As the primary tool to interact with the Internet, Web browsers have been with us for around thirty years now. We’ve come a very long way since Netscape, the first widely popular Web browser, which entered the scene in 1994.
And yes, it looked just like you would imagine – with a row of buttons at the top, followed by a prominent address bar, and the rest of its interface being reserved for slow-loading websites.
The Evolution of Internet Browsers Is About to Get a Big Leap Ahead
Today’s Web browsers are light-years ahead of Netscape, with Chrome ruling desktop browsers and Safari conquering the mobile browsing market.
However, their very core is still the same as all those years back. They might be more polished visually, and they can do incredible things on the Web, but not much has evolved in their essence.
While other types of software take giant leaps every single year, Web browsers are slower to evolve. Just try to remember when was the last time you heard some big news about a major new feature in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari? And even if you turn to lesser popular options such as Vivaldi or Opera, you won’t encounter a different situation.
With that said, things are about to change – very rapidly and very soon. That’s because a whole new generation of smart browsers is already here.
Smart Browsers – A Fundamental Change to Interacting with the Web
Yes, that’s true – smart Web browsers promise to change the way you interact with the Web. Even though they come with a familiar interface, their core functionality offers much more than what you’ll find in today’s widely used browsers. To illustrate this with an example, we’d like to introduce you to Stack.
Instead of tabs (which were first designed twenty years ago), Stack brings cards. These visual elements are aligned side-by-side, giving you an option to interact with numerous Web pages (or Web apps) at once.
Each card is independent, allowing you to sign-in to the same Web service using different accounts – and interact with those services all at once.
Stack’s cards can be further organized into stacks – a collection of individual cards. That way, you can have a stack of productivity services (such as Gmail, Asana, Trello, Monday, etc.) as well as a stack with your social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more).
Switching between cards and stacks is done in an instant, with a single click of your mouse, or using keyboard shortcuts (which power users are going to love).
Using the above-explained concept, you can unleash your productivity in a way you’ve never even imagined before. And on top of that, Stack blocks ads and trackers, respecting your privacy.
It also works with Chrome extensions, creates a unified channel for all your Web notifications, and lets you set auto-refresh timers – great for news feeds, media channels, and trading platforms.
No matter how simple or complex you want your Web browsing to be, Stack is there to provide an answer. And the best thing is – you can use it free of charge, on both Windows and macOS.