Best Web Browser? See this...
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hemant_mathur
-- No Easter Eggs here --
Exactly my thoughts. +1Indyan said:
OP
Manshahia
Resident Fanatic
Code:
Ten years ago, in the midst of the socalled
Browser War, a federal judge
dealt Microsoft a serious setback. The
judge ruled that Microsoft could not require
computer manufacturers to bundle
Internet Explorer, the company’s up-andcoming
Web browser, with its operating
systems. The ruling aimed to prevent
Microsoft from using Windows as a
means of monopolizing other software
markets, and it ostensibly gave other
browser developers a better chance at
competing with IE.
At least, that was the idea.
As everyone knows, the Browser War
quickly turned into a browser rout. Internet
Explorer went on to capture—and
continues to hold—a staggering 85% of the
browser market. Alternatives to IE exist,
but they fly so far under the radar that most
users simply ignore them. After all, why
should anyone change when the browser
that comes bundled with most PCs works
so well already?
We set out to see if we could come up
with a good answer to that question. In this
month’s roundup, we looked at the latest
editions of several free browsers to see which
one offers the best surfing experience.
Internet Explorer 7
The biggest name in browsers recently
enjoyed a makeover. Whether long-time
users of IE will enjoy the results remains to
be seen.
Getting the browser is not a problem for
anyone running Windows XP SP2 (Service
Pack 2) or later. Internet Explorer 7 is
posted as a high-priority Windows update
for effortless downloading. The installation
itself requires both a Windows validation
test—the browser will not run on a pirated
OS (operating system)—and a system reboot,
but otherwise proceeds as expected.
What users may not expect, however, is the
heavily remodeled interface.
IE7 bears little resemblance to its predecessor,
and that’s a major strike against it in
our opinion. Everything has changed. We
had to reacquaint ourselves with the Back
arrow and the Favorites folder. We had to
relearn how to save pages and open menus.
And the most frustrating thing about it is
that the new way of doing things is no faster
or easier than the old. It’s just different. Why
software developers think they have to reinvent
the most basic tasks with each new release
is something we will never understand.
We appreciated at least one change. The
ever-present Search field, tucked neatly out
of the way in the upper-right corner, is a
beneficial addition that essentially renders
the third-party add-on toolbar obsolete.
Many users will like the tabbed browsing
feature, although we prefer to deal with a
second—or third—browser window instead
(windows, unlike tabs, respond to the
ALT-TAB toggle command). The RSS
(Really Simple Syndication; format for
transmitting content directly and automatically
to particular computers) reader may
appeal to users who like to pull in
streaming Webcasts but will likely prove
meaningless to everyone else, and the antiphishing
shield adds a thin layer of added
security at the expense of slower surfing.
Microsoft also endowed the browser with
an advanced Print function that automatically
compresses a page’s content to fit on a
single sheet of paper. That sounds good,
but we suspect the new feature was responsible
for locking up the browser when we
tried to print complex information from an
online banking site.
After using IE7 for a couple of days, we
had regained our surfing prowess and forgotten—
more or less—about IE6. That’s
what Microsoft is banking on. Indeed, the
company has maintained its stranglehold
on the browser market for so long because
it has always been easier to stick with
Internet Explorer than to get rid of it. But
not any more. The amount of pointless (in
our opinion) retraining required to master
the new browser will undoubtedly give
some longtime IE users ample incentive to
finally make a switch to a new browser. We
wouldn’t blame them a bit.
[b]Firefox 2[/b]
The biggest threat—if one can call a fly
on a lion a threat—to IE at the present time
is this second-generation browser from
Mozilla, a nonprofit organization devoted
to open-source software development.
Since its initial release in November 2004,
Firefox has gained a loyal following, and
Microsoft’s share of the browser market has
slipped slowly but steadily.
Firefox certainly makes a good first impression.
The no-validation-or-reboot-required
installation is over within minutes.
Better yet, it automatically imports a user’s
relevant personal settings from IE, including
the preferred home page and the contents of
the Favorites folder, so that Firefox is ready
for action as soon as it pops up on-screen.
