There are lots of choices to choose in the browser world…so which one will you pick? Read the review to see which one you should choose.
Browsers tested: Internet Explorer 8, Safari 4.04, Chrome 3.0.195.33, Firefox 3.5.5, and Opera 10.01.
System used: Toshiba Satellite A100-Sk4-00E. (Intel Core Solo 1.86ghz, 1GB ram, 160GB hard drive, Intel 945GM graphics, Windows XP SP3).
Everything is up to date.
Note: Website times are not measured by software but rather by me as we really can’t tell the difference between 1 and 1.4 seconds.
Internet Explorer 8:
IE8 look and feel.
Open Up Time: It was acceptable. Although it took a long time to load the homepage (bing.ca) after it opened.
Website Loading Time: Websites loaded very quickly, although images and advertising took a few seconds to load after the main page.
Website Support: Practically everything works. Expect for websites that crash IE purposely like crashie.com
Open Standards: A mediocre 20/100 on the acid 3 test. With or without active x add-on.
Unique Feature(s): Will block downloads if Microsoft finds the download to be unsafe. This is a great feature since most malware will go directly to the download prompt skipping websites. Another cool feature is its website snippet feature so you can load just a part of a page in your favorites bar. E.G. Ebay listing, or weather. Accelerators which are right click 1 commands like post to twitter. It also supports reporting of malicious or fake websites via Safety–>Smart-screen Filter–>Report unsafe website. To combat social malware it also checks to see if the file is safe to download or not at the download menu. Finally it also scans websites to see if they hide malware.
Pros:
- Has the largest market share
- Compatible with the most websites.
- Is the most familiar to users.
- Fast so you don’t have to wait.
- Supports parental controls.
- Can save your passwords.
- Can block phishing websites.
- Can block malicious downloads.
Cons:
- Add-ons are supported but are rare (100+ listed)
- Full of bugs
- Lack of open-standards support (html 5, open video, etc)
- Websites have to be tailored to work with IE
- Full of security holes
- Can crash often
Verdict: It’s ok, but all the other browsers do more, support more, and crash less.
Supports Windows only, and windows mobile phones.
Firefox 3.6:
Firefox 3.6
Open Up Time: The first time you launch Firefox after a restart it can take up to 20 seconds for it to load. Although after that it usually opens up quickly.
Website Loading Time: Websites load quickly and everything loads at the same time since Firefox will not display the page until its almost completely loaded.
Website Support: Every website will work in Firefox. Although some old websites like banking websites will not work due to there design. This is very rare now these days.
Open Standards Support: 94/100 Its standards are pretty high and improve with each new version. Has full support for HTML5, and open video.
Unique Features: Like the iPhone Firefox has a add-on for practically everything (as seen in the screen shot). It can save your user names and passwords. Firefox will block fake and malicious websites. The security in Firefox is high and is updated often when a bug is found. Will tell you if it’s outdated, its add-ons are outdated, and it will alert you of out-plugins. Finally it has a built-in spell checker. Remembers downloads, and downloads them all in 1 window.
Pros:
- Free
- Open-Source
- Fast
- Easy to use
- Built-in spell checker
- Huge add-on list
- High detection rate of unsafe websites
- Has a huge follower base that is always growing
- Set the world record for the most downloads in 24 hours
- Easy to report an unsafe or broken website via its help menu
- Will import IE favorites and feeds
- Private browsing
- Recommend by millions of users including German, Australia, and French Governments.
Cons:
- Is slower than its rivals.
Verdict: Download it, as its chosen by many as their favorite browser.
Supports: Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Opera 10:
Opera look and feel.
Open Up Time: Opens up quickly. Will open to the last page(s) you where viewing.
Website Loading Time: Pages load quickly, it will show you how much is loaded vs remaining. With Turbo pages load faster, although it highly compress images so much that the pixels are really visible. Only meant for slow connections.
Website Support: Supports almost all websites, some are a bit picky with opera, and those tailored for IE naturally don’t work.
Open Standards: A full 100/100 on the acid 3 test.
Unique Feature(s): Speed dial which is your favorite websites when you open a new tab. Turbo feature for slow connections, widgets, spell checker, download tab, password save, block certain parts of websites, unsafe website block, irc, bit-torrent support and notes.
