Browsers Galore

Someone should start a web log that focuses soley on all the new web browsers coming to market. It seems lots of creative folks are coming out with products to replace Microsoft's Internet Explorer that offer more features than IE and fix the problems that Microsoft doesn't seem interested in solving.

Here are two new ones that have shown up in the last couple of days:

First, there is Deepnet Explorer, a browser shell that uses the IE engine, but also scans visited sights to see if they might be part of a phishing scam in which crooks attempt to get personal and payment information from unsuspecting visitors. This new browser is also capable of blocking the new "floating" or "overlay" ads that bypass the current crop of ad blockers included in most new browsers. These ads are showing up on many commercial web sites because so many people are using ad blockers.

The second browser is Netscape, believe it or not. Yes, the original leader of the browser back with a new beta version that uses both the Mozilla and Internet Explorer engines. Mozilla is the engine that drives browsers such a the widely popular new Firefox. The IE engine, now considered the defacto standard for the Internet is employed not only in Explorer, but in other new browsers, such as Maxthon, mentioned in a previous blog. Users of the new Netscape can switch between the two engines at will.

So, how has the new crop of browsers affected Microsoft? According to figures released this week by one web traffic monitoring company, the use of IE has dropped below 90% for the first time in years. Presumably this is because of the popularity of Firefox in the last couple of months. Of course, Firefox is being brought to you by the same people that just put out the new version of Netscape!

Confused yet?