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Contents:
What is a Browser?A Browser is a software that lets you browse the Internet, perform searches over search engines like Google/ Yahoo/ MSN, etc., as well as do other online tasks. Today, all Browsers are free software but there was a time when you had to purchase a Browser, much like you still purchase AntiVirus and AntiSpyware software. Today, every Computer is connected to the Internet and therefore, it is a must for Computers to have a Browser installed on it, just like every Computer has to have an Operating System installed on it.
Why is the Browser so important, where Computer Security is concerned?Today, it is almost impossible to find a Computer that is not connected to the Internet. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to state that the Browser is now almost as important as the Operating System! Moreover, it is your Browser that interfaces your Computer to the wild, wicked Internet, which is home to viruses, spyware and other dangerous and not-dangerous-flotsam. If these get past your Browser, you would be dependant on your Operating System, AntiVirus and AntiSpyware to stop the malignant code from executing on your Computer and ruining it! Some of these malignant code could ruin your personal finances too! Thus, your Browser is extremely important, where your Computer's security and your peace of mind are concerned!
Will taking care of the Browser take care of all Security issues?No, though that would have been wonderful! As it turns out, it is important to take care of each of the following, so as to ensure maximum-possible security:
Note that you need to do ALL THE ABOVE SIX - not just one or two, to ensure a healthy, safe and trouble-free computing experience at all times! |
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Think us crazy? Well, our defense is that we do need to test our site (and the sites we build for our clients) on all Browsers... we also love reviewing software... and (here is the truth) frankly, we confess we're unable to make up our mind on the best Browser yet... :)
Honestly, all the above Browsers are very good. In fact, we wish there was a Browser that was distinctly superior to the others! So, instead of a traditional 'software shoot-out', we describe each Browser and let you decide what works best for you! We do it alphabetically: the Table below presents our summary analysis, while a click on each of the Browser logos will take you to our detailed analysis of the Browser concerned!
Browser |
Download Size |
Setup |
Startup Speed |
Crashes/ Freezes |
Aesthetic Value |
Features |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Setup file size - about 22.4 MB.
Installed folder size - about 60 MB | Easy | Very fast at start up, perhaps the fastest at rendering pages too | Very stable. |
Simply the best, in the looks department! |
Watch this space! We mean it! | Needs a bit of adjusting to, if you are an old hand at using Browsers. Great choice if you are changing over from the Mac. Great choice if you like experimenting too. And if you DO change over, you may not want to go back to your old Browser! | |
Setup file size - about 2 MB! Installed folder size - about 25 MB | Easy | Perhaps the fastest Browser, where start up is concerned |
Very stable | Looks very similar to Maxthon and Orca Browsers - looks good! | Under testing | Easily the fastest-to-start-up Browser! Not too many innovations, though all basic features are present. If your requirements are simple browsing, you could benefit from Avant! | |
Setup file size not known. Installed folder size - about 70 MB
| Easy | Almost as fast to start up as Avant, very quick at rendering Web pages too | Very stable | Very frugal looks that maximize screen area | Has all features of the other Browsers, including Opera's Speed Dial (though Chrome's is inferior) and Firefox/ Flock's URL AutoComplete feature | Needs zero adjusting to, has clean interface and all standard features. Definitely too plain for those used to features-on-click! Lack of Plug-ins is a major issue! Big disappointment, despite big expectations from Google and the post-release hype ! | |
Setup file size - about 5.4 MB. Installed folder size - about 18 MB | Easy | Impressively quick, even when it is not set up as the default Browser! | Very stable | Different and pleasing looks! | Seems to have almost everything the heart could desire for... stay tuned for updates! | Highly innovative! You could get addicted to its features, if you continue using it! | |
Setup file size - about 15 MB. Installed folder size - about 4 MB, with more files strewn all across your hard disk! | Easy |
Not the fastest, by any stretch of imagination! |
Crashes & Freezes, thanks to unceasing targeting by hackers |
Drab looks, long in the tooth now. Even the IE shipping with the
latest Windows 7 RC has the same looks... | Of late, have been working seriously at introducing innovative features and its beginning to pay off! |
Stick with it if you aren’t tired of its looks. But ensure that your
System Security Software, Anti-Phishing and Security software is
always up-to-date! | |
| Setup file size - about 8 MB. Installed Folder size - about 30 MB | Easy | Reasonably fast to start up | Very stable. Consumes less memory in comparison with Firefox, yet earlier versions had memory leakage problems, with the latest versions being very stable again | Sooo-very similar to Firefox in terms of looks and features | Seems to have everything that Firefox has, except for Norton 360 support... |
Dislike Internet Explorer, find Firefox too slow to start up, yet love Firefox for its Plug-ins? Then Comet Bird could be for you! |
Setup file size - about 7 MB. Installed folder size - about 27 MB | Easy | Ought to be faster - can be a huge drag, if you have many Firefox Add-ons and Plug ins installed! | Version 3 onwards is rock-stable, though the next few versions had a memory leakage issue, which was corrected in Version 3.2. |
Pleasing to view |
Excellent | The Browser with the largest market share! Preferred by Web Developers for the large number of innovative plug-ins it has. Check it out if you haven't already - you could get addicted to it! | |
Setup file size - about 11 MB. Installed folder size - about 31 MB | Easy | Not very fast | Very Stable | Beautiful looks, easy interface. Next best to Safari. | Social Networking features, links to popular social networking sites | Flock is for the Social Networking freak. Though its developers take time between updates, it is a good, solid Browser. However, late-comers Orca, Avant, Maxthon and company might catch up, if innovations and updates are slow to arrive! | |
