What Browser do you use?

[deanb]

I may as well drag this away from Excels status updates

 

I'm a Chrome user.

Started off on IE when I was a wee innocent child, hopped onto Firefox not long before it's version 2 release. Chrome came out and even in Beta I instantly swapped. Interface was clean, nice, the browser ran much snappier, it also meant since I was only chrome user on the home PC I had my own Browser for a while. Also as a dual screen user it's the best browser for that. Firefox attempted to add tab tearing/snapping, but kinda fucked up which means it refreshes the whole page each time you do it, and it's never as smooth. Kinda sucks when you've got a streaming playing in your tab.

 

So what browser do you use?

(I guess the poll is more for you than us since we actually do know what browsers you use tut tu at the Safari users)

 

Oh yeah on my Android I also use Dolphin Mini. It's still in Beta, but much nicer than Dolphin HD which I was using before. Not tried FF on Android yet though. Not too sure there's much point.

[Sindo]

I use Chrome and Opera, but mostly Chrome.

[Faiblesse Des Sens]

Tab tearing and snapping works fine on Firefox and doesn't refresh. It's perfectly smooth. I tested it with a youtube video.

 

Also, it possible to make a poll where you can select more than one option?

 

 

Anyways, for a while now, the FF4 beta has simply been stellar. Speed is great, super smooth, looks great, extensions all work, it's stable, lower memory usage than chrome, much superior font rendering, better features (panorama!), built in syncing, google isn't tracking everything, deeper extensions than the competition (i've been loving TACO recently), awesome bar, the usual customization. One positive I've found from FF4 especially is how many features are built in rather than requiring extensions.

 

When I get bored, I try and mess around with Opera as I've seen some excellent looking ones and it has a great default feature set to try lots of different unique things out with.

 

 

Dolphin Mini is nice on Android. From what I can tell FF for Android has: A nicer interface than standard (easy access to tabs and stuff), syncing, and extensions.

[deanb]

Okay, edited the poll. I don't know many folks who use more than one browser other than to test one for a short while.

 

Maybe the beta has updated the fix the refreshing thing, but it was damn annoying back when it did.

btw you know the basis of TACO was made by a googler right? I personally don't mind cookies n such. I'm one of several billion internet users. I find it a tad egocentric that all these companies might be looking specifically at them. It's generated by some computer in a warehouse, thats the only thing that sees it, some AMD chip out there had a giggle at of the fact you regularly search for pink pony statues.

 

Opera I've dabbled in, but it's got some interesting ideas it's just a bit too different. Doesn't mesh too well with other browsers either (which I've noticed when re-installing Win 7 other week neither does FF, you'd think after several years they'd at least acknowledge that IE isn't the only browser, so had to fuck about a bit to get bookmarks onto Firefox from chrome. Obviously with Chrome I just signed in)

I've not played with Opera 11 yet though.

 

Oh and Safari is shit, worse than IE, and that takes effort. IE hasn't been too bad actually with the latest versions. What little amount of browsing I've had to do on them has been okay. And Bing isn't too bad either.

Oh yeah Firefox automatically guessing what you wanted when you type a word in and taking you to that site: Good in theory, real timesaver. Annoying in practice. Like Chromes much more, giving you a selection of potential sites in the process (as well as Bookmarks) that you can pick from.

 

Actually talking of Firefox, doesn't Googles contract with Mozilla end now? Are they renewing it at all, cos that's one way to get browser market share, just stop funding your competition

Obviously when Chrome launched it was brought up but I don't think anyone gave a definite word just the contract lasted to 2011.

[Strangelove]

I used ie for a long time, then once i got my own pc i switched to firefox. Then firefox started getting all slow and shit so i switched to chrome. I like chrome a lot. Has a lot of the same features that firefox has, but a lot neater and cleaner. Also, unlike ff, chrome can play videos withouting making them skip.

 

On my phone i use dolphin. I like it a lot better than the browser that came on my phone by default.

[Enervation]

I use Chrome mostly now, but I switch between FF and Chrome based on my needs or if something goes wrong on one of them.

 

I get problems from both but I fix them eventually.

[TheForgetfulBrain]

I'm a Chrome whore.

 

Fast as hell, never looked back.

 

Mozilla is still good for its wealth of plugins and specific uses therein, but it's not my 'browsing' browser.

