Are you reading this in internet explorer? It wouldn’t be a complete surprise, Internet Explorer still owns ~70% of browser market share. My question for you is, “Why?”

There are several alternatives to IE that not only boast more features and productivity tools, but better security and functionality.

Firefox

It’s fast, secure, comes with some spectacular addons and themes, features a really intuitive ‘smart bar’, and best of all, remains free with constant developer updates.

Download Here. Firefox Tips and Tricks

Google Chrome

Google’s new browser offers the most secure online experience, a stripped down interface for maximum speeds, incognito private browsing mode, and the best address/search bar that any browser can offer.

If you’re not into browser extensions or addons, Chrome might be the best browser for you.

Download Chrome Here.

Flock

Flock is built upon the open-sourced Firefox but adds a load of features for the internet intensive user. It builds in a blog editor and support for the whole crap load of web 2.0 sites that teh internets luvz. Built into the interface is media support for MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, Blogger, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, etc. Notably, when logging in once to any of the supported social services, Flock can track updates from friends: profiles, uploaded photos, and more right in the browser.

I haven’t actually used Flock but the list of sexy features keeps tempting me to give it a run.

Download Flock.

Opera

Opera has lost a lot of momentum with the increased focus on Firefox and Google pushing Chrome so dilligently, but Opera is a rock solid show of stability that offers great security and speed for non-intensive internet users. In particularly, Opera seems to run much faster than other browsers on older machines for whatever reason.

Download Opera Here.

Apple Safari

If you have a Mac and run OSX, odds are you’re comfortable with Safari and use it as your default browser. It is a strong option that just get better with the new beta release just pushed out. Unfortunately it is still a bit buggy and slow on older computers, but knowing Apple, the demand for browser perfection is just beginning. Promising options like CoverFlow for internet bookmarks is just the start. Fortunately for PC users, Apple has made Safari available for Windows.

Download Safari Here.

For more comparison of the ‘Browser Battle’, check out this article from Maximum PC.

So if you’re at home, definitely give one of these great browsers a test run. I think you’ll find yourself asking why you didn’t shelve IE much earlier. If you’re at work, see what you can do to get rid of IE in the workplace. Get a hold of your boss or someone in IT and let them know IE is inferior in almost every capacity.

If you’re the boss overseeing these decisions, what in the hell is wrong with your judgement?