So why, oh why, are you still using Internet Explorer 7, 8 or even 9? The 2014 Veterinary Online Marketing Report revealed that 35% of respondents were Internet Explorer (IE) users, with more than 20% using IE8 or lower.
Just because Internet Explorer (IE) is the browser that was installed on your computer when you bought it, that doesn’t mean make it the best option for viewing websites…at least if you want to view them the way they were actually intended to be seen. Did you know that many websites are not compatible with older browsers, so you may be seeing a square instead of a circle, a seemingly empty space when there should be pictures or text, buttons and links that don’t function properly, etc.?
Websites need to be built in a certain way for your browser to understand and display it. Older versions of IE display very differently than newer browsers because Microsoft had such a large part of the market share that they didn’t follow the same standards that other browsers commonly used. For website designers and developers, trying to make sites compatible with older browsers (especially IE) is a virtual nightmare and requires a lot of additional time to fix. This often forces developers to make the decision to no longer support older IE browsers, which leaves you viewing a website without all the good stuff. What you end up seeing on your outdated browser screen isn’t really what the website can and should look like.
If you’re still not convinced, consider the security risk of losing personal and business information online with older browsers. Newer browsers include fixes that protect against security vulnerabilities that cyber criminals just love to discover.
How do you know which browser you’re using to view pages on the Internet?
For Windows (PC):
You’re reading this, so you already have your browser open. Now click on “Help” in the top menu bar, choose “About [browser name]” and you’ll see a message that displays your current version (a number) and a notification that tells you if it is up to date or if there are other versions available.
For Macs:
With the browser open, click on the apple icon in the menu bar and choose “About [browser name]” and you’ll see your current browser version (a number) and a notification that tells you if it is up to date or if there are other versions available.
If you’re a Windows XP user, you really need to read this:
Not only are your browser options limited, you’re also about to lose all support from Microsoft! Although IE11 is the most up to date IE browser, only IE8 or lower are available on Windows XP. Fortunately, the latest versions of Firefox and Chrome can be installed on these older Windows machines. And after April 8th, 2014, Microsoft has announced that they will no longer be providing support for Windows XP (and office 2003). To keep your data secure, you should upgrade to Windows 7 or another up-to-date operating system (OS).
So which browser is best?
Google this phrase and you’ll find a ton of comparisons. Chrome and Firefox tend to rank highest in most comparisons we’ve come across, but IE11 has made tremendous improvements over its previous versions and now ranks as one of the top browsers once again. The biggest advantage with newer versions of Chrome and Firefox is that they automatically upgrade your browser for you – instantly and without any additional effort.
The browser rule of thumb to follow: If you’re using the default browser that was installed on your computer when you bought it, you should upgrade to a newer and better browser.
In a lot of cases, “best” often boils down to personal preference, but what we can say for sure is that the best browser is usually the newest version of the browser that you’re comfortable using. So whichever browser you prefer, please, please, pretty please, update it to the latest version!
And because we want to make it even easier for you to do this, we’re including direct links to each of the most popular and up-to-date browser download pages. Just click on one of the links below to upgrade your browser now…for FREE.
Download Firefox – version 27
Download Chrome – version 33
Download Internet Explorer – version 11
Download Safari – version depends on the OS version
Want access to more tips like this? Sign up for our weekly enewseltter at www.lifelearn.com/update.
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