Know Your Browser Version: Sooner or later, every computer user runs into the need to know which version of software he or she is using for an internet browser application. Without a browser, it’s impossible to access the internet. Some of the most popular PC browsers include Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Mozilla Firefox, and Google’s Chrome. Safari is the browser preferred by most Mac users.
The internet is a constantly evolving force and browsers must be updated constantly to stay useful. Many internet activities, such as games, music, videos, and other forms of downloaded or streaming data must be coordinated with a particular version of browser. Most computer user’s experience the need to know which browser version is in use when trying to install or download these files. At such times, knowing how to identify your browser version quickly and easily can save the expense of a technician’s visit and get you back in action in no time.
Many download applications will not or cannot begin the download process until browser compatibility has been established. Others allow the download but installation or operation may fail if your browser’s version does not match the system requirements of the application being downloaded or doing the download. You’ll save time if you know your browser version before initiating the download.
This chart shows you the version and other valuable information about Netscape’s version 5.0. Notice the number of page views are tallied and if Java is enabled or not. Java is a programming language developed to streamline compatibility issues between computer operating systems, applications, browsers, and other programs, all of which make your computer available to a wider array of applications.
The example in this chart is for Netscape Navigator 5.0, which indicates four previous versions of the browser before this one. Notice version 2.x has zero users. It’s become obsolete and is no longer compatible with internet access. Version 1.x, the original software for Netscape isn’t even listed anymore. The percentages indicate how many users were currently using the various versions of the browser when the chart was created. Netscape retired its Navigator product line in 2008 to focus it’s browser efforts on Mozilla Firefox.
No matter what your computer’s type (PC or Mac) or which browser you’re using, the ‘help’ tab in the menu bar will lead you to your browser’s version. Just type in the name of the browser (Explorer, Firefox, Safari, whatever) in the ‘help’ search bar. Scroll through the options it presents you until you find one that reads ‘About (Browser Name).’ Click this option once to open a window that clearly and easily shows which version you are using.
|
|
