2003-06-30: When you sit down and look at web pages, you are using a web browser. This is the piece of software that communicates with web servers for you via the HTTP protocol, translates HTML pages and image data into a nicely formatted on-screen display, and presents this information to your eyeballs -- or to your other senses, in the case of browsers for the vision-impaired and other alternative interface technologies. Web browsers also appear in simpler devices such as Internet-connected cell phones, like many Nokia models, and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) such as the Palm Pilot.

The most common web browser, by a large margin, is Microsoft Internet Explorer, followed by the open-source Firefox browser and its relatives, including Netscape 6.0 and later. Apple's Safari browser is now the standard on Macintoshes (although Firefox is also a fine choice on the Mac), and the Opera shareware browser has a loyal following among those who are willing to pay for the fastest browser possible, especially on older computers. The Lynx browser is the most frequently used text-only browser and has been adapted to serve the needs of the vision-impaired.

Legal Note: yes, you may use sample HTML, Javascript, PHP and other code presented above in your own projects. You may not reproduce large portions of the text of the article without our express permission.

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