Back in the early 1990's when the World Wide Web was young, there was only one web browser worth using: Netscape, which evolved from Mosaic. Then Microsoft gave us Internet Explorer and subsequently started including it with their OS. Thus began the browser wars, and IE eventually emerged as the clear winner.
Today Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) is a competent browser with enough features to meet the needs of most users, but it's difficult to recommend due to on-going security concerns. In the past IE has been a focus for security attacks, and there is little to suggest that this will change with newer releases of IE. Additionally, Microsoft has a poor track record for speedily fixing IE defects, and this has left users open to drive-by attacks and other forms of zero-day exploits. This has opened the door for a new set of browsers that are feature rich, very secure, and super fast.
When it comes to web browsers, everyone has an opinion. Every web browser will have a specific feature set that appeals to some while not appealing to others. The criteria used for selecting browsers in this review are the following:
- Browser speed - How fast it can load a page. Important in any browser, but not the only criterion for judgement.
- Security - How well the browser can handle exploits in web coding as well as keeping your online information safe.
- Ease of use - How intuitive and easy to use is the browser?
- Feature set - What kind of features are available to enhance the browsing experience (Example: Tabbed browsing, handling of bookmarks, etc.)?
- Flexibility and Expandability - Can the browser handle non-compliant HTML pages? Is it expandable through add-on programs? Does it display included content (such as flash video) properly?
When it comes right down to it, the best web browser is one that allows you to view the Web the way that YOU want. The browsers listed below are, in this editor's opinion, some of the best at doing this by offereing ease of use, flexibility, expandability, security, and great feature sets, while simultaneously doing their prime function of displaying HTML pages.
Mozilla Firefox 3.0 is my first choice. It's safer than IE, so safe in fact that many users have reported no spyware infections since they started using the product. It also browses a tad faster than IE, is very stable and is more standards compliant. Firefox 3.0 has fixed a whole slew of issues that its predecessor suffered. Firefox 3.0 now starts up much faster than 2.0, handles memory better, and is the first official release of a Mozilla browser to pass the Acid 2 Web Standards test. With tabbed browsing and over 2000 free extensions (add-ons) that allow you to customize your experience, it provides the most flexibility, expanibility, and features of any browser to date. Firefox is now my everyday browser, though I still leave IE7 on my PC for the occasional web site that's designed around IE's non-standard features. If you need any further convincing then check out Gizmo's IE to Firefox migration guide.
An equal first choice is Opera. It's a speed demon; probably the fastest of all the common browsers. But it's much more than that; it's full featured, standards compliant and safe. Just as Firefox is extensible through add-ons, Opera can be enhanced using Widgets, though there are not nearly as many of these available as there are Firefox extensions. Then again, it doesn't need as many extensions because a lot of the features added by Firefox add-ons are already built into the standard Opera browser. There's just so much to like about Opera V9 that you could easily create a case that it's better than Firefox. Indeed, Opera used to be my first choice, and if I could get an Opera replacement for some of my key Firefox add-ons, I'd probably switch back.
For awhile I have been looking at Apple's Safari Browser. I have to admit I was hesitant to try this at first because of rumors that, while it ran great on Apple's OS X, it was unstable on Windows PC's. I also heard that its ability to render web pages correctly was not quite up to scratch. I could not have been more wrong. Safari is a very capable browser that is incredibly fast at loading pages. It was easy to install and use and of the browsers listed here, it scored the best on the Acid 3 Web Standards test. My only criticisms are that the interface is too "Mac" looking, which for long time Windows users may not be their cup of tea, but could be a plus for those moving from a Mac to a Windows XP or Vista PC. Also, there is no way to add plug-ins to enhance the browser, and weighing in at over 18 Mb, it is a large download for a web browser, but these are minor points. Safari is an excellent browser which will only get better with time.
Users who don't want to drift too far from the Microsoft stable can get some of the feature advantages of Firefox and Opera by using one of the many customized shells for Internet Explorer, such as Maxthon and Avant. The main selling point for these products used to be tabbed browsing, but now that this is available in IE7 it's hard to create a case for their general recommendation. Still, if you need a specialized feature they are worth considering. On the downside, these shells share most of the same security problems as IE because they utilize the IE engine.
Last but not least is K-Meleon, a slimmed down cousin of Firefox that's optimized for Windows. Of the four browsers reviewed here, K-Meleon is the quickest loading and, along with Opera, the fastest for surfing. There are only a limited number of add-ons and plug-ins available, so you are pretty well limited to the features available in the standard product. If you're the type of person who prefers performance to bells and whistles, then you should definitely try K-Meleon.
Mozilla Firefox
Website: http://www.mozilla.org/
Download link: http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
Author: Mozilla Corp.
Current version: 3.0.4
Version date:11/13/2008
License: Free - Mozilla Public License
Download File size: 7.14 MB
Operating systems supported: Windows 98-Vista, OS-X, Various Linux Distros
Additional software required: None
64 Bit version available: No
Portable version Available: Yes - Available here
Non-English languages supported: Many; Available via downloadable language packs
Other relevant information:
Firefox Extensions: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/browse/type:1
Gizmo's IE to Firefox Migration Guide: http://www.techsupportalert.com/firefox.htm
Changing the Language Pack: http://support.mozilla.com/kb/Changing+the+language+pack
Opera
Website: http://www.opera.com/
Download page: http://www.opera.com/download/
Author: Opera Software
Current version: 9.6.2
Version date: 10/30/2008
License: Free
Download file size: 5.39 MB
Operating systems supported: Windows 95-Vista, Mac OS 7.5-OS X, Various Linux Distros, OS/2, QNX, Various Mobile Phones, and Palm OS 5
Additional software required: None
64 Bit version available: Unknown
Portable version available: Yes - Available here
Non-English languages supported: Many - Available via downloadable language files
Other relevant information:
Opera Language Files: http://www.opera.com/download/languagefiles/
Safari
Website: http://www.apple.com/
Download page: http://www.apple.com/safari/download/
Author: Apple
Current version: 3.1.2
Version date: 6/17/2008
License: Free
Download file size: 18.6 Mb
Operating systems supported: Windows XP,Vista, Mac OS X
Additional software required: None
64 Bit version available: Unknown
Portable version available: No
Non-English languages supported: None
Maxthon
Website: http://www.maxthon.com/
Download page: http://www.maxthon.com/download.htm
Author: Maxthon (Beijing) Ltd.
Current version: 2.07
Version date: 12/28/2007
License: Free
Download file size: 2.9 MB
Operating systems supported: Windows 98-Vista
Additional software required: At least MS Internet Explorer 6
64 Bit version available: No
Portable version available: Yes - Available here
Non-English languages supported: Many - Available via downloadable language packs
Avant
Website: http://www.avantbrowser.com/
Download page: http://www.download.com/Avant-Browser/3000-2356_4-10150342.html
Author: Avant Force
Current version: 11.7 build 12
Version date: 9/20/2008
License: Free
Download file size: 1.95 MB
Operating systems supported: Windows 95-Vista
Additional software required: At least MS Internet Explorer 5.5
64 Bit version available: No
Portable version available: Yes - Available here
Non-English languages supported: Many
KMeleon
Website: http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/
Download page: http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/download.php
Author: amutch, boisso, kkohler, ron_aegis, ulferikson
Current version: 1.5.1
Version date: 10/16/2008
License: free GNU General Public License
Download file size: 5.2 MB
Operating systems supported: Windows 95-Vista
Additional software required: None
64 Bit capable: No
Portable version available: Yes - Available here
Non-English languages supported: German, French, Spanish, Russian
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