[Faiblesse Des Sens]

Okay, edited the poll. I don't know many folks who use more than one browser other than to test one for a short while.

 

Maybe the beta has updated the fix the refreshing thing, but it was damn annoying back when it did.

btw you know the basis of TACO was made by a googler right? I personally don't mind cookies n such. I'm one of several billion internet users. I find it a tad egocentric that all these companies might be looking specifically at them. It's generated by some computer in a warehouse, thats the only thing that sees it, some AMD chip out there had a giggle at of the fact you regularly search for pink pony statues.

 

Opera I've dabbled in, but it's got some interesting ideas it's just a bit too different. Doesn't mesh too well with other browsers either (which I've noticed when re-installing Win 7 other week neither does FF, you'd think after several years they'd at least acknowledge that IE isn't the only browser, so had to fuck about a bit to get bookmarks onto Firefox from chrome. Obviously with Chrome I just signed in)

I've not played with Opera 11 yet though.

 

Oh and Safari is shit, worse than IE, and that takes effort. IE hasn't been too bad actually with the latest versions. What little amount of browsing I've had to do on them has been okay. And Bing isn't too bad either.

Oh yeah Firefox automatically guessing what you wanted when you type a word in and taking you to that site: Good in theory, real timesaver. Annoying in practice. Like Chromes much more, giving you a selection of potential sites in the process (as well as Bookmarks) that you can pick from.

 

Actually talking of Firefox, doesn't Googles contract with Mozilla end now? Are they renewing it at all, cos that's one way to get browser market share, just stop funding your competition

Obviously when Chrome launched it was brought up but I don't think anyone gave a definite word just the contract lasted to 2011.

 

FF has syncing like Chrome. I don't get your complaint about FF not meshing when you don't mention how Chrome meshes with other browses well, either. Browsers have had "import bookmarks" features for years.

 

The cookies thing is of course, preference, but I've come across some sites that drop a ridiculous amount of cookies. It doesn't matter what the source of it is. I'm all for less competition and more sharing.

 

Opera I like because it's different. Not my regular browser, but it's nice to browse in a different way. Tabs on the side with full image previews= cool.

 

The chrome omnibar to me isn't nearly as useful as the awesomebar. The awesomebar always has relevant hits based on my bookmarks and web history. I use it when I vaguely remember a site and just type in a keyword or two and it will frequently find the site. Also, I use google DNS, so I just search within the bar as well (without an omnibar extension and without typing "g" in front of my search) which matches the chrome functionality while also having the much better awesomebar and you don't have to bother with google bugging you with search results unless you want them. Also, there's an extension for FF (from mozilla) that lets you instantly preview anything from the awesomebar (rather than clicking into the page and ending up at the wrong one) which makes it that much more useful.

 

 

I'm curious about the funding situation. Someone should find out some info on that!

 

Those who are choosing FF: Try out the latest beta. It's at beta 10 or 11 now and it's very very stable. Use add-on compatibility to get extensions to work. I haven't encountered any major problems. For the instant preview install lab-kit (its a restartless add-on.) https://addons.mozil. ..a-labs-lab-kit/

Also if you install labkit, I recommend uninstalling speak words 4. It's a nice idea... but not when combined with instant previews. One or the other.

[deanb]

Chrome will ask to import from multiple browsers when it installs, Firefox only offers to import from IE. Which means going into Chrome, manually exporting the bookmarks, then going into FF and manually importing the bookmarks there. And also re-jigging it all since it dumps them in an import folder.

 

Wait... how come you said you disliked Chrome cos of Google tracking your every move, yet you use Google as your DNS provider. Doesn't that just negate everything, cos even if you only ever used Bing on IE, that shit still passes through google. Anyway, omnibar does everything Awesomebar does just with built in Google Instant support. (which is what I was trying to remember last time) and if you don't want it to be google just change the default engine (which it also asks you for at set-up, unlike Firefox which just auto dumps you on Google(though that may not be upto them). Oh and also by default includes a bunch of irrelevant search engines which I guess is just part of the adware stuff paying for it)

 

Also on restarterless add-ons why does FF even have a distinction. Chrome n Opera you install stuff n it's ready to go. Firefox is all "I'm pretending to be an Operating System and will require you shut me down and restart before this button you just added decides to work. We take our stuff on 'the web as a platform' seriously."