Setup file size - about 13 MB. Installed folder size - about 39 MB | Easy | Not very fast | Very Stable | Beautiful looks, a few customization Plug-ins are available too | Separate Plug-ins, a-la Firefox. Much fewer Plug-ins, in comparison with Firefox | Check it out if you liked Netscape Navigator for its all-in-one features. Sea Monkey isn't fast, but is an all-in-one Internet Suite in the mould of Netscape Navigator that you could get to like! | |
Setup file size - about 5.5 MB. Navigator is now discontinued | Easy |
Fast |
Very Stable |
Preceded only by Safari and Flock |
Very Innovative in the past, have lost it now... Have now
discontinued the product | Product now discontinued | |
Setup file size - about 5.5 MB. Installed folder size - about 10 MB | Easy |
Very fast |
Very Stable |
Refreshing change | Working real hard at it & it shows. Have pioneered many features that are now standard features on other Browsers as well. | Excellent, innovative Browser. if you are tired of the drab looks of Internet Explorer, want a feature-rich Browser and do not want to spend too much time re-learning how to use a new Browser, Opera could be your best bet! | |
Setup file size - about 9 MB. Installed folder size - about 25 MB | Easy |
Very fast |
Very Stable |
Refreshing change | Runs many Mozilla add-ons, is blazing-fast in comparison with Firefox and has a number of useful customization options! | Avant Browser's Mozilla-engined cousin, it isn't as fast as Avant, nor does it work with all the Mozilla Plug-ins. Honestly, we had higher expectations from Avant's Mozilla cousin... | |
| Orca | |||||||
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Setup file size - an UNBELIEVABLE 663 KB! Installed folder size - about 1.5 MB |
Easy |
Ranks right up with Avant and Safari, as the fastest Browser to start up! |
Stable - extended testing on at our end |
Similar to Maxthon and Avant in terms of looks and features |
Basic and extended features are available on tap. Does not have anything as a USP though! |
Developers should segment the market and cater to their chosen segment, rather than try to put up a Browser that meets everyone's requirements - there are many "General Browsers" in the market already and TheWorld is too new to tackle them all in one go! | |
| TheWorld |
If you would rather go by market share, here is the link that tracks Browser usage on a monthly basis: http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp
Phew - so are we any wiser now with respect to the best Browser? Each of the Browsers has it's good points, each has negatives too. This is quite natural when one tries to compare five extremely competent software in a closely-fought software niche, with each one determined to grab both eyeballs and market share from the others! However we trust you have a fair understanding of which ones you need to check out for your special requirements and thus, select the one for you! Firefox has already eaten into Internet Explorer's market share. We believe it is the best bet, to replace Internet Explorer, though it will be a while before it does so... Having said that, we are aware that there are die-hard Opera fans as well, who believe it is Opera that will one day replace Internet Explorer!
At WellOiledPC, we use Firefox most regularly: its Plug-ins let us check out the Alexa Ranking and Google Page Rank of sites very easily.
CometBird looks and feels so muck like Firefox, runs all the extensions and plug-ins and is, as a bonus, much faster starting up too! Our only crib with it is that it does not allow Third-party security solutions to add on to itself...
We love Safari too - its beauty keeps us from firing it up again and again, although its completely different interface puts all of us off just a little...
Next, we use Flock for its super-quick loading, lovely looks and easy-to-use features.
To continue, one of us was quite heart-broken, when Mozilla announced that they would be discontinuing Netscape...
We feel quite sheepish for not having discovered Maxthon a lot earlier. It has everything a choosy, opinionated user requires from a Browser, is super-fast and crash-free so far too. We are extensively testing Maxthon - stay tuned and re-visit for final verdict on Maxthon!
Finally, we are all quite comfortable with SeaMonkey as a Browser, though we messed up our website when we tried to compose HTML using its HTML editor! Not once, twice! We do not like its e-Mail feature too much too, but that is true about Flock, Opera and Maxthon's e-Mail feature too!
Its like this:
Apple Safari - Technically most solid, most beautiful, extremely fast, innovative. However, non-standard interface for most Windows users. (Mac users 'forced' to work with Windows would not touch anything else though, in all probability!)
Avant - Maxthon clone, without the top-of-the-line features that Maxthon has. If you ARE planning to shift, Maxthon is a better option than Avant
Google Chrome - Lots of borrowed features, extremely fast to start up. Wait and watch, though it is unlikely Google will be able to bring in too much innovation...
Maxthon - If you are looking for something quite different from the usual Browser and are willing to put up with a different interface (for the first few days at least, that is), then Maxthon is a feature-rich Browser that you might want to consider
Microsoft Internet Explorer - Long in the tooth, subject to constant hacking attempts. Yet, cannot be ignored as it has the largest installed base and will not give up easily, since it is shipped with every new Computer and is added every time Windows is installed. Web Developers cannot ignore Internet Explorer due to its huge installed base. A few sites do not even open, if you use a different Browser!
Mozilla CometBird - Almost like Firefox's twin, it looks and feels like Firefox, has all the features and yet, consumes less memory and starts up much faster! It could very well be the preferred choice of more and more users, in the times to come! We are currently studying it further - do return for our CometBird updates!
Mozilla Firefox - Fastest-growing Browser, second only to Internet Explorer. Takes long to start up, does not give up all occupied memory, even when closed. However, a joy for web developers, thanks to the number of useful plug-ins for Firefox
Mozilla Flock - The Social Networking folk's Browser choice. Not much else going for it so far...
Mozilla Sea Monkey - Navigator clone, useful if you like using Browser Suites. However, keep off its HTML Editor!
Netscape Navigator - Dead and Buried! RIP!
Opera - Fine Browser with good, innovative features. Has many die-hard fans the world over, is definitely worth checking out
Orca - Maxthon-clone, with support for Firefox Plug-ins!
So there you are, ladies and gentlemen - a Hung Jury!
