What is a browser?

Web browser, a software application used to locate, retrieve and also display content on the World Wide Web, including Web pages, images, video and other files. As a client/server model, the browser is the client run on a computer that contacts the Web server and requests information. The Web server sends the information back to the Web browser which displays the results on the computer or other Internet-enabled device that supports a browser.

Today's browsers are fully-functional software suites that can interpret and display HTML Web pages, applications, JavaScript, AJAX and other content hosted on Web servers. Many browsers offer plug-ins which extend the capabilities of a browser so it can display multimedia information (including sound and video), or the browser can be used to perform tasks such as videoconferencing, to design web pages or add anti-phishing filters and other security features to the browser.

Some Basic Parts of Web Browser

We all know what a Web browser looks like, but it's good to have a complete breakdown of the various parts of most Web browsers just for reference's sake. The parts of a browser include:

• Status bar: This is the box at the bottom of your browser window. The status bar displays all sorts of information, depending on what you're doing at the time, but mostly it's for showing load speed and the URL of whatever address your mouse is hovering over.
• Address bar:This is the box at the top of your browser window that displays the entire URL, or Web site address.
• Title bar: The title bar is at the very top of your browser window; in both Firefox and Internet Explorer it is the blue bar there at the top. You'll see the title of the Web page there; for example, you should see "What Is A Web Browser?" at the top of your browser window right now.
• Toolbar Icons: The toolbar and its icons are at the top of your browser window right underneath the Title Bar. This is where you'll see the Back button, the Home button, the Refresh button, etc.
• Display Window: The Display Window is just a fancy term for your browser work space; it's the frame through which you see this website right now.
• Scroll Bars: If you've ever been to a website that you had to "scroll down" to read something, then you've used the scroll bars. They're just navigational/directional aids.

There's more if you REALLY want to get into the nuts and bolts of a Web browser, but these parts are the basic ones that anyone should be concerned about. And of course, not all browsers are created equal - so some of the above definitions might not be appropriate.

The Most Popular Web Browsers

Here are just a few of Web browsers available to you for a free download:

• Microsoft's Internet Explorer : Most Internet users are using Internet Explorer because it's easy to use and most Web sites are written with Internet Explorer in mind, meaning that they are compatible.
• Opera : Opera is another popular browser that's easy to use; however, it can have some compatibility issues with various websites.
• Mozilla's Firefox : Firefox is rapidly gaining ground right behind Internet Explorer because of its tabbed browsing, superior security features, and fast load.
• Mac Safari : Specifically for Mac users, Safari is an excellent choice for a Web browser, with fast load and good compatibility with most websites out there.