BROWSERS
those quirky little windows to the internet

This page is for those of you who, when faced with a question of browser verions, are left with a big question mark over their heads. If you fit this description, don't be ashamed, you're but one of a multitude of people who don't quite get it. But, I hope by reading further the mystery will be gone.

For most home internet users, you go to the desk, sit down, log on to the internet and double click that slick looking "big blue e" on your desktop.

As you can see, that is named "Internet Explorer" or "IE" for short.

I'd say for most web designers, they probably wish that was the only browser. But, alas, it isn't. There are several other web browsers. However, most web designers only try to conform to the top two, IE and Netscape Navigator.


What's to conform to? Well, quite a bit actually. Although all browsers read the exact same files when they browse the internet, they don't all read those files the same. Slight variations in html code (html code is the programming language for web pages) translations can produce really, for lack of a better term, ugly results in a browser window.

That's where the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) stepped in. In an effort to make all web browsers start to read html code in a more similar manner, the W3C started to develop browser "rules & regulations" that IE and Netscape programmers both agreed to work with. As time goes on, more differences are ironed out. So, the higher the browser version number, the better the chances of it reading the web pages without errors.

So, then we're back to those browser disclaimers you often see when you enter a site. They may read something like:
"This site requires IE version 5.5 or Netscape version 6."

When a designer puts a site together he has 1000 things running through his/her mind. Many of them revolve around how things will react in different browsers. A designer wants to use the most cutting edge effects in his page. However, this can be very hard to do when he/she is also trying to work with browser versions. In essence, to get all the most cutting edge effects, you have to be running the latest version of whatever browser you choose.

Have no idea what version you're running? Have no fear!
Depending on which icon you click on to start browsing the internet, follow the table for that icon.

1. Open IE and click "Help" on the menu bar.	1. Open Netscape and click "Help" on the menu bar.
2. Click "About Internet Explorer"	2. Click "About Netscape Navigator"
3. Your browser version information will be shown here.	3. Your browser version information will be shown here.
Currently, IE 6 is the latest version. To get the latest version, click on the link below.	Currently, Netscape 6 is the latest version. To get the latest version, click on the link below.

I hope this page was helpful to you and that from now on you won't be afraid to upgrade your browser version thinking you may screw something up!
Take care!