Web browsers are the windows to the largest virtual world known to mankind: the Internet, and as long as the web plays a role in our everyday life, so do the various web browsers. Internet browsers have gone a long way from the World Wide Web released in the late 1980s to the ones available today. The advent of a large number of browsers, even lead to the ‘browser wars’, and as a result of which better features were added than simple fixing of the bugs that existed. Finally today there seems to be a browser for every particular need-from better security to good skins and themes. Here are 10 cool but lesser know Internet browsers.
1. K-Meleon
K-Meleon is an open-source browser developed for the Windows lovers. It is based on Gecko layout engine, the same on which the firefox runs. The highlights exist in the speed and customization, as K-Meleon features tabbed browsing, popup blocking and the ability to use the Internet explorer favorites along with Mozilla’s bookmark system. With its easily changeable themes and skins together with the macro feature, K-Meleon is also known as the ‘browser you control’.
K-Meleon
2. iCab
iCab is a browser that is meant for the Mac users. It acclaims of featuring a number of tools not available in the other web browsers. For example, while in the Kiosk mode, iCab covers the whole screen and all the other applications are blocked. This becomes very handy when accessing public places where external links to your system may cause a security threat. While the download manager lets automatic HTML download, the link manager allows you to choose from a list of links in a handy manner.
iCab
3. Flock
Flock is a ‘social web browser’. What makes it distinctive is its integration with social networking sites like Twitter, Flickr, Facebook and many more. Adding to its popularity is the extensions it provides like Me.dium and Screenshot. Me.dium lets you to search the web together in real time with your friends or with people who have the same interests as you whereas Screenshot is based on the Firefox add-on Screen grab that helps in saving web pages as a single image.
Flock
4. Konqueror
Being an open-source web browser, Konqueror is a popular choice for Linux users. It is based on the KHTML engine which offers excellent HTML rendering. Konqueror is also capable of embedding read-only documents to view documents without the help of any other applications. It extends its capability well beyond other browsers by use of its plug-ins.
Konqueror
5. Seamonkey
SeaMonkey is an amazing browser from Mozilla. It is a web browser, an email, an IRC chat client, an HTML editor and much more. SeaMonkey offers all the expected features like tabbed browsing, feed detection, session restoration and add-on management. Together with all the add-ons, it provides useful web development tools like DOM inspector and javascript debugger. It also features distinct tools like tabbed mails and multiple accounts.
Seamonkey
6. Maxthon
Maxthon is a web browser said to be created by the people who want to see the web in a different perspective. Well, if you fall in that group, do check out this browser which is a popular one in China. Maxthon provides a number of features with most priority given to easy surfing. With the Magic Fill, Antifreeze, Undo list and other tools, browsing is guaranteed to become a joy as they claim it to be, with Maxthon.
Maxthon
7. Phaseout
If you want to add a bit of life to your browser, Phaseout is the best choice. Phaseout has the latest integrated security and the best graphic interface. Its features ranges from supasearcher to photomail. Automatic real time key words are provided by the supasearcher to get better search results. The photomail sends instant webcam pics to your friends. Skin switching is the best feature of the browser. With Phaseout, there are options for loading and switching between the skins by use of flash technology.
Phaseout
8. Avant
With a user-friendly interface, Avant browser is getting so much attention now a days. From online profile storage to the privacy protection, all its features are very impressive. Online profile storage feature lets the user to save bookmarks, configurations, passwords etc in Avant’s online storage memory. It also features a very useful flash animation filter which blocks the flash animation advertisements which are sometimes so irritating, in a single click. Avant also provides all the features of a built in search engine.
Avant
9. Shiira
Shiira is a web browser written in Cocoa which uses the KHTML rendering engine. The basic aim behind its development was to create a browser better than Safari. With the scope for a lot of improvement, Shiira is leading its way to reach the goal. It features RSS support as well. Yet another distinct feature is the page holder that displays a slim browsing area other than the one being used. A very innovative sidebar design is one of its best features.
Shiira
10. Camino
Camino browser is aimed at providing the best Mac web browsing experience for OS X users. It succeeded in combining a great visual and behavioral experience. Camino has a number of innovative features like tab overview together with a great security system. Also adding to its wide demand is the spell check and download notification tool. What Camino offers is simple yet distinctive features over other web browsers.