 

As for funding all I have upto now is Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia....ation#Financing

and:

http://www.pcpro.co....n-googles-hands

Google have Mozilla by the balls. 88%? That's fucking huge.

 

Of course the question is do Google have more to gain from being the defacto search engine of the 2nd most popular browser on the net, or from the potential gain of gobbling up IE and Firefox marketshare by just taking FF out the equation. Bearing in mind it really really goes against their motto. There is no way you could get away with not being painted the villain in that. Poor old small open source registered charity Mozilla, being fucked over by corporate giant google.

So I think on the moral side of things they'll keep funding them, but financially it may make more sense to just drive out Mozilla. Though competition is always good and after having appetizers from IE they'll no doubt go after Mozilla the good old fashioned way. Not like with Android n ChromeOS they'll much need Mozilla anyway.

When theey started funding them it made sense. Google was just a search provider, but now they have their own browser, OS(es), TV stuff, they've got their stuff engrained into it all. Mozilla are old fashioned way of doing things.

[SkyGriever]

I use Chrome, but sometimes I use Firefox...

[Faiblesse Des Sens]

Chrome will ask to import from multiple browsers when it installs, Firefox only offers to import from IE. Which means going into Chrome, manually exporting the bookmarks, then going into FF and manually importing the bookmarks there. And also re-jigging it all since it dumps them in an import folder.

 

Wait... how come you said you disliked Chrome cos of Google tracking your every move, yet you use Google as your DNS provider. Doesn't that just negate everything, cos even if you only ever used Bing on IE, that shit still passes through google. Anyway, omnibar does everything Awesomebar does just with built in Google Instant support. (which is what I was trying to remember last time) and if you don't want it to be google just change the default engine (which it also asks you for at set-up, unlike Firefox which just auto dumps you on Google(though that may not be upto them). Oh and also by default includes a bunch of irrelevant search engines which I guess is just part of the adware stuff paying for it)

 

Also on restarterless add-ons why does FF even have a distinction. Chrome n Opera you install stuff n it's ready to go. Firefox is all "I'm pretending to be an Operating System and will require you shut me down and restart before this button you just added decides to work. We take our stuff on 'the web as a platform' seriously."

 

As for funding all I have upto now is Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia. ...ation#Financing

and:

http://www.pcpro.co. ...n-googles-hands

Google have Mozilla by the balls. 88%? That's fucking huge.

 

Of course the question is do Google have more to gain from being the defacto search engine of the 2nd most popular browser on the net, or from the potential gain of gobbling up IE and Firefox marketshare by just taking FF out the equation. Bearing in mind it really really goes against their motto. There is no way you could get away with not being painted the villain in that. Poor old small open source registered charity Mozilla, being fucked over by corporate giant google.

So I think on the moral side of things they'll keep funding them, but financially it may make more sense to just drive out Mozilla. Though competition is always good and after having appetizers from IE they'll no doubt go after Mozilla the good old fashioned way. Not like with Android n ChromeOS they'll much need Mozilla anyway.

When theey started funding them it made sense. Google was just a search provider, but now they have their own browser, OS(es), TV stuff, they've got their stuff engrained into it all. Mozilla are old fashioned way of doing things.

 

Oh, gotcha on the importing thing. Importing from IE handles most people anyways, does it not? Especially those switching browsers. IE still has far and large the biggest market share. Chrome is at 10%. FF at 25%. Anyways, as far as I know, Google DNS doesn't track directly (you don't need a google account for it either), but since it defaults to google search that's how they get their ad-revenue and data.

It's sort of funny how your attitude here is combative. It's just a browser. It's notable that it's restartless because that's not what extensions were like initially. I don't know if deeper extensions require a restart or not. You don't have to restart Chrome or Opera because the extensions can't change anything deep enough to need a restart like FF.

Chrome's omnibar gives you search results mixed in with your bookmarks which is quite slow as you visit old sites more often than new sites. They put that feature in because that's how they make money. So therefor, I think it's less useful than FFs bar.

 

Anyways, I see no reason for Chrome to not fund Mozilla. Their money for everything is ads, hands down. That's why they created android (and why they can get away with it being free), that's why they fund Mozilla, that's why they do anything. To have your search engine as the default for a product with such a large chunk of market share is big for them. I don't think that's "by the balls" at all. It's just the search engine default. They don't control anything else but that.

