A tidal wave of surfers: the multitude of browsers has many Net surfers 'wiping out.' (browsing software for use on the Internet)(Evaluation)

Ever have a problem choosing a surf board? Well choosing an Internet browser to surf with can be just as difficult. According to Dave J. Garaffa's Browser Watch Web page (http://www.ski.mskcc.org.browserwatch/browsers.html), there are over 57 different browsers to choose from. Not every browser can be used on all platforms. But you can find a browser that meets your needs, whether you're running Windows, Mac OS or Unix systems.

You could surf the net without a browser, but it would be less dynamic. Browsers read and interpret hypertext markup language (HTML), the programming language of Web pages. They allow you to see graphics and hear audio embedded in Web sites; each browser interprets HTML differently. The browser's strength determines how the page looks and sounds on your computer screen.

The World Wide Web (WWW) is not the only offering on the Internet. You can download files using FTP (file transfer protocol) and find information on Gopher and Wide Area Information Server (WAIS) databases, as well as participate in news groups and chat sessions. A good browser allows you to navigate among these operations in a seamless manner. Standard features on most browsers include e-mail and "hot" lists of your favorite sites and graphics capabilities. To take advantage of all the services on the Internet, it's important to choose a full-featured browser. But even the best browsers don't handle all tasks equally well.

Points to pay particular attention to when choosing your browser are:

* RAM (memory) cache and disk (hard drive) cache. When a browser caches data, it stores information about your current browsing session into your RAM, and past sessions on your hard drive (disk cache). When the browser needs to access information from your RAM or your hard drive. This helps makes data retrieval faster. A good browser allows you to change the default settings to speed data retrieval.

* Ease of configuration. To connect to the Internet you must choose a protocol option that connects your modem to the Internet through your service provider. There are several different protocols to choose from. If you are unfamiliar to choose a browser that has an automatic setup feature. But choose carefully: Not all browsers can be used with every service provider.

* Ease of use. Getting online and accessing the information you need is the priority. Your browser should walk you through the setup process; once you're connected, it should have clearly labeled icons and menu palettes.

Netscape Navigator by Netscape Communications is the browser of choice and the de facto standard. Surveys reveal that more than 75% of active cybernauts use it. Some Web pages are even enhanced when viewed with Navigator. The cutting edge in HTML viewing, it's one of the few browsers to display tabular material. Version 2.0, which should now be on the market, promises animation-related capabilities. Navigator is not simple to set up and configure, but once it's done you can enjoy the features it offers. Graphics can be disabled to speed the display of pages and fonts; the appearance of the Web page can be controlled--and more. Navigator lists for $49 or can be downloaded for free from http://www.netscape.com. It's available for Mac OS, Windows and Unix platforms (415-528-2555).

NCSA Mosaic, created by the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, is considered the first successful Web browser. Commercial browsers with the Mosaic appendage are based on it. Not quite a full-featured browser, it has a few drawbacks, such as its lack of formal tech support and its inability to display graphics files that are not embedded in Web pages. NCSA Mosaic does allow you to annotate Web pages with text or audio. Upcoming version 2.0.1 caches to RAM and disk and lets you change the fonts and appearance of your page. Copies are available for downloading from NCSA's FTP site. It's available in Mac OS, Windows and Unix (217-244-3473; ftp://ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu).

Enhanced Mosaic, by Spyglass Inc., is a browser based on NCSA Mosaic 1.0. It's sold only to third-party vendors, who, in turn, license Mosaic and sell it as part of a package. The cost of Enhanced Mosaic varies. After Netscape, Enhanced Mosaic is one of the more ubiquitous browsers on the net. Microsoft recently entered into an agreement to license Enhanced Mosaic as part of its Microsoft Network package. Each vendor customizes its version of Enhanced Mosaic, but basically they all function identically. Enhanced Mosaic takes caching one step further by allowing you to adjust its size and lets you specify how many pages and images you want cached. The setup sequence varies with each vendor as does any supporting documentation. Enhanced Mosaic is available on Windows, Mac OS and Unix platforms (708-505-1010).

Global Network Navigator, by O'Reilly & Associates, is essentially Enhanced Mosaic. GNN offers Web and Gopher, FTP, news groups and the Webcrawler Internet directory search tool (800-218-7799; http://gnn.com).

America Online (800-827-6364), the No. 1 online service for home users, offers Internet access through its own Web browser. Setup and configuration is not an issue because the browser works via your AOL connection. The fee for the browser is included in the AOL package. After you download the browser software from AOL, Internet access is easy. Simply point to and click on the Internet icon to launch the America Online home page. AOL offers all the major attractions of the Internet, such as WWW, news groups, FTP, WAIS and Gopher server databases. You can control graphics display, but the browser does not support the HTML coding needed to view tabular material and audio. It's available for Mac OS and Windows.