Pros:
- Full open standards support
- Free
- Fast
- Built-in irc client
- Built-in torrent support (via BitTorrent)
- Spell checker
- Speed dial
- Can block specific web content
- Can be found on almost any device
- Auto-fill
Cons:
- Some websites will randomly not load, or will load blank
- Turbo feature can destroy the look of websites due to high image compressing
Supports: Windows, Linux, Mac, DS, Wii, and some smartphones.
Verdict: Download, as it’s a all-in-one browser.
Safari 4:
Safari look and feel.
Open Up Time: Loads within a few seconds.
Website Loading Time: Websites load at a blazing speed due to its highly efficient rendering engine.
Website Support: Supports most websites. Tends to be picky with java based games (like aol games), and does not support IE only websites.
Open Standards: 100/100 on the acid 3 test.
Unique Feature(s): Top sites: it arranges your most used websites into a group accessed by a special button. The pages automatically reload, if the website has been updated since last access it will have a blue star. They can be pinned and arranged. Web history can be viewed by the pages thumbnail so you can easily find the website. Spell checker, detachable tabs, auto fill, password save, private browsing, unsafe website blocking via google, and blue highlighting around selected text menu.
Pros:
- Free
- Speed demon
- Open source rendering engine
- Top sites
- History viewable via thumbnails
- Spell checker
- Downloads in 1 window
- Unsafe website support
- Detach, and reattach tabs
- Is used on iPhone, and iPod Touch
Cons:
- Picky with java games (multi-step process to get them to work).
- Buggy
Verdict: Download if you want the top sites feature, or if you’re a mac user.
Supports: iPhone, iPod Touch, Mac, Windows.
Chrome 3:
Chrome look and feel.
Open Up Time: Practically instantly.
Website Loading Time: Practically instantly.
Website Support: Supports most websites. Does not support online java games (runescape, pogo, aol games etc). Does not support IE only websites. Does not supports websites that don’t notice its a browser due to its fast update cycle.
Open Standards: 100/100 acid 3 test.
Unique Feature(s): Tabs are on top instead of on the bottom. Theme support, application shortcuts, spell checker, unsafe website block, url bar can do a Google search, favorite websites grouped.
Pros:
- Fits very well with the rest of the Google products
- Blistering fast
- Lightweight
- Open Source rendering engine
- Free
- Tabs on the top
- Private browsing
- Changeable themes
- Built-in support for turbo enhanced websites
- Website shortcuts
- Downloads download at the bottom of the browser
- Pop up blocker doesn’t bug you on a blocked pop-up
Cons:
- It’s updated so often it throws web developers off
- Lack of online game java support
- Buggy
Verdict: One of the best browsers to download. It’s speedy, and if you’re a Google user you will fit right in.
Overall: Firefox 3.5.5 is the best browser, Chrome would be my 2nd choice.
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Have used all popular browsers for years. Opera is still the best for me.
Don’t like FF too much – it still(V 3.5) needs a third party add on for even common tasks – like mouse gestures or page zoom!
Opera’s capability to customize its interface(not just the skin but the toolbars, icons, toolbar placements etc etc) is just awesome – no other browser comes even close to that.
Feature wise Opera is a complete browser out-of-the-box. Of course FF can beat any browser once you add some good plugins – plugins are its strong point. But its default setup is pretty inferior to Opera.
I disagree. The out of box setup is better in Firefox then Opera because it’s more striped down so you have less features to use that you don’t want.
Have used Firefox and Opera. Opera seems faster, but chronically confusing settings and dismal implementation of CSS. Gmail remains an issue.
In Firefox, its a few easy clicks to change the default webpage background colour, font colour, and hyperlink colour, and it is reliable. I am forever unable to do this in Opera.
When I asked for help in the support forum, I was repeatedly told to take a CSS course.
One thing I like in Opera is the ability to tile tabs with full scrolling and zooming based on tab-focus, while the similar Firefox addons don’t compare in this case.
Opera is a lot like Chrome or even IE…it tends to write its own web browsing rules. Seems like Firefox is the only browser that hasn’t had a issue with any websites. Opera though since it’s open source is a great web browser for the wii/DS.