The menus and icons also conform to traditional
browser design theory so first-time
users will have no trouble finding their way
around the interface.
Firefox boasts all of the expected features,
including tabbed browsing, support
for RSS feeds, and an integrated search
tool. It also offers automatically updated
bookmarks, spell checking, and smart
searching. The most impressive new feature,
however, has to be Session Restore,
which helps users recover quickly from
surfing interruptions. It does so by automatically
opening the most recently viewed
Web page (or pages) the first time the
browser is opened after closing or restarting
unexpectedly. It also can recover
partially completed forms and resumedisrupted downloads. As a result, a browser
shutdown does not mean lost productivity.
The feature remains dormant when the
browser is shut down properly.
Then there are the security features.
Firefox boasts an antiphishing monitor,
pop-up blocking, and built-in spyware protection,
none of which seemed to slow
down our surfing like IE7’s antiphishing
shield did. The browser also allows automatic
updating, which means users can get
the latest security updates as soon as
someone in the open source community
has identified a weakness and fixed it. The
open source community also provides support
for the product. Users can get help by
perusing the online knowledge base,
posting questions on a message board, or
joining a chat room. But they cannot call a
toll-free number to talk to a support representative,
even for a fee (as they can with
Microsoft and Netscape).
It’s hard to find anything else to complain
about. The latest version of Firefox offers
users a pleasant browsing experience and the
rare opportunity to use a product that actually
beats its Microsoft counterpart.
[b]Opera 9[/b]
Dating back to 1994, Opera has built a
loyal—but small—following. The latest edition
is sure to keep the browser’s fans quite
happy but is unlikely to win many converts.
Opera delivers most of the expected features,
such as tabbed browsing, password
management, and pop-up blocking. It even
boasts a few unexpected features, such as voice activation and a recycle bin for recovering
tabs that were closed accidentally. But
it’s missing some of the latest capabilities,
including support for RSS feeds and antiphishing
protection. We also wish it
would have imported our existing IE settings
automatically instead of demanding
that we import them manually.
But our biggest complaint involves the
browser’s unique interface. First-time Opera
users may find themselves fumbling around
for a bit until they’ve acquainted themselves
with its particular idiosyncrasies. Take the
Rewind and Fast Forward buttons, for instance.
These navigational aids complement
traditional Back and Forward buttons by directing
traffic to the pages that Opera predicts
the user will want to visit—such as the
most recently visited unique Web address or
the next page of search results—instead of
the immediately adjacent pages. The browser
also loads by default without the expected
Save, Print, or Home icons, although users
easily can add these shortcuts to the toolbar.
Such peculiarities should be expected
from a browser that was developed by a
couple of Norwegian telecom engineers
and not descended from the original
Mosaic browser (as IE, Netscape, and
Firefox are). Users who stick with Opera
will learn to appreciate its unique features.
We just wonder how many users are willing
to make that effort.
[b]Netscape 8.1[/b]
Few if any computer programs have suffered
like Netscape. At one point, the
browser had secured 90% of the market
and was virtually synonymous with the
World Wide Web. Today, fewer than 1% of
all cybersurfers use the browser regularly.
Nevertheless, it remains a viable surfing alternative
for old-school computer users
who want to revel in the past.
Not to say the browser hasn’t aged well.
The latest version of Netscape
sports all the bells and whistles,
including support for
RSS feeds, tabbed browsing,
and password management.
We liked the Security Center,
which provides real-time protection
against spyware, adware,
phishing, and pop-ups.
We also appreciated the MultiBar, which
allows users to create as many as 10 customizable
toolbars for one-click access to
desired content. Otherwise, Netscape 8.1
resembles its predecessors, so anyone with
browser experience will feel comfortable
using the interface right away.
We had a few complaints about the installation.
Our first attempts at running the
installer failed, and we had to perform the
download again in order to load the program
on our PC. We also felt that the installation
was unnecessarily complex,
asking us to verify our proxy server configuration
and requiring us to opt out of reporting
usage statistics. We were glad
it gave us the option of automatically
importing our bookmarks, passwords,
and other personal settings from other
browsers. However, it appeared that these
personal settings were the reason the
browser loaded so slowly. We found ourselves
waiting a few seconds each time we
launched it. That’s not good.
