Web browsers

1. Internet Explorer v 8.0
   Internet Explorer 8 brings to the table a number of new user-friendly features, increased standards support, and much improved security. It defaults to a more standards-compliant mode, but still offers a backward compatibility button. A predictive address bar brings it closer to Firefox, but the lack of a download manager and robust extension ecosystem hold the browser back.
   
   IE 8 has done its improvement such as address bar offers Autocomplete, tabs have color-coded groupings, crash isolationt, added InPrivate browsing feature, flexible search, easy access to Web content, IE7-compatible view, better security and performance, crash recovery and faster startup. The user interface in IE8 has been overhauled, adding new features such as color-coded browser tabs to group recently opened tabs together, the ability to recommend sites, a new visual search feature that allows users to see pictures of things such as eBay and Amazon results, auto-completion of searches and URLs, and a toolbar like Mozilla Firefox's for searching within a page.
   
   New tabs also show commonly visited Web sites as links, and tabs work in isolation so that if one tab crashes, the entire browser doesn't. IE8 also contains a number of other security features, including an InPrivate Browsing mode that keeps no trail of browsing history and new features that prevent certain cross-site scripting attacks, click-jacking, and the installation of malicious ActiveX controls. Accelerators let users perform actions like translation, mapping, and search from the right-click context menu, which brings up a window inside the current page to show translated text, a map, or search results.
   
   
   Download link: http://download.microsoft.com/download/C/C/0/IE8-WindowsXP-x86-ENU.exe (16.1 MB)
   Official site: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/Internet-explorer/default.aspx



2. Mozilla Firefox V 3.0.10
   Mozilla Firefox is a fast, full-featured Web browser. Firefox includes pop-up blocking, tab-browsing, integrated Google search, simplified privacy controls, a streamlined browser window that shows you more of the page than any other browser and a number of additional features that work with you to help you get the most out of your time online.
   
   Version 3.0.10 fixes security issues and a major stability issue. Previous versions have seen Mozilla's approach to features such as tabbed browsing and extensions become extremely popular. Even though Firefox 3 lacks a killer feature, it offers significant improvements not to be missed.
   
   Version 3 introduces a multitude of safety and usability features. The location bar drop-down menu now includes URLs from both your browsing history and your bookmarks. A new Add-Ons manager includes a built-in plug-in search engine, saving you the previous trip to the Mozilla Web site. Single-click the star icon on the right of the location
   
   bar to bookmark the current page, or double-click on it to simultaneously add and edit the bookmark entry. You can tag bookmarks, too. Other impressive new features include password confirmation before adding it to the saved passwords list, the ability to pause and resume downloads, and merged forward and backward history lists.
   
   Firefox 3 now runs faster and, according to Mozilla, is less susceptible to hacks and other vulnerabilities. The browser now warns your system's antivirus program when you download a file, and anti-malware and anti-phishing utilities now throw up a warning page before allowing Firefox to load risky sites. The favicon reveals Web sites' ownership details and displays the security level of your connection to that site.
   
   
   Download link: http://mozilla.cdn.cacheboy.net/firefox/releases/3.0.10/win32/en-US/Firefox%20Setup%203.0.10.exe (7.1 MB)
   Official site: http://www.mozilla.com



3. Google Chrome V 2.0.172.28
   Google Chrome is a browser that combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the Web faster, safer, and easier. Use one box for everything--type in the address bar and get suggestions for both search and Web pages. Thumbnails of your top sites let you access your favorite pages instantly with lightning speed from any new tab. Desktop shortcuts allow you to launch your favorite Web apps straight from your desktop.
   
   Version 2.0.172.28 introduces a faster JavaScript engine, Webkit updates, and automatic form-filling. Google Chrome uses the same keyboard shortcuts and mousewheel combinations as Firefox. With a zero learning curve, you immediately feel at your element and there's no need to start testing new shortcuts or reading the documentation. Other similarities to Firefox in Google Chrome include a complete download manager (which reminded me a lot of the Download Statusbar extension) and a handy password manager.If you don't want Google Chrome to track down your browsing movements, try the incognito window. This special window won't save anything about your session (no browsing history, no cookies, etc.), so no breadcrumbs will be left after you close it.
   
