Firefox--will block popups and prevent the downloading of software unless you specifically authorize it. You can also easily manage cookies so tha you don't get any tracking cookies you don't want. You can block banner ads as well.
It is not hard to use.
Download from www.mozilla.org
After installing it if you have any questions you can ask on the forum. There is also a nice page with links to tutorials at http://www.mozilla.org/support/firefox/
Firefox is just as easy to use as IE and is easier to customize.

The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?
~Jeremy Bentham