Flash Player
Adobe’s latest version of the Flash Player browser plug-in is just as trouble-free as previous versions, existing unobtrusively in your system until Web-based animations, games, or ubiquitous Flash ads require its services. The latest version, with its tiny size, downloads and installs quickly. Our tests turned up nothing to make us scratch our heads. In one odd occurrence, at one site viewed with Internet Explorer we were prompted to install Flash Player 9 before viewing a video file–even though we had already done so and used it at other sites with no difficulty. We experienced no similar oddities while using Firefox.
You need a Flash Player to experience the Web at its fullest, so users at any level of expertise should have no qualms about installing or upgrading to Flash Player 9.
License: Free
Limitations: No limitations
Avant Browser
Avant Browser allows users to browse multiple Web sites simultaneously and to block all unwanted pop-up pages and Flash ads automatically. The integrated cleaner helps users clear all traces and maintain privacy.
The built-in Yahoo and Google search engines enable users to search for Web pages, images, groups, directories, lyrics, software, and news on the Internet. Avant Browser provides options for blocking the download of Flash media, pictures, video, sounds, and ActiveX components, so users can efficiently use their bandwidth and speed up page loading.
All opened pages can be stopped, refreshed, closed, or arranged with one click. It also comes with built-in RSS reader. Its similar Web sites bar displays Web sites, which are related to the opened Web pages.
License: Free
Limitations: No limitations
Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla Firefox is a fast, full-featured Web browser. Firefox includes pop-up blocking; tab-browsing; integrated Google search; simplified privacy controls; a streamlined browser window that shows you more of the page than any other browser; and a number of additional features that work with you to help you get the most out of your time online.
Version 3.0.3 fixes a problem where users were unable to retrieve saved passwords or save new passwords.
CNET Review
Version 3 introduces a multitude of safety and usability features. The location bar drop-down menu now includes URLs from both your browsing history and your bookmarks. A new Add-Ons manager includes a built-in plug-in search engine, saving you the previous trip to the Mozilla Web site. Single-click the star icon on the right of the location bar to bookmark the current page, or double-click on it to simultaneously add and edit the bookmark entry. You can tag bookmarks, too. Other impressive new features include password confirmation before adding it to the saved passwords list, the ability to pause and resume downloads, and merged forward and backward history lists.
Firefox 3 now runs faster and, according to Mozilla, is less susceptible to hacks and other vulnerabilities. The browser now warns your system’s antivirus program when you download a file, and anti-malware and anti-phishing utilities now throw up a warning page before allowing Firefox to load risky sites. The favicon reveals Web sites’ ownership details and displays the security level of your connection to that site.
Developers will appreciate that Firefox 3’s new graphics and text rendering code provide rendering improvements in CSS and SVG as well as improved display of fonts and complex scripts. Firefox 3–still open-source, as ever–is a browser that all users should consider making their default Web-surfing tool.
License: Free
Limitations: No limitations
IE7Pro 2.4
IE7Pro is an add-on for IE 7 which adds lots of features and extras to make your IE easier, more useful, secure and customizable.You can use IE7Pro as Tab Enhance, Super Drag Drop,Inline Search,Spell Check,IE faster,Crash Recovery, Proxy Switcher, Mouse Gesture, user script, Grab&Drag, MiniDM, AD Blocker and Flash Block. You can also refresh tab and scrolling webpage automatically, define your favorite website and search engine to alias.
IE7 Pro adds a lot of showmanship to the Internet Explorer browser. The freeware add-on has some smart solutions for tabbing, including default settings to open URLs in new tabs and let double-clicking close a tab down.
CNET Review
Here’s another pleasant surprise: "dragging" and "dropping" an in-text link into white space opens the link in a new tabs without any mouse work. IE7Pro also borrows from several software concepts to help raise IE7’s appeal, including Firefox’s, to save and fill forms, and insert user scripts a la Greasemonkey. The MiniDM download manager adds a long-missing tool to IE’s options, and the pre-fetching options makes IE much lighter on its feet.
The list of added features is long, but they’re all accessible from a status bar icon that the program installs for you. Right-click on it to get access to mouse gestures, customizable hotkeys, and more. Highly recommended.
License: Free
Limitations: No limitations
-
Custom Search