 

Either way, you're not really providing anything compelling. The UI still looks childish, the font rendering is still shit, it's still missing plenty of features (which ironically you have to get with extensions, which is what people used to say about FF vs opera), google still owns your soul, less useful nav bar, less customization, and superior memory usage. The only advantage is speed, and I'm definitely not complaining about FF4s speed. It's right up there with Opera and Chrome.

[Faiblesse Des Sens]

Btw, no one uses rockmelt? I thought people considered it superior to Flock

[CorgiShinobi]

Well, I have to be truthful and say Firefox and Chrome, even if the percentage is a landslide.

 

I guess I don't run into the problems others have with Firefox. If I did, I'd probably be on Chrome as we speak. Everything has been fine, and to tell you the truth, I've had more trouble with Chrome than Firefox. It might be the websites, but I was easily persuaded to stick with Firefox.

 

Really couldn't give a crap which of the two comes out on top as they're both useful browsers; I just hope no one says Internet Explorer.

[King Jimmeh]

I generally use Firefox for all but HQ video streaming. I just like having access to the variety of extensions available.

[Faiblesse Des Sens]

Have you tried enabling hardware acceleration in FF? I think they added it with 3.6.

[slithy toves]

i use firefox, i don't have any problems with it and i've got it all so customized for me at this point i probs wouldn't switch to any other browser unless i did start having problems w/ it. i also have to use IE for some applications at work so i usually already have two different browsers open for when or if something doesn't work in one i'll try it on the other etc. if i didn't have to use IE for work stuff tho i'd probs have another browser as my secondary.

Edited February 3, 2011 by slithy toves

[Hot Heart]

Netscape Navigator 4 lyfe!!!

 

 

 

I use FF because of all the useful add-ons and such.

 

Only if a page won't run (usually, due to NoScript interference) will I switch to Chrome (so, very rarely).

Edited February 3, 2011 by Hot Heart

[Johnny]

I alternate a lot. Mostly been Chrome ever since they released it, but I've also gone back to Firefox - and then driven away from it by the horrible performance - and tried out Opera some.

I used to love Opera back in the day, but ever since they tried to copy the Chrome interface it's been... ugh. No thanks.

Chrome is just nice. It has exactly the features I want, is fast, doesn't chug up on performance too much (unless I leave it on with 50 tabs filled with 720p youtube videos) and generally just works.

Opera, on the other hand, has a lot of features I DO NOT use, which tends to get in the way all the time.

 

About the only thing I miss from Opera is the snappy gesture support. There are some extensions for Chrome but none of them can really compare.

[Battra92]

Firefox almost exclusively. Adblock Plus is a huge reason for that. I'm also on Windows, Mac and Linux machines every day and it's nice to have a good constant that works well on all three.

 

I have yet to get Chrome to run well on 64 bit Linux

[excel_excel]

I use Chrome, but friends and the Kotakuites steam chat convinved me to go back to firefox.....fuck that I'm going back to Chrome! Firefox is just too slow, I had nightmares using it on the old family PC with its constant memory leaks, and now it started doing it on my brand new totally awesome PC, I set my virtual memory up properly and its not as bad now....still....

GO CHROME GO!!

[Yantelope]

I'm a firefox guy since I can get it portable and I'm really hooked on ABP.

[TheMightyEthan]

Chrome and Firefox.

 

I only use Firefox though when something won't work right in Chrome, which happens less and less frequently as Chrome is updated (I don't think I've had to use FF in a couple of months now).

 

Occasionally I'll use IE when a website makes me, but that's not very common. Also if something isn't working in Chrome or Firefox and I'm trying to figure out if it's the browser or the thing itself.

[Thursday Next]

ibid.

[deanb]

I'm a firefox guy since I can get it portable and I'm really hooked on ABP.

 

http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/google_chrome_portable

 

And awesome to use due to the gmail sync.

 

And yeah I forgot I sometimes use IE for the various sites that require it, normally microsoft sites.

[excel_excel]

Maybe I have some stupid setting on Firefox turned on or off, it must be something. Every page I go to the memory usage rises, until it gets ridiculously big, like 370000 K.