[b]Surf Up[/b]
A Web browser is always one of the
most active programs on a PC. After
testing the popular products available, we
believe the latest version of Firefox offers
the best combination of usability and functionality.
That’s why we gave it our Smart
Choice designation.
Does that mean you should switch
browsers, or that IE will suddenly go
the way of Netscape? Not at all. All of
the browsers featured in this roundup provide
a pleasurable user experience, and
whichever one you have is sure to keep you
happy. However, it may be worth considering
the options. You never know what
you might find.
hard_rock
Salieri Family
I think this type of TESTS arent justified...Coz Opera comes loaded with all features like mouse gestures..etc etc(you know all the features).. But firefox have addons to achieve same tasks... Though firefox is easy to use with all features loaded.. ONLY ONCE ADDONS ARE INSTALLED..but how many normal users bother to download the addons.. They just use stock browser.
So BROWSER TESTS like this are not correct. Everybody has got their own taste...let them choose between Firefox and Opera..[No question of IE here...every body know it SUCKS!!!!!~~>Not same in case of Maxthon]
So BROWSER TESTS like this are not correct. Everybody has got their own taste...let them choose between Firefox and Opera..[No question of IE here...every body know it SUCKS!!!!!~~>Not same in case of Maxthon]
aryayush
Aspiring Novelist
LOL! The most laughable and biased browser shoot-out I have ever seen. Basically, what he wants to show is that Firefox is the best and the rest do not matter. How else can one explain Internet Explorer getting the same rating as Opera (even if we accept for a second that Firefox is indeed better than Opera, which it is not)?
I am absolutely in agreement with Indyan here.
Most of the cool features you see in web browsers today were introduced be Opera and it still has the best execution of most of the features. For example: tabs, sessions, mouse gestures, voice, RSS, trash, continue from last time, address bar search, skins, email, chat... I am sure there are more.
I am absolutely in agreement with Indyan here.
Most of the cool features you see in web browsers today were introduced be Opera and it still has the best execution of most of the features. For example: tabs, sessions, mouse gestures, voice, RSS, trash, continue from last time, address bar search, skins, email, chat... I am sure there are more.
I too agree that the review is very biased towards Firefox... Opera has as many if not more features than Firefox and certainly more features than IE7/IE7... Also, considering that IE has had a very user-friendly interface for ages, saying that ease of use is 3 for it is ridiculous... Personally, I would rate IE7 5 and FFx and Opera 4 in the Ease of Use table... Next, for Installation, Firefox gets a 5 out of 5... But considering that for most people, they would need to add extensions to get all the features they desire, we have to consider that the installation process should consider download and set up of the extensions... If you already have the extensions ready, it is one thing... But for a first-timer, you have to go to the website and download extensions... I think that when viewed with that perspective, Firefox installation should be rated 3 max... Finally, in support, I am not sure about the details, so I will not comment on it...
But these are not the only criteria that we should be looking at, should we... Here are a few more points to ponder...
What about security? Clearly, Opera will be much better than IE7 and Firefox based on the number of vulnerabilities reported, etc... Even if this is because IE7 is the most targeted by hackers and that Firefox is open-source allowing easier detection of vulnerabilities, this is an important factor to be considered.
Then, what about page rendering? Even though Opera and Firefox are better in compatibility with standards, IE will have an upper hand because pages are often tested only on this browser and therefore, may not always render properly on other browsers...
There are many browser choices available if you count the third party IE-based browsers such as Maxthon, Slim Browser, etc... Personally, I use Opera as my main browser and have Slimbrowser as my backup for websites that may not render well in Opera...
I tried Firefox, but was very hassled with managing extensions...
Arun
But these are not the only criteria that we should be looking at, should we... Here are a few more points to ponder...
What about security? Clearly, Opera will be much better than IE7 and Firefox based on the number of vulnerabilities reported, etc... Even if this is because IE7 is the most targeted by hackers and that Firefox is open-source allowing easier detection of vulnerabilities, this is an important factor to be considered.
