Jun. 19--It's been a long time coming, but the humble Web browser is finally entering a golden age.

Some 20 years after creation of the World Wide Web and more than 10 years after Microsoft crushed Netscape, the browser market has become increasingly dynamic. Not only are a range of competitors vying for the turf that Microsoft's Internet Explorer once had almost to itself, but they also are spurring an increasingly rapid cycle of innovation.

As a result, consumers are able to load Web pages faster and do more things with their Web browsers than ever before.

In the early days of the Web, Netscape and Microsoft battled over trying to set the standards for how sites would be designed. Now, browser makers have generally accepted third-party design standards and are instead trying to make the programs better and easier to use.

"In terms of users, they can have their cake and eat it too," said Ray Valdes an analyst who covers the market for Gartner, a technology research firm. Users get "an improved experience, but one that still will work in a standards-compliant manner."

Each of the major PC browser makers has rolled out significant updates recently -- or plans to do so soon. Apple released Safari 4, the browser that comes pre-installed on Macs, earlier this month. The Mozilla Foundation, whose Firefox browser has been steadily gaining share, plans to release version 3.5 of the software with significant new updates by the end of

this month.

Meanwhile, Microsoft, whose Internet Explorer still dominates the browser market, released an update to the software in March. Right now, Windows users have to download Internet Explorer 8 from Microsoft. But the program is likely to become more widespread in October when the company releases Windows 7, which will include the browser pre-installed.

Speed rules

What consumers will notice about the latest browsers -- no matter which they choose -- is that they're a lot speedier. All makers are claiming that their latest updates will significantly decrease the time it takes users to load Web pages. And most companies are adding new features to make it easier for users to search and find information on the Web.

The latest version of Firefox, for example, will include a feature to detect users' physical location to allow the browser to display more relevant search results when users are looking for local restaurants or movie theaters. Firefox 3.5 will also have a new private browsing feature to allow users to surf the Web without the browser keeping track of where they've been.