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THE TOP BROWSERS
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 9
Key features: Streamlined look, faster performance and HTML5 support
System requirements: PC running Microsoft 7 or Vista
To download: www.beautyoftheweb.com
- Mozilla Firefox 4
Key features: New app tabs, new tab grouping feature and Firefox Sync integration
System requirements: PC running Windows 2000 or later; Mac running OS 10.5 or later
To download: www.mozilla.com
- Google Chrome 10
Key features: Simple look, Omnibox, bookmark syncing
System requirements: PC running Windows XP or later; Mac running OS 10.5.6 or later
To download: www.google.com/chrome
- Apple Safari 5
Key features: Safari Reader, most-visited sites gallery and HTML5 support
System requirements: PC running Windows XP or later; Mac running OS 10.5.8 or later
To download: www.apple.com/safari
(c) 2011, Detroit Free Press.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
INTERNET EXPLORER 9
The Web's most used - and most beleaguered - browser sees a huge upgrade with Internet Explorer 9.
Long derided for being slow and clunky, IE 9 comes with a new, sleeker look and superfast performance.
And, in the most welcome change, IE 9 takes a design cue from Google Chrome that helps the browser fade into the background a bit. The new browser nests open tabs next to the address bar, so there is less wasted space.
Overall, I was pleasantly stunned by IE 9. It's been years since IE was worth anything but scorn, but this is definitely worth a look.
A wide adoption of IE 9 will be slowed considerably by its requirement of either Windows 7 or Vista, which many Web browsers don't have.
MOZILLA FIREFOX 4
Mozilla Firefox has long been the burgeoning underdog of Web browsers. But it's grown steadily, chipping away at IE's monster market share.
On its way, it built a loyal following of devotees, eager to shed the weight common in IE - the default browser installed on Windows PCs.
Much of the power of the Firefox browser lies in the add-ons available from third-party developers. These can allow users to do things like block Web ads, download videos from websites or integrate social media sites into their browsing.Firefox 4 brings a new feature called app tabs that allow users to pin frequently visited sites - email, Facebook, etc. - to the top left of the browser so they're always available.
GOOGLE CHROME 10
Just more than 2 years old, Google Chrome is the new kid on the block.
But it has seen its market share climb steadily to more than 17 percent in those two years, taking users from IE and Firefox along the way.
Chrome's power is in its simplicity. The browser window itself carries very little weight, with just enough room for the address bar and your tabs.
It introduced the time-saving Omnibox, which merges the search and address bar into one box. Just type in a Google search or full Web address and the browser will know what you're doing.
Chrome also allows users to sync bookmarks across computers.
APPLE SAFARI 5
Until 2003, Apple computers relied on Microsoft's Internet Explorer as the default browser.But then Apple decided to make one if its own.
The Safari browser was Mac-only at launch, but a Windows version was released in 2007, opening it up to the largest chunk of the computing world.
Safari's hallmark is its brushed aluminum finish and it includes a nice looking home screen that shows your most-visited sites in a thumbnail gallery.
Safari 5 includes a feature called Safari Reader that simplifies the view of any article to strip out content like ads.
Safari, though, lacks a must-have feature to give Chrome or Firefox users a reason to check it out.
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