All of us know about browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari and Chrome, but these are not the only browsers out there

Does the browser you use to surf the Net really matter? Why not stick to just Internet Explorer? While we are not telling you to stop using Internet Explorer, the main reason why you should look at an alternative browser is because it can enhance your browsing experience and perhaps be a lot safer. One of the reasons why Internet Explorer is targeted so often by so many hackers is because it has a huge market share. So, keep an alternate browser handy, and enhance your security. Here are some options for you to explore.

IE addon
Avant (avantbrowser.com): This is a freeware web browser from a Chinese programmer named Anderson Che. It unites the Trident layout engine built into Windows with an interface intended to be more flexible than Internet Explorer. It is available for OSes from Windows 98 to Windows Vista. You need to have Internet Explorer 6 or 7 installed. According to Wikipedia, as of November 2008, total downloads have surpassed 22.5 million. The browser is currently available in 41 languages.

Secure browsing
XeroBank (xerobank.com): If security is the key for you, this is probably the browser for you. The site claims that it is the most popular anonymous web browser in the world with over 9 million downloads.

IE addon
PhaseOut (phaseout.net): If you are extremely fond of Internet Explorer, then check out this browser. It adds functionality to Internet Explorer. It features tabs, skins, a popup blocker, and can also cleanup traces of your browsing history. While this may not really add a lot in terms of security since you are still using Internet Explorer, it is definitely one way you can have a different browsing experience.

Secure browsing
OffByOne (offbyone.com): This may be one of the smallest browsers around and can fit on a floppy drive. It has full support for HTML 3.2 and is available from Windows 95 to Windows XP. It is a secure browser because page cache and image cache are memory-resident and disappear when you close the browser. The zip we downloaded without the OpenSSL DLLs weighs a mere 470 kilobytes, so we recommend that you get this now.



Social Networking
Flock (flock.com): Flock is a free web browser built on Mozilla's Firefox code base. It focuses on social networking and Web 2.0 facilities, so if you are heavily into the likes of MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, Blogger and others, you may find this browser useful. When you log into any of the supported social services, Flock can track updates from friends. This is definitely the browser for somebody who wants to keep in touch.