Then, what about page rendering? Even though Opera and Firefox are better in compatibility with standards, IE will have an upper hand because pages are often tested only on this browser and therefore, may not always render properly on other browsers...
There are many browser choices available if you count the third party IE-based browsers such as Maxthon, Slim Browser, etc... Personally, I use Opera as my main browser and have Slimbrowser as my backup for websites that may not render well in Opera...
I tried Firefox, but was very hassled with managing extensions...
Arun
alsiladka
Noobie Pro
Firefox had a built-in spyware protection?? I did not know that!! LOL
and
Opera does not have Rss Reader and Anti Phishing? Which build is he talking about? And what kind of a techie is he who says that just because the shortcuts are not shown on the toolbar, it means that those options have not been loaded by default?? HUH
Talking of features, where is the mention about fast forwarding in opera and so many "Firsts"?
I am not even gonna read it in detail, simple crap!!
and
Opera does not have Rss Reader and Anti Phishing? Which build is he talking about? And what kind of a techie is he who says that just because the shortcuts are not shown on the toolbar, it means that those options have not been loaded by default?? HUH
Which browser is not ready for action as soon as it pops up on screen? What matters is what actions you wanna take!!
Talking of features, where is the mention about fast forwarding in opera and so many "Firsts"?
I am not even gonna read it in detail, simple crap!!
aryayush
Aspiring Novelist
Those days are long gone now. Today, every web designer worth his salt checks for compatibility on all three browsers.sakumar79 said:
And even if they don't, both Firefox and Opera are hundred percent compatible with sites optimised for Internet Explorer. I have yet to come across a single website that does not open or render well in Opera apart from that stupid DataOne portal. And the only sites that are incompatible are the ones that use ActiveX controls. Well, ActiveX controls are on the way out anyway. And it is highly recommended not to visit websites that use ActiveX controls.
In each of those fields, both Firefox and Opera are better than Internet Explorer. There is absolutely nothing about IE that is better than Opera or Firefox.
shantanu
Technomancer
NO it sint true.. you can open my site and In firefox and its displayed as i also cant say whats this...
try it : www.thecomputernext.bravehost.com
try it : www.thecomputernext.bravehost.com
it_waaznt_me
Coming back to life ..
Indyan said:
MyIe2 had search from address bar even before Opera .. And when Opera introduced searched from address bar, you couldnt edit the server settings while it was there in MyIe2 ever since ...
tarey_g
Hanging, since 2004..
^^ True.
btw, firefox screwes the font style and formatting of my site , while opera/IE keep it intact. Chk this www.mskota.com on firefox and other browsers. Firefox not only screwes up hindi font(i have solution for that on site) but the font spacing and thickness is all changed in ff.
btw, firefox screwes the font style and formatting of my site , while opera/IE keep it intact. Chk this www.mskota.com on firefox and other browsers. Firefox not only screwes up hindi font(i have solution for that on site) but the font spacing and thickness is all changed in ff.
freebird
Debian Rocks!
@तारे_जी:tarey_g said:
I use firefox-2.0.0.2.The fonts are rendered much better than Opera for that matter.I use Debian GNU/Linux Sid and pango support is just developing well.uses a unicode font-Lohit-hindi;not the one win32 user use. just FYI i am posting a screenshot of the page:
*img294.imageshack.us/img294/1135/screenshotxh2.th.png
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/%5BURL=*imageshack.us%5D%5BIMG%5Dhttp://img294.imageshack.us/img294/1135/screenshotxh2.png%5B/IMG%5D%5B/URL%5D
Last edited:
aryayush
Aspiring Novelist
Why are you embarrassing the poor guy? Isn't it quite obvious that he can't!Indyan said:
He cannot, or will not, read anything against Microsoft. It does not matter that every person in this thread, even the Firefox supporters, are saying that the review is very biased. If it says something in support of Internet Explorer - and frankly, saying that IE is as good as Opera is giving it a great honour - then it is a perfect review.
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