The Internet browser has long been the workhorse of surfing the web. Like most workhorses, it’s not much to look at, but it gets the job done. That’s all changing.

The days of the boring gray browser are waning. Through a design element called a theme, or “skin,” your Internet browser can have virtually any look you want. Whether it’s a beautiful beach scene, a pop-culture take on Hello Kitty or your favorite sports team, the choices are almost endless. Options abound for adding themes to the leading Internet browsers: Internet Explorer (IE), Firefox and Chrome. Even the Safari browser is opening up to extension options, which hints at a future that includes themes.

What this means for you, the end user, is the piece of software that takes you to Google, Facebook, Bing, Twitter and that you spend hours in front of no longer has to be a drab slab of software. It can now be infused with a look and feel that you want. Now, it has the potential to be cool.

The addition of a theme also doesn’t require a whole new browser. A theme falls under the “add-on” or “extension” category. This is simply an addition to your existing browser. Your preferences, settings, bookmarks and favorites all stay the same. Plus, you’ve never had more options for a more stylish version through browser themes.

Let’s take a look. Read below for your browser of choice and see the options that are available to you.

Short-Attention Span Synopsis:

– For IE and Firefox: Go to http://thunderthemes.com for browser themes from top Internet sites, sports teams and more.

– For light themes on Firefox: Get the Personas Interactive extension at http://pages.brandthunder.com/btpersonas
/download?ref=art then load up on your favorite Personas at http://getpersonas.com/gallery.

– For Chrome, check out the artist themes at https://tools.google.com/chrome/intl/en/themes/index.html.

Internet Explorer:

If you use Microsoft Windows, you’re familiar with the big blue “E” that takes you to the Internet. Since it wrestled market dominance from Netscape back in the day, IE has been the most used browser for surfing the web. While IE doesn’t have the massive marketplace of extensions some other browsers offer, it does have its share of choice.

There are two primary paths for finding themes compatible with IE. The first is to go to the IE Add-ons Gallery at http://ieaddons.com. At the site, Microsoft offers “optimized” versions of IE8, their latest version of the Internet Explorer. These optimized versions come enhanced with additional functionality and/or graphics tailored to a specific company or site. For example, you can download the Amazon optimized version of IE8 and it’s integrated with shopping features that Amazon fans will appreciate. Or, you can download the CollegeHumor version of IE8 that includes a theme plus top categories from this leading humor web site.

If you’re not interested in downloading and installing an entirely new version of IE, you can search for the term “theme” in the search box at the IE Add-ons Gallery. The returned results are all add-ons created specifically for IE. Just download the file and install it. You’ll find a new skin applied to your browser along with some extras related to the theme. Your options are from leading news and information sites like The Daily Beast or WeatherBug, to sports organizations like the Indianapolis Colts or Duke University Athletics.

Brand Thunder, a leading builder of interactive browser themes, provides many of the standalone themes. You can view their IE themes within the IE Add-ons Gallery, or you can go to their own theme gallery at http://thunderthemes.com. At the Thunder Themes gallery, be sure to click on the Internet Explorer link to filter the gallery to only the IE themes available.

Firefox Themes and Personas:

Firefox is the clear leader in what many call alternative browsers. It’s grown to 25 – 30% market share and offers a wealth of customization options. Many theme options are available within its Add-ons site (http://addons.mozilla.org/themes) and through it’s own Personas extension. A Firefox theme allows changes to the background image in the browser chrome (the area with the navigation buttons and the URL address bar) plus new navigation buttons and other style elements.

A Persona, by contrast, is a light theme that only changes the image in the browser chrome and background to browser tabs. The other functional elements in the browser, like the navigation buttons, remain unchanged. Personas were built into the browser with Firefox 3.6. If you’re using 3.6, the best way to experience it is by going to http://getpersonas.com/gallery and hovering over one of the thumbnail images. You’ll instantly see how the theme looks in your browser. If you like it, click “Wear this Persona” and it’s immediately installed.

Because of the ease of adding a theme to the Firefox browser, users who value this personalization capability have flocked to the browser. Unfortunately, while Firefox was making it easier for users to theme their browser, they also ended up constraining the user by limiting the number of Personas that can be installed in Firefox. Brand Thunder has removed these limits and added some preference settings to help improve the user experience with Personas. Their extension is called Personas Interactive and is available for free at http://pages.brandthunder.com/btpersonas/download?ref=art.

Brand Thunder also hosts a wide range of interactive browser themes for Firefox featuring top-tier brands. Interactive browser themes means the product goes beyond just offering a new look to the browser. It often includes functionality and content to bring a robust experience related to the theme. This can range from the entire theme changing to match your local weather conditions, to a multimedia sidebar with videos and games, to breaking news in a toolbar news ticker. It’s all geared toward an immersive experience around the brand featured in the theme.

Brand is used in the broadest sense of the word and includes professional sports, colleges and universities, news and information sites, television and music offerings, plus a whole lot more. Their entire offering of Firefox themes can be found at http://thunderthemes.com.

Google Chrome Themes:

Google’s Chrome is the newest browser on the market and the latest to offer a selection of themes. There is no preview option like Personas offers, and the number of choices is relatively small. However, Google did approach some leading designers to offer themes and there is some beautiful work on display at https://tools.google.com/chrome/intl/en/themes/index.html. Clicking the thumbnail image will offer a screen shot of what the entire theme will look like or selecting the “Apply theme” button will immediately install it.

Google Chrome has a user interface that minimizes the navigation elements of the browser. By minimizing this space, the available real estate for the theme and the visual impact is also reduced – until you open a new tab.

The new tab is where the themes for Google Chrome shine. Google utilizes the full page for the visual experience and it can be quite extraordinary. It also has a navigation system of new tabs that present users with tile-sized images of their most frequently used web sites. The theme designs must work around this grid of sites on the new tab and most do so admirably.

Theme Away:

As you can see, there’s no reason to live with a boring browser ever again. The options to personalize and customize your browsing experience have never been easier. Get started with a more stylish Internet today.

Author Bio: Kevin Dwinnell is an Internet veteran whose eclectic background includes work with animation house Hanna-Barbera, a division of manufacturing monolith Emerson Electric, and some of the drivers of the online world. He currently contributes as part of the team at Brand Thunder.

Category: Computers and Technology
Keywords: firefox, personas, firefox themes, brand thunder, browser themes, google chrome, internet explorer