When I speak to my friends about computers I sometime forget they may not know the basic terms, since they are a computer beginner after all. I get these confused looks and questions like:
What a browser?
What is a web browser?
What is a browser window?
I think to myself, “Oh boy! I guess that would help huh?” Dahhhhh to me!
Today’s How-to Guide for the Computer Beginner is, “What is a browser or Web Browser?” We will also touch on Browser windows.
What is a Browser? What is a web browser?
Browser is a short name for web browser. YEP! They are the same thing.
A web browser is basically a software application (or program) that allows you to get onto the internet, and view web pages.
I have chosen three popular web browsers, and have shown pictures of their icons.
You may have seen this on your desktop, and this is a web browser called Internet Explorer. It is also called, IE for short.
This is another popular web Brower. Its called Mozilla Foxfire. It also has a nickname, “FoxFire” for short.
Lastly, this is called Google Chrome, or just Chrome for short.
At this point and time these three seem to be the most talked about. There are others. If you wish to open a browser? You would click on one of icons, and normally you would have one similar to ones I have picture above.
You had to click one of these (IE, Foxfire, Chrome) icons to get to our How-To Guide for the Computer beginner page that you are viewing now.
Normally, the next question I’m asked is which one is better. Honestly? You will get as many opinions as there are web browsers. I think it is more personal preference. Internet Explorer (IE) was my first browser, and now I tend to use Mozilla Foxfire. I actually have them both on my desktop now.
For whatever reason there are certain websites I can view better in one browser better than the other.
When you hear people speak about browser compatibility? That is one of the aspects they are talking about. There will be some website you come to, and they will tell you right away to view this in IE, Foxfire, or Chrome. They are telling you their website is compatible with that web browser.
Another example, would be say you pick IE and it has a heck of time loading in order to see the words and pictures – or just outright refuses to show anything. I would turn around and open this page in Firefox, and it loads right away.
Keep in mind: When you have never been to a website before? Its normal for the page to take while to load so you can see it.
Other times certain parts of the webpage will never be seen in one web browser, but you can see everything on another. Lets look at an example of what I’m talking about.
These two pictures are an example of two different web browsers viewing the same web page.
As you can tell browser number one is more compatible to view this web page than the second one. The second browser is missing huge chucks of information.
What is a browser window?
When you click one of the icons above? You are launched into a browser window. Matter of fact you are viewing our blog in a browser window. In beginner terms? A browser window is a tool used to view websites on the internet. It acts as a "window" to the world wide web. (otherwise known as the internet).
So when you open your browser by clicking on one of the icons I mentioned? You will be viewing the internet through a browser window.
Make sense?
I hope you understood my How-To Guide For the Computer beginner today on Web Browser, and Browser windows.
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Thank you the answer was very helpful.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of your web page and i have found it helpful, however, i get these requests to copy a multiple character web address and copy it to my browser. I know how to copy and paste, but what or where do I copy it to get it into my browser?
ReplyDelete