IE has long been superseded by the competition in terms of ease of use. Many third-party browsers include advanced navigation options that make it easier to find your way round websites. Most have integrated search facilities, superior document handling, and even allow you to check your email without using an external application.
There are numerous considerations that have to be taken into account before switching to a new browser. Many website designers create their pages specifically for use with IE, with the result that other browsers can't display them correctly.
We've taken a look at some of the best web browsers and examined how they compare with IE and each other. In order to find the best for your needs, we examined their ease of use, website compatibility, security and how they affect your overall browsing experience.
Avant Browser
This uses the same underlying architecture as Internet Explorer (IE), but has a number of additions designed to improve functionality. Like most non-IE browsers, it supports tabbed browsing, and can tile several browser windows in horizontal or vertical arrangements. Unlike Deepnet Explorer, though, new websites can be loaded into existing tabs, but there is no support for multiple instances of the browser.
One of our main gripes with Avant Browser 10 is its rather cluttered interface. It has 10 entries along its file menu, and dozens of tiny navigation icons that can make it difficult to find particular ones.
This makes the browser difficult for visually impaired users, although you can zoom in on HTML documents by up to 500 per cent. Address aliasing is included, whereby user-definable phrases can be entered into the address bar instead of a full URL. For example typing 'gg' will take you to www.google.com.
Advanced users can specify whether to allow ActiveX components, scripts, or Java Applets. This provides added security, although the browser is still vulnerable to the same security issues as IE.
This browser can be recommended above IE since it has a number of good features. Many readers will not use some of its more advanced options, but in spite of its busy interface Avant is a powerful and versatile browser.
Download Avant Browser here
Deepnet Explorer
Deepnet Explorer incorporates web browsing, peer-to-peer file downloads and an RSS/Atom newsreader. Like Avant Browser 10, it is based on IE, so its interface should be familiar to most users. Its most obvious differences are the tabbed window structure and support for vertical and horizontal tiling of browser windows.
However, the implementation isn't sophisticated. Typing in a web address, for example, will always generate a new tab, which eventually forces you to close old unwanted tabs rather than loading new content into them.
The most unusual feature of Deepnet Explorer is its peer-to-peer download capabilities. It uses the Gnutella network, so has a relatively large base of users and a good range of files to choose from without any annoying adware/spyware.
The RSS/Atom newsreader allows you to sign up to news feeds from websites and have them sent to the browser, so you don't have to trawl the web for new stories.
For all its additions, this browser is prone to the same problems as IE. Its identical architecture gives it broad compatibility with most websites, but it has numerous security vulnerabilities so you'll need to download updates from the Microsoft website to keep it and your PC safe.
The help features are also minimal but, if you can put up with its flaws, Deepnet Explorer is a strong alternative to the standard Microsoft offering.
Download Deepnet Explorer here
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Most of us have used IE without problems, thanks to its high compatibility with websites. Version 6 for Service Pack 1 includes all security updates delivered over the past year, plus some useful additions. We tested IE for SP1 because this will also work on Windows XP with SP2.
The new pop-up blocker works better than those supplied with the other browsers. Whereas others ably block most automatic pop-ups, IE differentiates between unwanted pop-ups and those activated deliberately. By default, pop-up sensitivity is set to Medium, but this can be increased if you visit sites with aggressive advertising.
Security is improved by limiting ActiveX controls. If a site tries to load potentially harmful content or download a file to your PC, an information bar appears below the address bar giving you the option to continue or get further information.
Despite these additions IE lacks features. It does not support tab browsing as standard, so you'll need to open multiple instances of the program. There's also no support for RSS feeds, and is the most likely browser in the group to be targeted by spyware and other malicious programs.
The user interface is very easy to use, and you'll be hard pressed to find a website that won't display, but with so many advanced alternatives available, it is hard to recommend IE except when websites you regularly visit will not load in other browsers.
Download Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 here
Mozilla Firefox
At first glance, Mozilla Firefox 1.0 seems to be the most basic browser here. It has the obligatory File menu, but by default it only displays the most crucial navigation icons: back, forward, reload, stop and home.
Look closer, though, and you'll find some useful features, including a built-in search bar. Google is the default search engine, but others include Yahoo, Amazon, IMDB, and Dictionary.com. To improve flexibility, more search engines can be added to the list via Mozilla's website.
Firefox features tabbed browsing. Unlike in Deepnet Explorer, existing tabs can be diverted to new sites, although there is no facility to view two pages side by side, as you can in Opera 7.54.
