1a. What's a Browser? [Beyond Books

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1a. What's a Browser?

A server is the computer where a webpage is stored. Computers use telephone lines or cable-model lines, etc., to connect to a server, grab webpages, and present them on a browser. It's that simple!

You're in a store looking at clothes. The clerk comes over and asks, "May I help you?" You reply, "No thanks, I'm just browsing." You look around until something catches your eye, then you go into the dressing room and try it on for size.

The browser on your computer works in a similar manner. It enables you to "browse" millions of websites. When you want to look at something more closely, a browser has tools that allow you to "try on" a site for size. But what exactly is a browser?

Browsers are software programs that interpret code and display information from the World Wide Web. They have names such as Netscape, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera, Mozilla, Phoenix, Voyager, Mnemonic, and many others. Browsers are free and easy to use.

Code is the informal name given to Hypertext Mark-up Language, also known as HTML. This is the language of the Web. In fact, everything you see through your browser is built with this language. We'll learn more — a lot more — about code later!

Need a quick illustration of a browser's worth? Think of it this way: Maybe you have a favorite TV show? Or perhaps you like to keep up with current events by watching the news. Well, how do you do it? Simple: you turn on the TV and turn to the channel you want to watch. A browser works in a very similar way — it allows you to see the Web. You can't watch those TV shows without a TV, and you can't look at webpages without a Web browser.

The browser is your link to other Internet users throughout the world. It is limited only by the capabilities of technology and speed of delivery. Its boundaries expand constantly thanks to people's enormous creativity and desire to build communities and share information.

The most popular browsers are Netscape and Internet Explorer. In most regards, they operate similarly, even on different operating systems (mainly Windows, Mac, and Linux). A webmaster can create one website that is viewable on all systems and with all browsers.

An operating system or OS, is a program that acts as a computer's most important organizational tool. The operating system performs many of your machine's basic functions including, converting your keyboard tapping into the letters and numbers that appear on your monitor.

How do you get a browser? Most new computers come with a browser already installed. Not surprisingly, computers also come with the Microsoft Windows operating system.

The Microsoft antitrust lawsuit centers around how Microsoft incorporated its browser, Internet Explorer, into its operating system.
You can also go to your local computer store and buy a disk that contains a browser and install it on your computer. Or you can download a browser online for free (provided you already have a connection to the Internet, of course).

How do people choose browsers? Netscape was the first breakthrough browser, and some users have an allegiance to it. Microsoft's Internet Explorer comes preloaded on many systems, so many people stay with that one. It's not uncommon to find both browsers loaded on the same system. The bottom line is that they both do the job and are constantly being upgraded and improved. So try them out and decide for yourself.

To surf the World Wide Web, though, you'll need a browser. Think of it as your surfboard, capable of getting you out onto the waters of the Web.

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