Safari

Safari is one of the fastest web browsers on any platform. It loads pages up to 1.9 times and executes JavaScript up to 6 times faster than Internet Explorer 7. It has excellent features like tabbed web browsing, resizable text fields, snapback and easy book marks. As expected from any apple products, this web browser is designed for more security and easy usage.

Latest version: Safari 3.1

Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox is an excellent free web browser. With this browser you can view the pages faster and it requires less computer memory. You can avoid online scams with Instant Website ID. It offers a wide number of features like anti-malware, anti-virus and anti-phishing options. This web browser is available in more than 40 languages. Pop-up blocker, Spell checker and many more wonderful features are available with this browser. Whenever I get a problem with IE, I use this browser and personally felt that this is the best alternative to IE.

Mozilla web browser is faster in Java script processing when compared to other web browsers.

Latest version: Firefox 3.0 Beta 5

Opera

Opera is a superfast web browser. It is a free Web browser and can access web pages 30% faster than Internet Explorer and much faster than Firefox when using tabbed browsing. Moreover it offers lots of great tools for Web Developers. This is more secure and stable with fraud protection, cookie control and security bar.

Latest version: Opera 9.5

Maxthon

Maxthon is a powerful web browser with many interesting features like Tabbed Browsing, Feed Reader, Ad Hunter and Web Sniffer etc. The super Acceleration Mode improves your browser speed. URL Alias enables you to visit your favorite website by setting its name in the menu and typing just the name in the address bar than the whole web address. The Filter pack feature removes ads on a specified website and also gives you the possibility of modifying web page source code. Some excellent features include Anti-Freeze, Web Bar, Super Proxy, Screen Capture and Undo List. It offers Trusted Website Check by indicating with green color.

Latest version: 2.1.2.649

Avant

Avant is another web browser with many interesting features like Active X controls, Java Script, Real Player and Macromedia Flash. The Flash Animation Filter helps you to block the unwanted advertisements (which are mostly flash files). Additional mouse functions, multi window browsing, ATOM Reader and Pop-up Blocker are some of the important features of this.

Latest version: 11.6Build20

1. Safari Compatibility


The thing that bothers me the most about StumbleUpon is the fact that it doesn't work in Safari. Now I know most people out there don't have macs, and even those that do might still prefer another option such as Firefox or Camino, but I would like to have the option of using Apple's native browser (which runs much faster than Firefox can, or ever will run). This one flaw has kept me from using Safari and has forced me to use Firefox for the time being as I cannot stand to "browse" the Internet without StumbleUpon. ( I do love Firefox, it just isn't the best option for mac users as it crashes often) I do realize this is probably more Apple's fault in their design with Safari, but someone needs to act soon!

2. I can't really think of anything else, the program is genius.

I have tested five of them, some of them because they are famous and many of them are using them or because they have some cool functions. I have tested Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Space time and Opera. I have downloaded the most recent version of the programs. They are all free except Microsoft Internet Explorer. It requires a legal version of Windows.

NOTE: I will not test the speed. I will test interface, how user friendly it is, the installation, functions and such. Not the hardest parts.

Let's start with Microsoft.

Microsoft Internet Explorer

I downloaded this immediately when it was released (not the beta versions, only the real one). But I have to say that I was disappointed. It was slower than the 6th version and I had some troubles with the installation. One good thing is the interface. Finally they have added the tab function. It was about time. But average it is not improved that much. It has become more user friendly. Even my grandmother can use it. It has a pop up blocker that really blocks. I couldn´t open any pop ups in the beginning. Microsoft hasn't added any special functions that are unique. If you press ctrl+ the number of your tab you get that one and you get an overview of all the open pages if you press ctrl+Q but this is not new. Opera have had it for years. Let´s hope the 8th version will be better.

Not impressed by Microsoft.