Firefox 1.0 is far less vulnerable to malicious attacks than IE. This is largely because hackers and virus writers mainly target the most commonly used software, but also because Firefox lacks support for VBscript and ActiveX controls. As a result this browser may display some pages incorrectly. Worse still, music video sites such as Launch.com, and online mail clients such as Inotes or Outlook Web Access may not display some content at all.
The upshot is that your PC is far less likely to become infested with spyware. This, combined with Firefox's excellent list of features, means it is a far better choice for everyday surfing than many browsers in the group.
Download Mozilla Firefox here
Netscape Navigator
Navigator 7.2 is based on Mozilla software, but its rather dull interface is far removed from the elegant front end used by Firefox. The longwinded installation process can also cause problems. The installer file is just 288KB, but the files it downloads subsequently can total over 27MB, which can take over an hour on a dial-up modem.
You can customise installation to exclude superfluous additions such as the desktop weather software, integrated mail client, and AOL Instant Messenger. This takes the size down to a more manageable 12MB.
Even without these inclusions, Navigator 7.2 is well featured. It has good pop-up blocking and allows tabbed browsing. It also renders web pages much quicker than its predecessors, and has a new Password Manager feature that allows you to view a list of passwords you've saved while browsing.
You can set a Master Password to prevent access to this list, but during tests we were still able to access all login details without providing any authentication. This could be dangerous if more than one person has access to your PC, since users can not only log in with your details, but also see the passwords you use to gain access.
On the whole, Navigator 7.2 is a welcome update to the series. It lacks some of the bells and whistles of the more advanced browsers on the market but, thanks to its Mozilla backbone, it stands out as good alternative to IE.
Download Netscape Navigator here
Opera
Opera 7.54 has some features that no other browser here offers. One of the most unusual is the rewind and fast-forward buttons. The former takes you back to the home page of any website you've wandered into too deeply, while the latter tries to guess the next page you're likely to visit on that particular site.
This works surprisingly well and accurately mimics the 'next' button on web-based image slideshows. Opera also includes mouse gestures, so you can wave your input device in various patterns that correspond to navigation or browser actions. Holding the right mouse button and moving the mouse to the left, for instance, will take you to the previous page.
This is one of just two browsers here to allow multiple documents in a single window, and include horizontal and vertical tiling. It also has a context-sensitive menu so when you double-click on any text on a web page it is passed through a language translator, dictionary or search engine. A spoofing mode allows Opera to identify itself as an IE or Mozilla browser, but this isn't always reliable.
The full version of Opera requires a £24 registration fee, but most users will opt for the free edition, which is supported by (easy to ignore) adverts. Some users may find a few of Opera's features a little superfluous, but for advanced surfing, few of its rivals can match our Editor's Choice award winner.
Download Opera here
Editor's choice
Before the release of Service Packs 1 and 2, Internet Explorer was a poorly equipped and vulnerable web browser. Even with these additions, it still lags a long way behind its rivals, as illustrated in this group test.
Deciding which browser is right for you depends largely on which sites you visit. Many web developers lazily create websites that are only compatible with Internet Explorer. As a result, you may be better off using a browser based on IE, such as Deepnet Explorer or our first Highly Commended award winner, Avant Browser 10.
The latter offers broad compatibility, but also provides some useful extras that aid navigation, such as tabbed browsing. Visiting websites with long URLs is made easier thanks to the very useful addition of address aliasing, which allows you to substitute unwieldy URLs for short memorable keywords.
Unfortunately, like Deepnet Explorer, Avant Browser inherits the same security shortcomings as IE, and will need regular security updates. As a result, security-conscious users may prefer to opt for our second Highly Commended award winner, Mozilla Firefox 1.0.
Firefox 1.0 has a number of great features including pop-up and pop-under blocking, tabbed browsing, and a download manager that organises downloads in a single window instead of launching separate windows for each file transfer.
Unfortunately Firefox 1.0 does not support ActiveX controls or VBScript. This may limit its use in a corporate environment since you may not be able to load web interfaces for an email client such as Inotes or Outlook Web Access.
Our Editor's Choice is Opera 7.54. This is the most fully featured browser of the group. It incorporates some useful functionality such as multiple document support, which allows you to arrange several browser pages in a single window.
It is also the only browser in the group that supports mouse gestures without the need for a software plug-in. This, in conjunction with the fast-forward and rewind buttons, makes controlling the browser and navigating web pages far easier.
Opera 7.54 inherits the same weaknesses as any browser that isn't based on Internet Explorer, but it has a handy browser mode that can sometimes fool websites into thinking it is an IE or Mozilla browser.
There are times when only Microsoft's offering will do, so you shouldn't turn your back on IE completely, but for everyday browsing we're sure you'll find one of the alternatives provide significant benefits.
Do you agree?
Have your say on this article