With different versions of the same browser coming out, it can be confusing knowing which one is which, and which one you should download. There are currently two versions of both Internet Explorer and Firefox, and an amazing three different versions of Google Chrome circulating. Throw in other niche browsers like Opera, Safari and Maxthon, and you’d be confused as to which browser you should be using right now. So, what’s out there, and what should you be running on your PC right now?

Internet Explorer is the de facto browser, built into Windows. Even if you don’t use it, it’s worth making sure you have the latest version installed. IE8 is built into Windows 7, while Vista and XP users can get it through Windows Update if it’s not already been installed. This is the version most people should stick with for now.

Version 9 of Internet Explorer is now available in beta – it’s not XP-compatible, but Vista and Windows 7 users can take it for a test drive if you’re happy to take the risk. To confuse matters more there are four versions available, for Vista 32-bit, Vista 64-bit, Windows 7 32-bit, and Windows 7 64-bit. Make sure you pick the right one (click Start, right-click Computer and select Properties, then check “System type” under System if you’re not sure).

Beyond Internet Explorer

Most Firefox users should be running version 3.6.10, which is the latest stable release. For those tired of running Firefox 3 – which has been around a long time – you can download the latest Beta, which is currently Firefox 4 Beta 6. Be prepared for a culture shock: it looks more like Google Chrome than Firefox 3. Other new features include crash protection, support for new standards like HTML5 and an add-on manager.

If you’re running Google Chrome then you actually have a choice of three different versions. Google Chrome 6 was released as a stable version last month – this is currently at version 6.0.472.59, and will update automatically as new stable builds are released. Then there’s a Beta version, which rather confusingly is currently the same as the stable version (6.0.472.59). The only benefit of running this is to get some minor updates shortly before they appear in the stable version. If you want to live on the cutting edge, you’ll want to consider installing Google Chrome Dev, the development version, which is currently at version 7.0.517.5. At the present time a lot of the vaunted improvements – including performance enhancements – aren’t in place, so don’t feel the need to rush to install it.

Other Browsers

Things are a lot simpler if you’re an Opera user: currently only the latest stable version, 10.62, is available. Similarly, Apple only provides the latest stable version of Safari – 5.02 – for download.

Finally, Maxthon, the hybrid browser that attempts to steal the best bits from Internet Explorer (compatibility), Chrome (speed) and Opera (quick dial and mouse gestures), is currently up to version 3.0.17, again a stable build.