Try Browsing Through Both Browsers First

Now that Microsoft has released Internet Explorer 4.0, millions of PC users will be comparing it with Netscape 4.0 to see which browser they prefer. Rather than give my opinions on which is better, I thought I’d instead offer some tips on how you can make the comparison yourself.

There’s no cost to download either program from each company’s Web site, though you do have to allow plenty of time because both are very large. You can also order a CD from Microsoft for $4.95 or purchase a retail copy of Netscape Navigator at a software store for about $35.

One way to evaluate the programs is to run them side by side. To get a feel for both programs, I think it’s best to use one for a day or two and then switch to the other.

Even after you settle on one program, it makes sense to keep them both on your hard disk. While most Web sites work fine with either program, some work better with one instead of the other. There’s also a trick that lets you use the same “bookmarks” with both programs (more on that later).

On the Windows 95 platform, the biggest difference between Internet Explorer and Netscape is not in the browser itself, but in what IE does to the Windows 95 operating system. If you let it, IE substantially changes the Windows 95 look and feel.

By default, the setup program will install the “Windows Desktop Update.” This feature integrates a number of Web features into your desktop and also modifies the way regular Windows 95 folders operate even when you’re not on the Internet. In other words, it’s not just a browser but a modification of the basic Windows 95 user interface. Perhaps Microsoft should have called it Windows 97.

One modification--which I like--changes the way you navigate folders on your Windows 95 desktop. With this feature enabled, you’ll have back and forward buttons on all sub-folders (folders within other folders). That lets you navigate between a main folder and a sub-folder the same way you would navigate the Web. Without this modification, when you click on a sub-folder, it opens up in another window. Eventually your desktop becomes cluttered with windows and hard to navigate.

IE 4.0 also changes how folders look. You can add backgrounds and other enhancements to the general desktop and individual folders.

Another big change is the optional “Active Desktop.” With it turned on, you can have Web content dynamically displayed on your Windows 95 desktop. You can, for example, have a ticker that shows up-to-the-minute news from the New York Times and other news sources.

Netscape doesn’t modify the way Windows itself looks, but Netscape itself has gotten better. One big improvement is the way Netscape 4.0 handles bookmarks.

When you find a site you like, you can save it with a bookmark so you can come back to it later. If you have a lot of bookmarks, they can become unwieldy unless you divide them into categories or folders. With Netscape, that used to be very difficult, but you can now drag a bookmark directly into a folder.

Microsoft calls its bookmarks “favorites” and stores all of them in a folder also called Favorites, which is actually a regular Windows 95 folder that’s inside the Windows folder. An “Organize Favorites” option lets you store a bookmark in a sub-folder so you can organize your bookmarks by topic.

Because Microsoft stores bookmarks in a standard folder, you can get into that folder even while IE isn’t running. In fact, the bookmarks that are inside that folder can be used not only by IE but also by Netscape. This, as it turns out, allows for a neat trick: You can store and use bookmarks regardless of which browser you use. It makes it very easy to move back and forth between the two browsers.

Here’s what you do: Run IE and add a few bookmarks to the Favorites folder simply by going to a site and selecting “Add to Favorites” from the Favorites menu. Then minimize or exit IE and open the Windows folder on your Windows 95 desktop. Using the right mouse button, click once on the Favorites folder (inside the Windows folder) and drag it to your desktop.

When you let go of the right button, you’ll see several options. Select “Create Shortcut Here.” (Be sure not to select “Move Here.”) You’ll now have a folder on your desktop called “Shortcut to Favorites.” Double click on that folder and it opens on your desktop. Using the sizing tool in the lower right corner of the folder, position it so it’s at the left or right side of your desktop and about an inch wide.

You should see the icons in the main folder and, perhaps, some sub-folders. You might also want to go to the View menu and select “Details” or “List” to get a more compact view of each item.

Now return to IE. Go to a site you like and drag it to your new Shortcut to Favorites folder or one of its sub-folders. You do that by left-clicking once on the little icon just to the right of the site’s address in the address bar near the top of the screen--if you don’t see an address bar, go to View/Toolbars and make sure “Address Bar” is checked--and, without letting go of the mouse button, drag the icon to the new folder on your desktop.

If you later want to revisit this or any other location in your Favorites menu, you can do so by clicking on it once and dragging it into IE. And you can do exactly the same thing with Netscape Navigator. If you load Netscape, you can drag the same favorite into its window and have Netscape go to that Web page.

You can also add favorites from Netscape by dragging the little icon you see to the left of the “Location” bar into your Favorites folder. In other words, you’ve just given Netscape and IE the same set of bookmarks.

There are some issues to consider when moving back and forth between browsers. Each browser will check to see if it’s the default browser and, if not, ask you if you wish to make it so. You can turn this off if you wish (there’s a place to check) and the programs will no longer ask.

There are plenty more tricks, as well as some caveats. I’ve set up a special Web page (https://www.larrysworld.com/browserwar.htm) with more tips for using and evaluating both browsers, as well as links to various comparative reviews of the two programs.

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Lawrence J. Magid can be reached via e-mail at magid@latimes.com. His Web page is at https://www.larrysworld.com