The Timeline of Web Browsers and Which One is Best for You

For most, the internet is just a place you go to look up information, you don’t normally think about how it became so easy to do research.

The ability to surf the web effortlessly has been around for many years. When the World Wide Web or as we more commonly know it as “www” the prefix to most websites was discovered by Tim Berners-Lee, a scientist situated in London nearly 30 years ago. 

He also created 3 crucial technologies, that are integrated into modern internet today which are:

1. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

2. Uniform Resource Identifier (UFI)

3. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)

We have seen incredible growth of internet browsers, cloud programs, and web design overall, over the years. It is fascinating to look at the timeline of where it all started.  

Our intentions for web browsers are to continue to make them something we can look back on to see how far they’ve come. While also making it easy to discover what may happen with them in the future. 

Now, What is a Web Browser and How Does it Work?

In short, a web browser is a utility that can be utilized to provide access to websites.  Browsers we know well are:

• Google Chrome

• Mozilla Firefox

• Apple Safari

• Microsoft Internet Explorer

The web browser’s main job is to deliver HTML code from the web design to the markup web pages. This process all begins when you type a website’s URL into the search bar of the browser.

Next, the browser will load to locate the website’s page information from the server. Once the information is received the browser will notify the server and display it on the web page. As a user you will then be able to read and react to the website. 

Now, here are the browsers throughout the years:

1989 – The World Wide Web by Tim Berners-Lee

• His plan was to discover a solution for retrieving information from several computers

• March of 1989 he released a document called “Information Management: A Proposal”, little did he know it would eventually be the internet

1993 – Mosaic is Developed by the University of Illinois

• Created for use of Supercomputing Applications

• Mosaic stood out from others in the bunch because it had the features to display text and images consecutively

• Mosaic was also accessible to both IT tech and normal consumers

1994 – Opera is Developed and the World Wide Web Consortium (WWWC)

• Opera was created from a portion of a research project at Telenor (a large telecommunication company in Norway back then)

• It didn’t get released to the public eye until the second edition

• Surprisingly, Opera is still used today, at Version 62

• The WWWC was also discovered during 1994 – this allowed for life changing concepts and ideas that were created are continuously utilized today

• The WWWC was created by Tim Berners-Lee through MIT

1996-1999 – Internet Explorer Version 3 Rises in Popularity

• Internet Explorer Version 3 – rose to fame, because it had the power to support mixed media applications and e-mail.

• It was the world’s most used web browser in 1999

2003 – Apple Safari is introduced by Steve Jobs

• Released with the debut of Mac OS X Panther, and has been a part of every OS X operating system ever since

• Prior to Safari, provided with Mac Computers was Netscape Navigator and Cyberdog and then eventually Internet Explorer for Mac

2004 – Internet Explorer vs. Firefox

• Firefox monopolized as a preferred browser in 2004, as consumers started to get frustrated since Internet Explorer didn’t have good security features among other things

• Firefox is an open-source solution created by Netscape solving hundreds of Internet browser headaches

2008 – the Rise of Google Chrome

• Started by Google, with program code called “Chromium”

• The goal of Chromium was to produce a product that is safer and more efficient for consumers to endure the internet

• In 7 years by 2015, Chrome was declared the most popular web browser with 64.9% of consumers worldwide primarily using Chrome

2015-2016 – Microsoft Edge and Vivaldi

• Microsoft Edge, the attempt of a comeback for Internet Explorer

• Originally released with Windows 10 and Xbox One back in 2015

• Vivaldi – is a multi-platform browser, as an alternative to Opera

The Future of Browsers

• Google Chrome continues to be the world’s most preferred web browser with a market share of 60.1%

• Safari is the next best browser with a market share of 12.7%

• The market share of Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge is 6.8%

When choosing what web browser will work the best for you, is a difficult decision because there are so many options. Even more, implementing a web browser with proper security features can be enduring and time-consuming.

We’re able to help at ISU Corp. Reach out today!

Native vs Hybrid Apps: Which One to Build?

With the introduction of software development kits (SDKs), the app development process for both native and hybrid mobile apps is evolving expeditiously. Read on to learn the basics of what native apps, hybrid apps, and SDK’s are and what they provide.

Native App Development – What Is It?

Using two contrasting "native" coding languages, native mobile app creation produces one app tailored to Android systems and one app tailored to IOS systems. Because each code is specifically developed for each program, native applications provide the user with the quickest and most receptive experience. 

They also allow access to the underlying functions of the phone, such as the camera, location, Internet, etc. Native apps are launched from the home screen and "container apps" are not necessary to run them. To run apps without launching the entire operating system, container apps or device containerization are used. Applications involving container applications need more time for development.

Pros of Native App Development:

• Native applications are customized to make them more systematic and user friendly on IOS and Android networks. In both systems, the apps' interface and navigation are apprehensible.

• Underlying operating functions (camera, GPS, alerts, etc.) can be accessed through native applications.

• Native applications are available on Apple / IOS devices through app stores such as Google Play, Android devices, and the Apple App Store.

• In terms of functionality, native apps don’t necessarily need Internet connection

Hybrid App Development – What Is It?

The development of hybrid applications copies one code onto several platforms. This is not to imply that the code of the whole application can be "copied and pasted" on various platforms. It is necessary to rewrite roughly 20 percent of the code. 

Hybrid application development, however, enables an app developer to use basic application programming interfaces (APIs) such as HTML5 or JavaScript, rather than complex APIs used in the creation of native applications. APIs are a series of software building tools, you could even refer to them as building blocks. Container applications may be required for hybrid applications.

Pros of Hybrid App Development:

• Compared to native apps, hybrid apps cost less.

• Hybrid applications use one code across different platforms on a range of devices where one version of the app will run.

