Google Explains What a Browser Is

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"Google found why people aren't eager to change their browsers: they don't even know what a browser is. Some think thatthe browser is actually a search engine, others are convinced that the only way to browse the web is to click on the big blue E from the desktop.

To explain Internet Explorer users that there are better alternatives out there, Google started with the basics: a short introduction to web browsers. 'The web browser is the most important piece of software on your computer because every web page runs though it,' concludes Google's short video.



Google even set up a web site that includes information about changing browsers, JavaScript performance, benchmark suites. The idea is great, but Google should avoid using technical terms. If many users don't know the definition of a browser, JavaScript or browser benchmarks need special introductory guides.

'A few of us at Google created WhatBrowser.org to help teach people about web browsers. We wanted to show people that they have a lot of choice in browsers, since we noticed that most people were using the browser their computers came with.'

'The browser their computers came with' is an euphemism for Internet Explorer, even though Safari is another browser that fits the description.