many users, with fewer bugs.) Both Opera and Mozilla are quick, easy downloads, and both programs are free (though if you want to get rid of the banner ad that sits next to Opera's taskbar, it'll cost you $39).

What's so great about Opera and Mozilla? They seem to have been developed by people who really listen to what users want--and to what drives them crazy. If only we could say the same about IE.

Pop-Up Protection

Topping my pet-peeve list is Internet Explorer's staunch refusal to help users block pop-up ads. Of course, you can always install a third-party ad blocker (visit "Editors' Roundup: Ad Blockers" for a few of PC World's favorites). But why go through that trouble? Both Opera and Mozilla let you forget with one click that the annoying e-intruders even exist. And both Web browsers will let you adjust the settings so that you still receive the pop-ups you want, like the broadcast window from your favorite Internet radio station.

A close second on my list of IE annoyances is the browser's habit of constantly opening up new windows. Whenever I so much as think about following a new link, my desktop seems to end up with more windows than the Sears Tower.

Both Opera and Mozilla control the clutter by allowing you to display each new Web page on a tab (think of a segmented spiral-bound notebook) within the existing window. Instead of clicking your way through stacks of open windows, you simply click the tabs to switch from page to page.

With Opera, you can also save groups of pages into browsing sessions--a handy feature when you're researching a topic that you want to come back to later. For example, I recently helped a friend who's looking for a new house browse real estate listings online using Opera. We set up a session for each neighborhood, with separate tabs for each property; we could easily switch from listing to listing and compare photos, prices, and features. And she could open the saved sessions later to show the research to her husband.

In fact, Opera and Mozilla both offer more customization tools than IE does. But Opera is particularly rich--sometimes overwhelmingly so--in choices.

Mouse Movement

If you prefer using keyboard shortcuts to mousing, Opera provides a keyboard command for every conceivable function. For hard-core rodent lovers, Opera supports mouse gestures for frequently used browser functions. With gestures enabled, you can hold the right button and move the mouse slightly to the left to return to the previous page, for example. The tricks can speed up your browsing, though to be honest I found some of them unwieldy.

Even if you don't care about any of the tools and enhancements Mozilla and Opera offer, wouldn't you love to see the last of Microsoft's incessant security updates for IE? It's no secret that when it comes to the s-word, IE's track record isn't exactly stellar.

Are alternative browsers any more secure? At the very least, they're not as prominent on hackers' radar screens. IE users, on the other hand, seem to browse with giant targets on their backs.

When it comes to managing cookies, passwords, and other security issues, IE has been historically slow on the uptake, though recent improvements in version 6 have made matters better. But Opera and Mozilla generally give you more flexibility in handling cookies and passwords on a site-by-site basis.

Unfortunately, there's at least one significant potential pitfall to using a non-IE browser: Occasionally you'll encounter a site that doesn't load correctly--or worse, doesn't load at all--because it was myopically designed to run on IE alone, or because of a Java or plug-in incompatibility.

If a site says it won't run on anything but IE or Netscape, try loading it anyway; many sites display just fine in Mozilla or Opera. But if you find yourself staring at gobbledygook in an Opera window, at least you'll likely have IE for a backup.

For most browsing, both Mozilla and Opera are a vast improvement over IE. But now that the fat lady has sung, I've turned into an Opera fan. It's not perfect, but it's small, fast, and secure, and it simply has more real-world, practical features than either IE or Mozilla.

Anne Kandra is a contributing editor for PC World. E-mail her at consumerwatch@pcworld.com. Click here to view past Consumer Watch columns.