计算机英语阅读网站,计算机英语阅读文章：网页浏览器

Web Browsers

A web browser is the software program you use to access the World Wide Web, the graphical portion of the Internet. The first browser, called NCSA Mosaic, was developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications in the early '90s. The easy-to-use point-and-click interface* helped popularize the Web, although few then could imagine the explosive growth that would soon occur.

Although many different browsers are available, Microsoft Internet Explorer* and Netscape Navigator* are the two most popular ones. Netscape and Microsoft have put so much money into their browsers that the competition can't keep up. The pitched battle* between the two companies to dominate* the market has lead to continual improvements to the software. Version 4.0 and later releases of either browser are excellent choices. (By the way, both are based on NCSA Mosaic.) You can download Explorer and Navigator for free from each company's website. If you have one browser already, you can test out the other. Also note that there are slight differences between the Windows and MacIntosh* versions.

You can surf to your heart's content, but it's easy to get lost in this electronic web. That's where your browser can really help. Browsers come loaded with all sorts of handy features. Fortunately, you can learn the basics in just a few minutes, then take the time to explore the advanced functions.

Both Explorer and Navigator have more similarities than differences, so we'll primarily cover those. For the most up-to-date information about the browsers, and a complete tutorial, check the online handbook under the Help menu or go to the websites of the respective* software companies.

Browser Anatomy

When you first launch your web browser, usually by double-clicking on the icon on your desktop, a predefined web page, your home page, will appear. With Netscape Navigator for instance, you will be taken to Netscape's NetCenter.