Flaw with Internet Explorer means you should browse the alternatives (Irishtimes)

Microsoft is back in the headlines this week – for all the wrong reasons. A major flaw in its Internet Explorer browser has seen a flurry of warnings about using the software from both security companies and even government agencies.

Until the flaw has been patched – and exactly when that will be is not yet clear – the advice is to switch to a different browser.

There are plenty of alternative browsers available, from the usual suspects we’ve all come to know well to the up-and-coming browsers that are fighting for their place on your desktop.

ChromeAccording to figures from Statcounter, Google’s alternative browser is more popular than Microsoft’s software, and it has been for some time. In Ireland, Chrome had more than double IE’s 22 per cent share of users last month, beating Microsoft back into second place. It’s fast, it’s sleek and for the most part, it does what it’s supposed to do. Reliability goes a long way among users. If you are a Google services user – Docs, Drive, Gmail – you can sign in to the browser and access everything without having to keep logging in to your account repeatedly. And if you use Chrome on your mobile device or other computer, you can take all your bookmarks with you simply by logging in to your account on each PC. Just don’t forget to log out.

The Chrome App store means you can add a whole host of extras to the browser, from photo editors and language programmes to productivity tools and games.

FirefoxMicrosoft’s misfortunes could be Firefox’s opportunity. The company has just rolled out a major design overhaul that sees a leaner, sleeker Firefox on your desktop. Look hard enough and you might see the odd nod here and there to Google’s Chrome browser.

It’s currently the third most popular desktop browser in Ireland, only overtaken by Apple’s Safari browser when tablets are brought into the mix.

Firefox has always had a bit of a following due to its more open nature. Its mission statement is front and centre on its website: committed to the user, privacy and an open web. What this means for users is that you can customise it to suit your needs, and it has some good security features for blocking pop-ups and other unwanted intrusions. Plus it does tabbed browsing pretty well.

OperaOpera has been kicking about for a while now but it still lags far behind the alternatives in terms of market share. In fact, according to Statcounter, it comes in last in the main list of browsers, with less than 2 per cent of the market last month.

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