   But if there's a feature that makes Google Chrome really stand out, that's having separate processes for each one of the tabs you open. That means that you can check the amount of system resources used up by each tab, and close any of them in case of trouble without having to shut down the whole browser.
   
   
   Download link: http://Chrome%26needsadmin%3Dfalse/update2/installers/ChromeSetup.exe (543.15 K)
   Official site: www.google.com/chrome



4. Safari 4 Beta
   This is Apple latest released beta version of Safari 4 browser. The new browser has lots of improvements over the previous one including a new design. Apple’s Safari is the first and only web browser to pass Acid 3. Acid 3 tests a browser’s ability to fully render pages using the web standards used to build dynamic, next-generation websites, including CSS, JavaScript, XML, and SVG. Safari 4 introduces the Nitro JavaScript engine, an advanced bytecode JavaScript engine that makes web browsing even faster.
   
   Safari 4 beta has totally new interface with new tab management and the tabs have been moved to the top of the browser similar to Google’s Chrome. When you open a new tab, you can view speed dial links or also called as top sites as thumbnails which are configurable. It provides a highly visual way to sweep through your sites and bookmarks in the form of Cover Flow. Cover Flow displays your bookmarks and history as large graphical previews, so you can pick out a website instantly. Searching the history is also much easier with previews of websites opened avaiable.
   
   You can zoom in web pages easily with the toolbar which can be enabled from the toolbar menu. The bookmarks bar has also been revamped and thumbnails are available for bookmarks menu as well. In the navigation side, there are new features and improvements. Tabs can be rearranged, opened in new window and also be merged into one window. Safari allows you to organize tabs by dragging and dropping. Movable tabs give you the power to organize your sites exactly the way you want. If you close any tab by accident, then you can recover it by choosing Reopen Last Closed Window from the History menu.
   
   Safari 4 beta also has built-in spell checking and built-in grammar checking. It also feature private browsing. When opening websites, we could not find any considerable speed in the load time when compared to Firefox or IE8. Overall Safari 4 Beta has lots of features and a fresh new look. The improvements are really worth trying and Safari 4 works even on Windows 7.
   
   
   Download link: http://appldnld.apple.com.edgesuite.net/content.info.apple.com/Safari4/061-6161.20090429.vfe34/SafariSetup.exe (25.45 MB)
   Official site: http://www.apple.com/safari/




5. Opera 9.64
   Opera's free and innovative Web browser allows you to experience the web on your terms. Discover what over 20 million people have already experienced by downloading Opera's fast and safe Internet browsers. Opera Link lets you synchronize data of your choice online, or among different computers and devices. Sync your Speed Dial, Bookmarks, Custom Searches, History and Notes between your work and home computer; take your bookmarks with you on your phone. Have you ever forgotten the page where you found that great article or that perfect gift? When using Opera, the browser remembers not only the titles and addresses, but also the actual content of the Web pages you visit.
   
   Opera V 9.64 allows users to review a Feed by clicking on the feed icon, and you will see it in clean and efficient multiple-column layout. This makes it easier to see a feed’s content before subscribing to it — or even bookmarking it — and to view what's new in a page quickly, without distractions. Besides, Opera browser offers an e-mail client designed to optimize your daily e-mail-handling requirements. It is called Opera Mail, and it organizes, indexes and sorts your messages so that you can spend more time doing the real work. Best of all, it is built right into your browser.
   
   With Opera you can navigate the Web with your mouse. A mouse gesture is performed while clicking and holding the right mouse button and moving the mouse in an easy pattern. Perform movements with the mouse to access well-known functions such as Back, Forward and Open New Tab. As with Opera's keyboard shortcuts, mouse gestures are fully customizable, so you can tailor them any way you want. Typing addresses for sites you visit frequently is ineffective. Get your favorite Web page with just one click. Speed Dial is a set of visual bookmarks you see when you open a new tab, like a dashboard for your online life. To add a new page, simply click on an empty Speed Dial slot, and Opera will make suggestions based on browsing history and bookmarks. Version 9.64 fixes an issue where specially crafted JPEG images ccould be used to execute arbitrary code. Also fixes an issue where plug-ins could be used to allow cross domain scripting, and adds version conditional fetching of certificate dependencies from an online repository.
   
   
   
   Download link: http://mirror.publicns.net/pub/opera/win/964/en/Opera_964_en_Setup.exe (5.36 MB)
   Official site: http://www.opera.com