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Browsers

If you're looking for browsers or browser extensions, CNET Download.com has you covered. We feature all the latest versions of Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, and more, as well as Firefox extensions, Internet Explorer add-ons, even RSS readers. If you want to surf the Web, CNET Download.com is the place to start. See all 0 products in this category.

for the week of: January 04Downloads
  1. 1.
    Mozilla Firefox

    Web Browsers100,896

  2. 2.
    Adobe Reader

    Other Browser Add-ons & Plugins88,568

  3. 3.
    Flash Player

    Other Browser Add-ons & Plugins85,413

  4. 4.
    IE7Pro

    Internet Explorer Add-ons & Plugins76,800

  5. Speed up your PC
    Diskeeper defrags guaranteeing top PC speeds.
    Download Now
    Intel(r) VTune(tm)
    Deliver fast software on the latest multi-core systems
    Download Now
  6. 5.
    Google Chrome

    Web Browsers45,341

  7. 6.
    Internet Explorer

    Web Browsers24,120

  8. 7.
    Internet Explorer 8

    Web Browsers14,484

  9. Multi-Core Read?
    Intel(r) Thread Profiler tunes threaded C, C++ and Fortran apps
    Download Now
    Memeo Share
    Share photos and videos directly to the desktop.
    Download Now
  10. 8.
    Opera

    Web Browsers13,950

See all most popular software

  1. Yahoo Toolbar
    Search the Web, block pop-ups, get to your mail.
    Download Now
    Intelinet Spyware Remover 3.1
    Remove and block all types of spyware and PC errors on your computer.
    Download Now
Release date
  1. DownThemAll Jan 06

    Firefox Add-ons & Plugins

  2. Flickr Gallery Plus Jan 06

    Firefox Add-ons & Plugins

  3. Adblock Plus Jan 06

    Firefox Add-ons & Plugins

  4. Fire Vox Jan 06

    Firefox Add-ons & Plugins

  5. Custom Buttons Jan 06

    Firefox Add-ons & Plugins

  6. SiteLauncher Jan 06

    Firefox Add-ons & Plugins

  7. Read 2000 American Newspapers Jan 05

    Newsreaders & RSS Readers

  8. News Messenger Jan 05

    Newsreaders & RSS Readers

  9. FlashGot Jan 05

    Firefox Add-ons & Plugins

  10. S3 Browser Jan 05

    Web Browsers

See all new releases

  1. 1.
    Adobe Reader

    Read Adobe PDF files on your desktop or on the Web.

  2. 2.
    Mozilla Firefox

    Surf the Web, block pop-ups, and keep spyware at bay with this lean and fast open-source browser.

  3. 3.
    Opera

    Browse with a multiple-document interface, mouse gestures, keyboard shortcuts, zooming functions, and integrated search.

  4. 4.
    Maxthon (Classic)

    Surf the Net with pop-up filtering, tabbed navigation, and automatic page-scrolling.

  5. 5.
    SlimBrowser

    Browse multiple Web sites in one window with a pop-up killer, an ad blocker, and a quick-search feature.

  6. 6.
    Google Toolbar for IE

    Add a Google search box to Internet Explorer, a pop-up blocker, a one-click form filler, and a spelling checker.

  7. 7.
    Yahoo Toolbar with Anti Spyware

    Search the Web from anywhere, block pop-ups or spyware, and get one-click access to your mail.

See all editor's picks

from the download blog

Site Launcher turns bookmarks into shortcuts

Posted by Josh Lowensohn on Jan 05, 2009
Bring up a list of your bookmarks without the real estate-hogging bookmarks toolbar using Site Launcher--a simple and pretty Firefox add-on.
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Click Here

an introduction to Browsers

Browsers, often called Web browsers, are software clients that allow users to navigate to sites on the World Wide Web. The majority of these Web sites use the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), but many browsers can also interpret other protocols, including FTP, RSS, and P2P protocols such as BitTorrent. Hypertext pioneer Tim Berners-Lee created the first ever Web browser, WorldWideWeb, in 1990, but the software didn't become popular until the release of NCSA Mosaic, the first graphical client.

Browsers truly hit the mainstream with the launch of Netscape Navigator, which was later shortened to simply Netscape, though the free client's popularity was radically affected by the 1995 release of Internet Explorer, Microsoft's entry into the browser market. In the years since, IE has completely dominated the market, only recently losing ground to alternative browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Opera.

Aside from general Web browsers, various subsets of the category offer special services. Offline browsers cache content from the Internet for future reference when you're not connected to a network. Newsreaders manage content from Usenet newsgroups and syndicated feeds.

In recent years, the open-source browser Mozilla Firefox has earned praise for the ability of third-party developers to easily create extensions that add functionality. Among the thousands of home-brewed add-ons for Firefox, we've narrowed down our favorites in a collection of the best. The Microsoft browser also allows for IE add-ons, but its closed framework makes it a bit more difficult for developers.

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