Mac Browser Choices

Macs constitute a minority of internet clients. However, that doesn't mean there's a lack of choice in web browsers on the Mac platform. Quite the contrary--there are many to choose from:

  1. Safari is Apple's homegrown web browser that ships free on all new Macs. Based on the KHTML rendering engine (now dubbed WebCore by Apple), this browser has been steadily improving over time, and is standards-compliant. Safari is quick to launch, fast at loading pages, offers tabbed browsing and pop-up blocking, and sports best-of-breed bookmark handling. Safari is only available for OS X, but has quickly become the default browser for many Mac users.
  2. Firefox from Mozilla is the cross-platform, open standards champ, running on Windows, Mac and Linux. It is stable, mature, and renders most pages well and consistently across platforms. Firefox also offers lots of bells and whistles, such as improved tabbed browsing, spell checking, integrated search with suggestions, live titles, and RSS newsfeeds. See Mozilla.com for the latest details and to download Firefox.
  3. Camino is another web browser built on the Mozilla engine, and specifically designed for Mac OS X. It exhibits some of the design finesse that Macs users appreciate, with a familiar look and feel. Learn more about it at caminobrowser.org.
  4. Omniweb Omniweb was the initial alternative to Internet Explorer in OS X. It developed a reputation for rendering the best looking pages. Most recently Omniweb has switched to the same WebCore rendering engine that powers Safari and has elected to compete on features and user interface. Omniweb costs $29.95
  5. Opera has long been the speed darling of the PC platform and there's a speedy version of Opera for Mac OS X. See Opera Software's site for the latest details.
  6. Internet Explorer is still available from Microsoft but the company has officially stopped development on it and it is antiquated enough that no one recommends it any more. If you are (still) using Internet Explorer, we recommend you switch to one of the other browsers listed above.
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