Mozilla Firefox

I´m not sure but I think that Firefox was the first one to use tabs, but I´m not sure at all. But I can say that it is the most popular web browser. Most people recommend uninstall Internet Explorer and install Firefox instead. And I can understand them. The burning fox is a really, really good browser. It is fast and reliable, easy to install and it has a lot of cool functions. You can skin it and download cool plug-ins like mouse gesture control and similar stuff. Firefox is awarded for best web browser several times at websites like cNet and PC magazine.

For being open source software this is really great. I use to say: “Either it is free and very good like Linux and open source or it is very expensive like Mac OS X. Then between these two things it come cheap a little bugging software like Microsoft.” Go open source!

Free and reliable software that you can reprogram however you want.

Apple Safari

This has been my primary web browser for a long time now. Mostly because I like Apple very much but can't afford a Mac. It has a very nice interface and tab control like I don´t know what. Everything floats around and there are animations for everything. The installation was very fast and easy. The browser it self is actually noticeable faster than Internet Explorer which I used before. It is user friendly but uses a total different technique than IE so you don´t have functions like scroll but you learn all that after a short time. Functions are very unique:

There is an auto fill function that automatically fills out the forms with your name and address. If you have entered a password that is stored too!

If you drag a tab out of the tab bar it will open as a new page.

The shortcut I mentioned when I was writing about Internet Explorer, Ctrl+Number, is also integrated in Safari. It will open the bookmark at that Number.

What´s not so good with Safari is that all web pages isn't compatible with it. Therefore you must have an option installed. Any of those I have written about here will work!

Very good browser but unfortunately it will require a second one too!

Space Time

This is just SO cool. If you like cool and new stuff you have to check this out. It is a new kind of version. There is no installation; the whole program is just one .exe file. But when you open it… You can browse and search in 3d! It´s so cool! You have a 3d landscape that you can play around with. Turn, zoom… The different searches and browser windows are organized in stacks that are showed either in your 3d landscape or a field at the bottom of the screen. This uses IE as browser and all your favorites and your history is loaded there. Settings are the usual IE settings. The interface is very similar to the interface in iPod Touch and iPhone.

Highly recommended browser, it is only to bad that they are using IE to surf!

Opera

Also very fast browser, it has a very easy interface. It was installed in less than 30 seconds, isn´t that something? What I noticed with Opera was that it didn´t slow my computer down that much. It was running fast all the time, even when I was loading heavy pages. Opera is very cool! You can download small games and small applications that run with opera. It is a good way to take a break from your work and just chill with a mind free game! It is also possible to skin this one too like Firefox. It is a very advanced browser and I am sure that I don´t even know half of them. I can't write much more.

Very, very good and easy, fast, reliable web browser.

My Ranking

1. Mozila Firefox, independent, free web browser that is very advanced and highly trusted, highly customizable.
2. Opera, also independent. It has a lot of cool features and is free of charge, skinning possibility.
3. Safari, independent but can´t show all web pages. Nice looking Apple interface, not possible to skin.
4. Space Time, cool application but not independent. Uses Internet Explorer to surf. But very cool!
5. Internet Explorer, pretty boring and standard. Nothing special except how slow it is. No skinning possibility.

This event sparked a thought in my mind. Do people not know how much better this holy internet browser is compared to all the others?

Firefox 2.0 is the pinnacle of human existence. Sometimes people ask me why I know so much about computers. I tell them Google, but the real reason I love knowing more about computers and am intrigued to know more, is because ofcompanies and designers like Mozilla. They stepped up against the atrocity that is Internet Explorer. I get so pissed off when websites FORCE me to use IE instead of Firefox. Sometimes when I find something I really like, such as a video or a game I want to play online, and it tells me I need be using IE instead of my current browser, I click the "Contact us" Button at the bottom of their page, and send them an email of how fucking retarded they are. You think I am kidding, but I am NOT.

You are probably wondering, "But what makes Firefox so good? Isn't a browser a browser?". That is completely wrong and stupid. Here is a list of reasons why Firefox owns your face:

1. Tabbed Browsing

   You can be looking at a page and decide that the page that you are on is going to take a little bit to load. All you have to do is Middle-Click on a link or bookmark and open a new tab that you can go back and forth from your page that is loading while you check your Facebook or something. This allows extremely fast and efficient multi-tasking while browsing the internet. IE may have this, but the idea was taken from Firefox.

