For Browsers, Change Is Good
A mock funeral was held last week to honor an old friend to many, Internet Explorer 6. First released back in 2001, the browser was once highly regarded, but today users are less than enthusiastic about it. Funeral organizers think the browser should be officially laid to rest, and many Web developers couldn’t agree more. After all, Internet users have several other options for surfing the Web, including two more recent versions of Internet Explorer (IE7 and IE8).
But why does it matter what browser you use when you go online? There are several reasons: faster load times, getting pages to display the way they were intended to, and even added security are among the most obvious.
“If Internet users do not update their browsers, they miss out on the great improvements that make their browsing experience smoother and safer,” says Auctiva developer Ervi Bongso. “Browser developers have been improving their products by taking in consumers’ suggestions and comments, through testing and focus groups, etc., so they can provide you with something better. Some people dislike changing because they have to learn something new, but sometimes, changes are good.”
She recommends updating your browser every time your current browser introduces a new version. Typically, your browser provider will notify you when an update is available through a pop-up message when you open a new browser window.
A good rule of thumb for upgrading is, “If a new major release has been out for more than 6 months; it’s time to upgrade,” says Auctiva Senior Developer Joe Mitchell.
“Older browsers are more vulnerable to attacks and security exploits. Aside from security, out of date browsers may have problems displaying certain pages, and generally perform slower than their modern counterparts,” he adds.
For Auctiva users, an outdated browser can mean certain things like image uploading, and the description editor may not work properly, Mitchell reports.
Auctiva’s development team optimizes its work for Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 8, as well as the latest versions of Firefox and Safari, Mitchell adds. “As of this writing, these browsers are used by the majority of Internet users, including users of Auctiva,” he says.
So what browser should you choose if you haven’t updated your browser in months? It’s a matter of individual taste, because every browser has a different user interface.
“If you’re most comfortable with Internet Explorer, updating to Internet Explorer 8 is great choice,” Mitchell says. “However, if you’re interested in trying something new, both Firefox and Google Chrome are excellent and available free for PC, Mac and Linux.”
For more information on browsers, read this Auctiva EDU article. It tells you what you’re missing out on with older browser software and provides details on some options should your browser need an update.