• Development time is cut down due to hybrid apps using simple APIs

• There isn’t a need for hybrid apps to be updated via app stores. On a page that is loaded from the server, minor changes can be updated and users can see them instantly.

SDKs – What Is It?

A software development kit (SDK) provides tools for software development that allow app developers to build for a particular platform or operating system. SDKs make it possible for developers to write a single code for numerous platforms, minimizing development time.

SDKs For Hybrid App Development

For hybrid app development, Ionic is an open-source SDK. Ionic is a development kit for hybrid applications that enables IOS and Android systems to be personalized. Released in 2013, Ionic uses Apache Cordova plugins to access the attributes of both Android and IOS operating systems (camera, GPS, flashlight, etc.). This imitates the development of native applications as it permits the developer to configure Android and IOS apps.

Apache Cordova and PhoneGap

Apache Cordova is a framework produced by Adobe / Nitobi for mobile development. Instead of using platform specific APIs, Apache Cordova drives and distributes PhoneGap, an open source software that enables software developers to use CSS3, HTML5, and JavaScript. It is available for a wide variety of platforms, including Android, Blackberry 10, Firefox OS, IOS, and most Windows devices, though not limited to them.

SDKs For Native App Development

SDKs such as Appcelerator Titanium, React Native, and Xamarin allow Android and IOS platforms to use a single code for native app developers. Native app development SDKs reduce time allocated for development and maximize app performance. The use of a unique code emulates the method of creation of hybrid applications.

Appcelerator Titanium

Built by Appcelerator, Appcelerator Titanium is an open source SDK that enables a single JavaScript codebase to create native mobile applications. You can distribute this codebase through the UWP platforms for IOS, Android, and Windows. Ebay, Paypal, and Tmobile are common apps developed using Appcelerator Titanium.

React Native

Facebook-designed React Native is an SDK that assists developers to reuse code across various web and mobile platforms, including IOS and Android. Instagram, UberEats, and AirBnB are admired apps developed using React Native.

Xamarin

Likewise, Microsoft-owned Xamarin is an SDK that uses C # to distribute codes across various platforms including IOS, Android, and UWP for Windows. The C # codebase can access all native applications. Popular Xamarin-built apps include Storyo, Just Giving, and The World Bank.

Interested in learning more and adopting one of these apps into your business? Reach out today for more information.

PHP vs ASP.NET: Which is Better?

Although there are multiple programming languages for a web developer to choose from, two rival language giants typically dominate the language market: ASP.NET and PHP.

It’s possible to use either language to finish any given project, but both have their benefits and downsides. It’s a difficult choice to make between both of them, which is why it’s important to determine which set of pros and cons fits the web development needs of a specific organization.

Advantages of ASP.NET

Flexibility

The key benefits of ASP.NET are the simplicity and object-oriented features. A rather old ASP technology from Microsoft is where the AP.NET name originated. The new .NET Framework and CLR, however, allow for an interface that’s easy to navigate and seamless with other programming languages such as Visual Basic. NET and C #. 

This means that without the need to rewrite everything you’ve done, the programming language of a project can be changed mid-project. It also means that multiple languages such as Visual Basic. NET can be used by developers that are working on the same project.

Mature Foundation

Another benefit is that the library for ASP.NET is task-based. When it comes to common development tasks, developers can save plenty of time, since the library is arranged into inheritable classes. This could include XML or image editing and they’d be organized based on the relatability of tasks. 

Visual Studio. NET also saves time for developers if it’s installed quickly enough on a computer to allow the software to run at it’s peak. This huge IDE development is equipped with functions for built-in debugging. IntelliSense is also implemented and it’s basically an auto-completion feature that removes the need for methods and variables to be memorized by developers.

Disadvantages of ASP.NET

The key drawbacks of ASP.NET and Visual Studio are that they are costly and that their maintenance is resource intensive. On IIS, most ASP.NET applications run on the server. For web servers, ASP.NET uses considerably more resources than languages such as PHP. Accordingly, a greater number of servers are needed, or better servers are required. Finally, Windows and IIS have a known background of bugs and software flaws that have in the past been vulnerable to exploitation.

Advantages of PHP

Inexpensive

On the other hand, PHP is comparatively inexpensive and safe and has some benefits of its own. By teaming up with HTML, PHP works to display vigorous elements on a web page. The most interesting thing about PHP is that it is always used in the LAMP architecture as the "P". 

LAMP is a bundle of software which includes Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP. These are all web applications that are cheap, scalable, and stable. The package is a common way for these applications to be distributed.

Massive Ecosystem

PHP is considered versatile and customizable. It’s available for several more operating systems than ASP.NET, and it can be used in a wide range of contexts. It also operates on all of the most common web servers and can be used with a large range of systems handling relational databases. PHP has an extensive Internet installation base because of this simplicity and flexibility. Currently, servers with PHP host over 18 million Internet domains.

Disadvantages of PHP

Inside the delimiters, PHP can only parse code while everything beyond the delimiters is sent directly to the output, which is one of the few disadvantages that this language possesses. Class naming collisions often occur due to the fact that PHP lacks namespacing. 

In addition, variables are not really treated as having a particular type, and type checking is very loose which can possibly lead to issues. Finally, some large companies find that the low price of PHP means that it’s not worth purchasing, considering the high quality of most of the free applications and software out there.

PHP vs ASP.NET – Which One Is Better?

Both languages have their strengths and limitations with PHP being cost-effective, safe, fast, and reliable, while ASP.NET is practical and maintainable with its class library system. Both PHP and ASP.NET can essentially carry out the same duties, so the distinguishing factor between these two programming language giants really depends on what an organization is looking for in terms of price, speed, protection, and reliability.

Interested in learning more? Reach out to our experts at ISU Corp!