Again and again you stumble across technical terms from English in the computer sector. This is also the case with the word "browser". Translated into German, "to browse" literally means "to browse". Because you need a browser to browse the Internet. In this tipps + tricks article you will find all the information you need about browsers.
What is a browser
A browser is used to call up various websites. You can use it to surf the Internet to your heart's content. Without a browser, you can only use the Internet indirectly, for example for updates.
In addition to the general function of visiting websites, you can also customize your browser as you wish. Most browsers can be further personalized with extensions, so-called add-ons. You can also create a bookmark list. Here you can save your favorite websites so that you can find them again at any time.
By the way: You won't only come across browsers on the computer. Smartphones also provide a browser. You can use this to access the vastness of the Internet directly from your mobile device.
Here you can see how the tips + tricks website is viewed by three different browsers. Microsoft Edge on the left, Firefox in the middle and Opera on the far right. Do I even need a browser?
If you wanted to have a computer with no internet at all, you wouldn't need a web browser. However, as soon as you want to go to any website, you need a browser. As a rule, there is always a pre-installed browser on your computer. If you use Windows, then it is Microsoft Edge. Internet Explorer is used on older Windows devices. If you are using an Apple device such as a Mac or MacBook, your pre-installed browser is Safari.
To use the browser you have to open it. Then enter a web address in the address line above. In this article, we explain exactly what a web address or URL is. The short version: You can use a web address to go to a website. The address of our website is for example: www.heise.de/tipps-tricks. Since you are currently on our website, you have a browser open at the moment. You should be able to see the address just mentioned in the address bar at the top of your screen..
Which browsers are there?
The most common browsers are probably Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge, as well as Safari. Microsoft Edge is the default web browser on Windows computers. In contrast, Safari is the pre-installed browser on Apple devices. Google Chrome, Firefox and Opera are also widely used. Basically, these browsers are all very similar. Each allows you to surf the web, and you can customize any of the mentioned browsers. You have to decide for yourself which browser suits you best. We can recommend any of the browsers just mentioned.
We have put together some browsers and recommended add-ons for you here:
- Chrome Addons - The most useful extensions
- Firefox add-ons - 10 useful extensions
- Opera add-ons - the 10 best extensions