What is next for internet browsers?

With new browsers coming out all of the time, no one can really predict what the future holds for internet browsing. As of right now, most people who surf the internet use Internet Explorer (IE) as their browser of choice. Over the past years IE has not really changed that much, and since Internet Explorer has a monopoly over other browsers, it really doesn’t have to. The fact is though, that the Internet Explorer browser and some other browsers could be much better. There are many browsers to choose from on the internet, with a variety of features, but what we want is one browser that has it all.

The perfect browser would be one with great security and complete compatibility with all Web standards. It is very hard to make a browser that can display every website that uses old Web standards, and display new and more advanced websites using new Web standards. The perfect browser would be one that could seamlessly integrate with plug-ins and other add-ons that are available on the net today. The hardest part would really be designing a browser that runs ActiveX and other Web technologies without compromising files outside of the browser, without the user having to deal with security alerts and other nuances.

If a company were to get the opportunity to design a browser that actually suits everyone’s needs, they would have to balance between those who make Web sites and those who view them. Also, the ability to block pop up ads and other annoyances should be available at the touch of a key. Another feature that should be mandatory is the ability to download the Web sites text before the images. This will decrease your waiting time and make your internet surfing speedier.

Navigation is also a major area that current browser designers need to address. Many users go back and forth between many different web sites and as of right now just about every browser does not make this task as simple as it could be. For example, and tabbed and ordered navigation system along the left side of your browser would be perfect for locating pages that you have just viewed but need to get back to, and other pages that you have looked at in the past but don’t remember the exact URL of the page.

Searching is another very important factor of a good browser, and I don’t just mean the web. Wouldn’t it be nice if you browser could search your computer also! Then you would literally have everything available right at your fingertips, in one easy to use program. Another search function that browsers perform is a page search, which basically can search for a specific word or sentence on whatever web page you are looking at. To expand that, and make it better, they should also enhance the search and provide the ability to search for all grammatical forms of a certain word and other advanced search options that will allow you to find what you are looking for on a big web page with lots of content.

To sum things up, an integration of useful toolbars, better navigation of browsing history and other enhanced functions will be what makes the browser of the future that everyone will use. So watch out Microsoft, if you don’t get on the ball Internet Explorer will soon become a thing of the past. Remember, a good browser should be an information manager, since its primary use is to gather information.