What's the best web browser?
submitted by markodonoghue on 14 May 2010
Many wonder what the fuss is all about when it comes to web browsers, but choosing the right one can increase reliability, security and productivity. We take a look at the main protagonists to see which is best.
Internet Explorer
Microsoft's Internet Explorer has been the default choice for millions of PC users as it is automatically installed. However, the European Competition Commission has now forced Microsoft to give users a choice to switch to other free-to-use rivals.
Internet Explorer is now up to version 8. For many, it's a familiar piece of software to use yet looks somewhat dated compared to the more youthful competition. It's not much of an innovator either, copying many features such as tabbed browsing (no need to start a new window if you wish to visit more than one website) and anonymous browsing as seen elsewhere. There is also an ad blocker, which else where is normally not standard.
It's fair to say with the amount of problems found (and subsequent plentiful security updates) with Internet Explorer it's reputation was somewhat tarnished. Even today vulnerabilities reports by companies such SecurityFocus and Secunia reveal there are still issues compared to the competition. However, Internet Explorer 8 is certainly more stable and secure than its forebears. For example, if one tab looks like it is crashing, you can close it in Task Manager without closing down all other open tabs.
Verdict: Certainly a lot better since it's been forced to play catch up. However, features aren't really anything new and the alternatives use less resources and are quicker.
Rating: 3/5
microsoft.com/uk/IE8
Mozilla Firefox
Firefox has had a lot of press coverage and is considered as the the web browser that forced Microsoft out of its complacency. Now at version 3.6, it is considered as a great all-rounder. First to launch tabbed browsing, users can flick between different websites easily. It's also easy to install Add-Ons, improving speed of interaction with popular websites such as Twitter and Facebook. So although it isn't feature laden as standard, there is plenty of scope to pick and choose tools which suit what you need to use the internet for.
Firefox saves time by automatically updating itself and any Add-Ons. This means you should never get any issues with software such as Adobe's Flash Player which plays most online videos. Secrutiy wise, features aren't anything new, but there are plenty of Add-Ons to make browsing the web safer.
Thanks to not being greedy with system resources, Firefox starts up quite quickly and is overall quicker in use than Internet Explorer.
Verdict: No one can match Firefox for it's host of Add-On features. If you enjoy customisation, this is a great platform to start from.
Rating: 5/5
www.mozilla.com/firefox
Opera
Opera is not particularly well known, having somewhat of a cult following. It was the first browser to really concentrate on speed as it's selling point. It's also attractively laid out, so quickly became popular with web designers.
The latest version 10.50 browser is well suited to older, basic computers with slow internet connections. It doesn't require a huge amount of resources to run (half the amount of Internet Explorer has been shown in tests), meaning it won't slow down your computer as much as other web browsers.
The mobile version of the Opera browser is also well received. As your bookmarks can be saved online, it means you can access them on your mobile as if you were in the office.
Time saving features don't end there. You can quickly use Google by just typing search terms into the address bar for example. It's also easy to find visited webpages with an easy to use browser history search.
For those with small screens and poor eyesight, there is also a feature to zoom the whole page, not just the text. You can also add Add-Ons, if not as many as the wealth Mozilla Firefox offers.
Verdict: An underestimated browser that is great for slow computers and internet connections. Also has a built in email client.
Rating: 4/5
www.opera.com
Google Chrome
Many have heard of Google's Chrome due to the search engine giants reputation. It's typically minimalist, but packs many features. Tabbed browsing is a given here, and like Internet Explorer you can isolate tabs if one of them crashes.
Where Opera started the speed war, arguably Google's Chrome browser is even faster. It is especially quick to start up, so no more frustration waiting for your computer to get going on Monday mornings!
It shares Operas feature of using the address bar as a direct link to the Google search engine, saving an unnecessary additional search box. It certainly is clutter free. However, if you don't like the look, sadly you are stuck with it. Most browsers have 'skins' that you can customise to suit your preference, but not Chrome.
Security wise, Chrome has a very useful anti-phishing features that warns you of any dangerous websites before loading them. This is particularly useful in the workplace where there may be unsupervised and inexperienced use.
Verdict: Google Chrome is quick, simple and easy to use. It may not have the same scope to add features as Firefox, but as a standard browser it is hard to fault.
Rating: 4.5/5
www.google.com/chrome
Safari
Apple's Safari is already well known to Mac users as, like Internet Explorer, it is the default web browser on their machines. It is a great looking browser on the Mac, but it has somewhat lost its looks in the transition to PC. However, the lovely rendered text is still a great to look at
Safari has an integrated search bar, RSS feed and a neat bookmark management feature. The engine behind Safari is similar to Chrome's, yet it does without the fantastic anti-phishing feature. It does have a private browsing mode though, meaning web history and cookies are not stored.
Although quicker than Internet Explorer, it's beaten by Chrome and Opera for speed.
Verdict: Chrome offers essentially the same rendering engine with a better interface, lower memory usage and better performance, so hard to recommend.
Rating: 3/5
www.apple.com/safari
Submitted by:
Rob Fenn
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