2. Portable Bookmarks

   Have you ever been on a computer at school and wanted to show someone that cool link you found last night, well you can get all your bookmarks from home at any computer with Foxmarks. It may sound dumb, but it is incredibly useful. Especially if you browse the internet a lot.

3. Way Faster

   Firefox is way faster than IE. That means you can load and upload your pictures on Facebook faster. :P

4. Addons
   

   There are hundreds of addons that you can use to implement into your browser to help you with things such as watching videos, knowing the weather, or listening to music.

5. Dictionary

   There is an automatic dictionary that you can download to use if you are a really bad speller/typist. How do you think I wrote this article with minimal errors?

6. No Or Minimal Pop-Ups

   Have you ever been annoyed/scared of the ads on webpages that are just pictures that tell you to go to this website and win a free Xbox 360 or something? Not anymore. With ADP (Ad-Block Plus) you will not have anymore ads again. EVER. Try going to this site and see if your browser does that. http://serials.ws

7. Themes

   Find a theme or color scheme that fits your personality or hobbies and use it. Simple as that.

Take that, Microsoft.

A friend of mine later added:

IE7 now resembles firefox, but it will never match the outstanding capabilities of the open source master piece built by the most brillliant that the Internet has to offer.

I do like opera, but it isn't supported much.

But enough, the following statement sums up the entire argument, suck it Microsoft, you have been beat this time.

Bill Gates will never match up to the internet population of genius, which is an unlimited number of future bill gates. Bill Gates is the gate keeper to a new world of brilliant.

But it could be worse, we could be stuck with Safari....

(AAAAHHHHH Apple! AAHH)

The Opera browser is very customizable and is based towards the person who wants more security. It has no holes in its security compared to 7 for IE, 4 for Firefox, 3 for Safari, and 2 for Konqueror, as of 2/19/2007. Opera also has many widgets that are like the add-ons for Firefox with the exception that anyone can make these widgets. Safari is customizable and doesn't have as many security issues as IE, but is only for Mac and PC, meaning no for Linux. And last but not least is Konqueror, which is like a mix between Firefox and Internet Explorer. It is very customizable and presents few security concerns for the average user. These are the main browsers that people use nowadays and by far the best. It is up to you to decide which one you should use.

“Internet Explorer”, “Firefox” and “Opera” have a new rival. It's “Safari”, created by “Apple”. It was known only to “Macintosh” users, but now everybody with “Windows XP/Vista” OS can download it for free from apple.com.

For the first 48 hours “Safari” was downloaded more than a million times. “Apple” says that “Safari” is faster than other browsers. Browser has a nice appearance, but it has many bugs.

What “Apple” says about “Safari”:

1. “Safari” is the fastest.
2. Elegant user interface.
3. Easy bookmarking.
4. Say good-bye to pop-up ads.
5. Search any text in a website with the integrated Find banner.
6. “Safari” has tabbed browsing.
7. Instantly snap back to search results or the top level of a website.
8. Let “Safari” complete online forms for you, automatically and securely.
9. Built-in RSS.
10. Resize text fields on any website: Just grab the corner and drag.
11. Private browsing with a single click.
12. Apple engineers designed “Safari” to be secure from day one.

1. Blazing Performance - the program loads faster, web pages loads faster, Java Script loads faster
2. Elegant User Interface - clean and unique
3. Easy Bookmarks (how hard can it be anyway)
4. Pop-up blocking
5. Inline find - Safari shows you the found count and highlights matching terms while dimming the page below them
6. Tabbed Browsing
7. Snap back - instant return to search results
8. Forms auto-fill
9. Built-in RSS
10. Resizable Text Fields - can I read the full content of this text box? Yes you can now
11. Private browsing - with this turned on, Safari won?t store your browse / download history and cookies
12. Security - supports SSL version 2 and 3

Sounds good? Download Safari Beta 3 now: http://www.apple.com/safari/