Which browser

[Ryzza5]

Ok it's finally time I dump IE9 and at least try a competing browser (again).

 

I'll let you debate help me decide which one to to try next, but first I'll let you know what I like and dislike in case that helps with the deciding and in case you know of any add-ons I'll need.

 

 

For years I've used the latest IE plus an add-on called IE7Pro. I liked IE for it's clean interpace and lots of screen real estate for web content, and IE9 was plenty fast (on my PC). The addon gave me:

• Mouse gestures for fast scrolling (and other things, but I only used it to scroll to the top or bottom of pages)
  
• Text saver - never had to worry about losing a long rant post on a forum that crashed.
  
• Spell checker
  
• Favorites sync
  
• Keyboard shortcut to enable/disable proxy (for work PC)
  
• Flash blocker
  
• And a few other things, less important
  

I've tried the main browsers years ago and have had more recent limited exposure to them when fixing other PCs, but the main things I didn't like were:

 

Chrome

• Had what someone described as a 'Fisher Price' look about it (they make toys for babies/todlers). Are there better themes now?
  
• No mouse gestures. Is there an extension for this?
  
• Didn't like the toolbar layout or download manager. Are there more options now? Do downloads still open in a tab?
  
• Google constantly checking for updates without consent and doing who knows what else.
  

Firefox

• Was very slow (memory hog)
  
• Too many toolbars, not enough screen real estate.
  

Opera

• Has always been my go-to browser when IE wasn't satisfactory
  
• Liked the look, speed, features, options, but never used it enough to set them all up - I only used it for the Opera Turbo, which used a proxy to compress web pages for when I went over the monthly download limit and got shaped bandwidth.
  
• Obviously Opera has page rendering issues sometimes.
  

Um yeah so I guess the main choices would be between FF, Chrome, and Chromium (leaning toward the latter). Which of the three do you think is best suited to me, and what extensions do you recommend (links)? Not intersted in Safari at all.

 

+rep available, no flaming :p

[Ozzmcom]

firefox works best for my system, its that fastest of them all and it has adblocker which is great

[DJdan]

i personally use Google Chrome beacuse there is only the adress bar now and the tab thingey.

 

also the downloads, when you download something it just makes an extra bar at the bottom (which can be closed) and the tab thing is gone you can acces it when using CTRL+J

 

and i now have a Mercedes SLS AMG Theme on it wich makes the entire thing look even better.

 

also you can play Angry Bidrs on it without internet connection because it has its own app store

 

please note that every page does open a new Process which means it can be hard on your system if you have like 25 pages on at the same time.

 

but my old system with a pentium processor could run 15 pages perfectly fine.

 

 

also

 

FireFox is not what i would recommend since its pretty heavy as it needs a bit of space >.>

 

and the IE is the browser i currently use for when Chrome doesnt work

and IE is perfect for Work environment and such and chrome more suitable for home useage.

 

 

i hope i helped

 

this is how the theme looks by the way

 

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp224/fashad/8ead6d16.jpg

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp224/fashad/7f5efdf0.jpg

[t.]

Firefox.

 

Why? The best implementation of Ad Block bar none. That is literally the only reason I use it. It hangs, lags and full on freezes but Ad Block is so good that I put up with it. Otherwise I'd just use Safari. I appreciate that the Windows version of Safari probably isn't so good and that to the hardcore PC user switching to Safari would be like castration.

 

Don't like, Chrome. It made the colours of websites (particularly Flickr) look awfully pale, for me.

[The Compensator]

I use Chrome. It's very good. Simple, fast, nice themes also.

[GTAMADDOG]

I use Firefox, works fine for me, I don't think I'm on the latest version but it's still fast, and pretty simple to use. There are probably some good addons but I don't use them, a lot of them seem to clutter up the interface with rubbish I don't need.

 

Use Internet Explorer at work because it's not my computer and they don't have any other browser installed, but it's useless, it hardly lets me on any websites at all, BBC and Pistonheads Forums are the only websites it really likes.

 

Used Google Chrome on my dads computer when he installed it for some reason. Gave up and raged after a couple of minutes.

 

Only ever used Safari on my phone so I can't really comment :p

[Beav]

I use Chrome. It's very good. Simple, fast, nice themes also.

 

Same here :) I like the look of Safari but it kept crashing when I used it.

[Fear Deer]

Chrome for me =)

simple..cleaaan! and fast! and good!, except when it doesnt work!

[Milli]

I use chrome. Because it is fast and clean...

[Fear Deer]

prefer aluminum...lighter weight ya kno?

[Ryzza5]

Thanks for the responses so far (esp those with extra detailed reasons). I'll be honest and say I expected Chrome to be leading due to recent FF builds annoying its userbase but it's very even atm. I once had an external ad blocker app years ago which worked well, forget what it was called, but at this point I might go ahead with Chrome and see what ad-blockers are out there for it.

 

I also already use a custom Hosts file which blocks a lot of nasties regardless of browser or any software, basically a black list of Internet sites for your Windows installation. You can grab it here if you want: Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts File (scroll down for download link).

[Andreas¹]

I use Firefox and have done for 3 or 4 years. Mostly because people here told me to after they found out I used IE8 back then. :cheeky: Though I started liking it fast. I like that you can get so many add-ons if you want. I like Ad-Block which does its job brilliantly. Using personas to quickly and easily (just realized how salesmanish that sounds, but it's true) change the appearance of the browser window is brilliant in my opinion.

I tried using Chrome once and I dropped it in seconds. It was a long time ago and back then they forced you to have the tabs at the very top of the window, above the address bar and everything (like in DJDan's pictures) which I absolutely HATE. I don't know if they still force you to but I think it's the most stupid thing ever and Firefox let's you keep them the normal way if you want.

A lot of people in school bugs me about changing to Chrome because "it's faster" apparently. I have never been able to feel any difference in speed in any browser so I don't care about that. Even if it really is, it's a matter of milliseconds and how much time would you save really?

[ScoobSTi]

Has got to be Opera for me.

 

IE always crashes on my computer, FF has blurry text and also crashes. Yes, I've re-installed it many times and updated, still the same errors. Plus, Opera has all the things I want that FF doesn't have. Well FF, has some features I like, but they come in add-on form. Me no likey 20+ add-ons.

 

prefer aluminum...lighter weight ya kno?

 

I prefer carbon fiber!

[T1M]

I voted for Firefox but i'm not so sure now, it crashes every single time I download something without fail. >.<

[iNotACactus]

Chrome with AdBlock+ and some other addons. It's much better than IE, but then again so is most everything. I personally don't like FF for reasons I don't even understand and can't comment on Opera as I haven't used any of the recent builds and cba to install them. :hmmm:

[randomsox10]

wow you guys are so far ahead of me. i still use IE7. why? i got used to it with my computer and dont feel like changing it. im an old school kind of guy, i like to keep it simple

[Stendert.]

I use chrome. Because it is fast and clean...

 

This + adroid theme

 

HTC fanboy'

[Camel]

FoxyFire, used it for so long. Use the portable version from a USB stick when at uni too, they expect me to use IE! Not surprising tbh though.

[Revan174]

Despite it being opensource and less secure, Chrome's the best for me. Also cause I have a Porsche theme for it :D