A "browser" is that magical piece of technology which allows users to view web offerings, remember favorite sites, and save or print-out important items. Despite the value of this technology, the two most popular browsers are now available to consumers without cost -- a matter that should cause some wonder.

There's certainly no law which says a company must charge premium prices for a product or service, and yet common-sense economics would seem to dictate that commercial offerings must have some value and therefore some price. In the case of browsers, they are now available without cost because the two largest purveyors of such software each seeks desktop domination -- the most popular browser firm gets to sell lots of related software and advertising and that, some contend, is where the money is.

It's not easy to argue that the provision of free products and services is inherently evil or unfair, but if free browsers are the bait then we ought to consider the trap.

Let us say that you were a venture capitalist and some entrepreneurs come to you with a better browser; indeed, what is clearly the world's finest browser. But being a good capitalist you would not advance a dime for this product because you know that technical merit is not the issue. After all, if competitive products are free, how do you generate a revenue stream and therefore a profit from which your investment dollars can be re-captured?

What makes the Internet interesting -- and what makes established businesses nervous -- is that the web is filled with invention and enterprise. Each day a new crop of moguls-to-be enter the world online with the presumption that they will have a fair and reasonable chance to bring something new to the marketplace -- and to benefit from their innovation.

Browsers without a cash cost are not free. We pay for them each day in the form of lost opportunity, innovation, and competition. Think about it the next time you surf the web.