Your web browser is what you use to view (or browse) the internet. Now, web browsers can seem like complicated things, so let’s try using an analogy to make things easier to understand.
If the internet was a highway webpages would be the destination and the stops along the way. Your web browser would then be the car that gets you from place to place. Search engines would be the map or GPS system that helps you find where you want to go. This isn’t a perfect analogy, but it’ll do.
The internet moves fast, really fast.. Since it was first made public back in 1991 it has grown by leaps and bounds. If you saw a site from even just 1995 you might not recognize it as being from the internet! Yes, the web has really changed that much.
The technologies used to make websites have evolved considerably and are constantly evolving. Using an eight year old browser is almost like driving the original Ford Model T (with no air conditionng and a top sped of 45MPH).
Enough analogies. You probably want to know exactly why you should upgrade. Reasons for upgrading are many, but here are of the big ones:
This might sound like it’s only important to web developers, but you’d be surprised how it can affect you. When a modern web browser shows you a modern web page it can look amazing. Things like transparent images, full javascript support, CSS3 support, and HTML5 support all go a long way when it comes to making web pages look great. Even Youtube is dropping support for your browser soon.
Did you know that modern web browsers can display pages 50x faster than yours? Some are even faster than that!
Generally speaking, the longer a web browser is around the more security problems it has. That’s because hackers have more time to find holes in it. Microsoft has been working out ways to keep your browser secure, but newer browsers are still far safer.