You might want to reconsider the browser plug-in.  Actually it's a
control.  I understand your misgivings, but the control will allow you
much greater control over the browser.

The drawback with the control is it only gives you the webpage.  The
user will be able to click on hyperlinks, enter text or what ever you'd
normally do on the displayed pages.  However, if you want the user to
be able to see or type in a url you have to provide a text control with
the appropriate listeners.  If you want the user to be able to go back
or forward you have to provide the buttons with the appropriate
listeners.  Etc.  For the operations most commonly performed by a user
such as the ones just mentioned they are simple to build.

If reliability is a strong requirement the browser control is the way
to go.

If it is very important that the user be able to do all the things they
can (but rarely) do in IE for example (changing their security
settings) then your original approach is the better way to go.

Here's a link to a browser control that is simple to use:

http://help.eclipse.org/help31/nftopic/org.eclipse.platform.doc.isv/reference/ap
i/org/eclipse/swt/browser/Browser.html

It works with SWT but there is also this class that will allow you to
use SWT in AWT and vice-versa (I haven't used this yet, but it looks
good)

http://help.eclipse.org/help31/nftopic/org.eclipse.platform.doc.isv/reference/ap
i/org/eclipse/swt/awt/SWT_AWT.html: