Windows users, what internet browser do you use?

[daba]

Please choose the one you use most on the computer you use most, then explain why! Also, if you are using some variant of the browser (e.g. IE6 or IE7) just choose the family of browsers.

I used to be a Firefox user; I loved the extensions, tabbed browsing, and adblocking capabilities. In addition, it was fast enough for me. However, what turned me off was its consistent memory hogging and its crashes. Especially when I was in the middle of something important.

I decided to give Opera 9 a try due to a recommendation from a friend. Not only was it faster, but it used less memory. What I found later to be a bonus was its ability to make anything into a search bar, its convenient keyboard shortcuts, and lastly its ability to tile windows inside the browser itself. As a bonus, it could also feature ad-block. What users might find more tasty to them are its built-in bittorent, IRC chat, widgets, e-mail, and others. Oh, and Opera isn't crash-proof, but when it does crash, it gives you the option of viewing all the pages you had open before it crashed. It also defaults to this when you close your browser.

I sort of feel like a spokesperson for Opera, but it is indeed, according to some empirical test the fastest browser for Windows. You can also block ads like AdBlocker in Firefox.

Anyways, I'm a happy Opera 9 user. What about you?

 

[Zorander]

I've been a happy Mozilla Firefox user for nearly 2 years now.

Just a question: what difference is there between Mozilla and Firefox? I have always associated the words together like, for example, Internet Explorer.

 

[[AK]Zip]

I use Opera. I like it more then Firefox which I like more then IE.

-Alex-

 

[daba]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zorander ... Just a question: what difference is there between Mozilla and Firefox? I have always associated the words together like, for example, Internet Explorer.

Check out Mozilla Suite.

 

[Edwood]

Firefox.

Had problems with IE.

Now I'm hooked on tabs.

-Ed

 

[MrSlacker]

Been using Firefox for about 2 years now. Love the tabs.

 

[daba]

IE7 now has tabs, and all the other great stuff you'd expect from a browser.

 

[james__bean]

I've often considered trying out Opera but to be honest I'm just too lazy to download another browser and evaluate it. If I felt firefox had any major problems I probably would, but firefox works well enough for me to keep using it.

 

[sejarzo]

IE6 is my primary browser. Tried IE7 as a beta, but I'm kind of a die-hard CRT user (color fidelity for photo editing) and that @#$%^& ClearType isn't clear.......yeah, I know there are ways to get rid of it, but sorry, it shouldn't default to that.......it should just take the user's normal setting and go with it.

I've never much cared for the Netscape/Firefox interface, but I especially don't like way that many of my commonly viewed sites/pages appear in Firefox. My guess is that most pages are authored to look right in IE.

I do have Opera 8 installed, and I try it from time to time, and it is OK, but still doesn't seem to provide any major advantages for me.

Tabs are not a huge deal AFAIC--I generally don't have that many pages open to want to have that option.

 

[Firam]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sejarzo IE6 is my primary browser. Tried IE7 as a beta, but I'm kind of a die-hard CRT user (color fidelity for photo editing) and that @#$%^& ClearType isn't clear.......yeah, I know there are ways to get rid of it, but sorry, it shouldn't default to that.......it should just take the user's normal setting and go with it. I've never much cared for the Netscape/Firefox interface, but I especially don't like way that many of my commonly viewed sites/pages appear in Firefox. My guess is that most pages are authored to look right in IE. I do have Opera 8 installed, and I try it from time to time, and it is OK, but still doesn't seem to provide any major advantages for me. Tabs are not a huge deal AFAIC--I generally don't have that many pages open to want to have that option.

Then do it for the at least for the security improvements.

 

[lmilhan]

Firefox all the way for me - it crushes IE IMHO.

Although I must admit that I haven't tried most of the other browsers that are listed in the poll.

Since Firefox currently meets all of my requirements, I haven't had the need to look elsewhere.

 

[Electro Point]

Been using IE6 and Opera. I tryed IE7 beta and just to me its not "functional", it just has the fancy skin/addons. It takes like 40 seconds for it to detect my network settings then it would load up my home page, Plus I really hate where the tool bars are located plus the icon buttons. The text font on the page is annoying to me with using it. So now I've uninstalled it and using IE6 again.

 

[firefox360]

I've been using Opera lately quite a bit. It's pretty much my default browser. Before this, I had been using Firefox, and pretty much telling everyone off the street to use it. Their both good, but I prefer Opera for the fast speed and less memory hogging. Also the built in torrent utility doesn't hurt.

Although I still find that a lot of websites that have been adjusted to work with Firefox don't work that well with Opera. Funny just how lazy some web developers are. I mean, since your going to change it to work with another browser might as well make it work with all browsers and use correct standards. But seems like most people prefer cutting corners or using proprietary technology.

 

[Mercuttio]

Firefox is just great. I can't think of anything else I'd want in it, it is so clean and useful.

 

[Welly Wu]

I use FireFox for all three operating systems that I have installed on my laptop PC. However, I am testing the new IE 7 beta. I also look forward to testing the beta programs for the Windows Live suite. IE 7 will be competitive with the other web browsers, but it still has a long way to go.