Changing Browsers

That pretty much does it for the new and cool features of Internet Explorer 6. You should know, however, that Internet Explorer is not the only Web browser available. Even though IE6 comes included with Windows XP, you can choose not to use it, and use another Web browser, instead.

With Service Pack 1 or 2 installed, you have the option of unassigning Internet Explorer as your default browser. To disable access to Internet Explorer, follow these steps:

1.	Click the Start button, and then select Control Panel.
2.	Double-click the Add or Remove Programs icon.
3.	When the Add or Remove Programs dialog box appears, click Set Program Access and Defaults, on the left side of the window.
4.	Click the down arrow next to the Custom option.
5.	Scroll to the Choose a Default Web Browser section and uncheck the Enable Access to This Program option.
6.	Click OK.

Internet Explorer is now disabled as your default browser, and you can choose another Web browser to use. There are essentially two competing browsers to choose from Firebox and Opera.

Firefox

The most popular competitor to Internet Explorer is Firefox, a browser built on the old Netscape/Mozilla platform. Firefox incorporates some pretty neat features, such as tabbed browsing, pop-up blocking, and a built-in Google search button that make it quite attractive to those wanting a state-of-the-art Web browser. It's also a bit more secure than IE, which makes surfing that much safer. And, in case it matters, Firefox is also highly customizable and very compatible with Internet Explorer. (For example, it's quite easy to import IE Favorites into the Firefox browser.)

Like IE, Firefox is a free download. Get it at www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/.

Opera

Although Internet Explorer and Firefox are far and away the two most-used Web browsers, there is a third browser that has gained a lot of attention among the techie crowd. Opera, developed by Opera Software, is known for its speed and small file size, and is available for all versions of Windows, Linux, BeOS, OS/2, and the Macintosh.

Unlike Internet Explorer and Firefox, Opera is not free you'll pay $39 for the latest version of the browser. Go to www.opera.com for more information and to download the software.