One thing before starting on this: If you are afraid of Linux try it on Live CD. Download a Linux distribution, for free, I might add, burn the ISO and boot with it. Be sure to get one that has GIMP on it so you never need to buy photoshop. Then you can surf without every worrying about viruses, and also manipulate images, gratis and legally. Onward!
You too can be too hip to live. If you are an open source or coding nerd, or just like showing out in front of people, then you can present your computer in a way nobody else does. Besides fine tuning your desktop with XFCE or KDE or Rainmeter, or using effects like Compiz, with which one can have the hottest, sleekest looking desktop around, one's routine web experience can be transformed. If there's a website you visit a lot, customize the way it looks so you have an original. Instead of being one of a herd of visitors to that site you will stand out -- your scripting knowledge will show, your design skill will show, obviously your intelligence will be self-evident, and all of those things display your good taste.
No, web customization can't be done with any browser but Firefox. Is that a surprise to anyone? Are there really still people who don't get this? Anyway, one of the programs you can use is CYW. Customize Your Web. It's very simple, just time consuming. But that's what this is here for, for way too many people. Blow some time. Also, if one really wants to display alien like intelligence use Vimperator, if it is okay that some people may find you creepy.
I personally don't customize anything about my computer anymore. Instead I go out. The outside world is not as frightening as some may believe.