Opera9 beta

This is one browser that makes a lot of sense having on your desktop. Apart from its good user interface, excellent support for standards and its ability to be highly customizable, Opera team has now introduced a new feature called Widgets. "Widgets are small Web applications that live outside the Opera window". And boy are they lovely! They're analogous to Extensions to Firefox or Plugins to IE, but they look so much cooler! Although they do occupy their own window. This browser has been here for quite some time, and seeing that IE7 is not going to be released for Win2k, 98SE and older OSes, you see browsers like Opera taking over. Still in beta, the preview release is available for downloads now.

I'm gettin it cuz' :

• Passes the Acid2 test for intense CSS validation.
• Built-in BitTorrent support.
• Introducing Widgets! Web help applications
• Fastest start-up time on Windows.
• No memory hogging in Fwd/Back and Tab feature (like Firefox).
• Most secure on Windows.
• Tabbed Browsing, Pop-up Blocking, Integrated Search (way back since Opera 4, 5 & 5).
• Supported almost 11 different Operating Systems!! (AND OperaMini for Mobiles)

Naah! Forget it cuz' :

• Still in beta, but Stable release to be out soon
• Some widgets are cumbersome and processor heavy.

Link:
www.opera.com

IE7 beta

Used and abused by more than 80% of Windows users worldwide, this is a much more secure version after IE6 had so many updates. They've introduced tabbed browsing now. (I wonder why... lol.) Faster loading time, even from a 'clean' start (Much faster than FireFux anyway!:)) With Anti-phishing filter to prevent users from being had. A Pop-up blocker for those annoying whatchucallits. More features to be released with IE7.

I'm gettin it cuz' :

• Security on top of compatibility and extensibility
• beta means you can help Microsoft by reporting any beta bugs
• Now with tabbed browsing!
• Phishing filter, Protected Mode, Enhanced Validation SSL, Script restricting using Zones, are just some of the new features
• Updating to IE7 beta also updates the IE OCX controls on the machine making any other apps which use the control updated.
• 100% FREE!

Naah! Forget it cuz' :

• Still in beta. Run at your own risk! Or wait for a stable release
• No support for Win2k or any other older OSes. (They say it's because they've based security on the XP Sp2 updates.)
• Not for Opera or Firefox 'foaming' fanboys

Link:
www.microsoft.com/ie

ZoneAlarm (FREE)

This firewall by ZoneLabs Inc., has got one of the best and the most preferred firewalls around on the Internet. You can select the level of security and alert frequency. Has got a anti-spam feature in it too (I dont use it though)

I like it coz' :

• Makes me feel secure on the Internet (though security is ALWAYS a doubt)
• Doesn't bother me too much
• Hides my IP from the outside world
• Anti-Spyware feature
• FREE !
  

I hate it coz' :

• SOMETIMES a memory hog (vsmon.exe usually)
• Slow startup time
• "Are you really sure you want to quit ? Yes/No" feature
• Anti-spyware scan takes FOREVER to complete

Link :
www.zonelabs.com

Mozilla Firefox

Well, This is my very first post and you guys HAVE to download the world's FAVOURITE browser MOZILLA FIREFOX (well, its atleast better than that shitty Internet-ExploDer in more ways than one :) )

I like it coz' :

• Tabbed Browsing
• Themes
• Extensions
• Stability
• WYSIWYG browser

I hate it coz' :

• Slow load time (unless you put it in %WINDOWS%\SYSTEM32\DLLCACHE and -turbo in target of the shortcut)
• Memory hog ! (They're fixing it)

Link :
www.mozilla.com