Version: 2008
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Browsers for Mac

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 248 products in this category.

for the week of: November 08Downloads
  1. 1.
    Adobe Flash Player

    Other Browser Add-ons & Plugins4,869

  2. 2.
    Mozilla Firefox

    Web Browsers4,238

  3. 3.
    Opera

    Web Browsers2,821

  4. 4.
    Google Chrome dev

    Web Browsers645

  5. Watch your favorite videos on your favorite devices.
  6. 5.
    Apple Safari

    Web Browsers554

  7. 6.
    Safari AdBlock

    Other Browser Add-ons & Plugins428

  8. 7.
    Adobe Shockwave Player

    Web Browsers402

  9. Sync files across all computers/devices including your phone.
  10. 8.
    Mozilla Firefox

    Web Browsers391

  11. 9.
    Flash Player (Intel-based)

    Other Browser Add-ons & Plugins259

  12. 10.
    Flock

    Web Browsers152

See all most popular software

  1. Free Flash Website Builder. 1,485,036 Sites built with Wix
Release date
  1. Google Chrome dev Nov 09

    Web Browsers

  2. Desktop Web Browser Nov 09

    Web Browsers

  3. Playground Nov 06

    Web Browsers

  4. ClickToFlash Nov 06

    Other Browser Add-ons & Plugins

  5. Mozilla Firefox Nov 05

    Web Browsers

  6. Saft Nov 05

    Web Browsers

  7. Stainless Nov 04

    Web Browsers

  8. SearchPreview Nov 04

    Firefox Add-ons & Plugins

  9. Flock Nov 04

    Web Browsers

  10. Adobe Shockwave Player Nov 03

    Web Browsers

See all new releases

  1. 1.
    Mozilla Firefox

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

  2. 2.
    Opera

    Web browser with a sleek interface, better tabs and Turbo to speed up slow connections.

  3. 3.
    Adobe Shockwave Player

    Browser plugin to view rich multimedia web content.

  4. 4.
    Apple Safari

    Browse the Web with speed and an elegant interface.

  5. 5.
    Flock

    Get the most out of social networking and the Web in this browser.

  6. 6.
    SmarterFox

    Browse faster by speeding up common tasks.

  7. 7.
    NetNewsWire

    RSS & Atom newsreader with Google Reader integration.

  8. 8.
    Safari AdBlock

    Block ads in Safari.

  9. 9.
    NewsMac

    Access the news that matters to you.

  10. 10.
    Cooliris for Firefox 3

    3D Web browser plug-in for viewing photos and videos.

See all editor's picks

from the download blog

After 5 years, Firefox faces new challenges

Posted by Stephen Shankland on Nov 08, 2009
Mozilla helped reshape the Web since releasing Firefox 1.0 five years ago. Now it's got a reawakened Microsoft and Google Chrome to reckon with.
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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.