Which Browser is everyone using?

[zarley]

In laymans terms, what is it in the software that makes Chromes so much faster than IE.

 

Man, I always thought it was my comp but it was the damn Browser!!!!!!

 

I can't help with the tech stuff, but this is the sort of thing that can change a lot as browsers get updated.  IE9 fares much better on the benchmarks than IE8, for example.  This rundown from April is a little out of date, but it's still useful. 

 

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/internet-explorer-9-chrome-10-opera-11,2897-14.html

 

Internet Explorer 9 manages to pull ahead, regardless of whether you look at individual categories or the overall placing. IE9 comes out on top in seven categories, while Opera and Chrome only top five each.

 

Despite Firefox losing so terribly, the biggest upset in WBGP3 has to be Chrome. Since the release of IE9, Firefox 3.6 is the oldest Web browser here, and it is about to be replaced with the much-anticipated and long overdue Firefox 4. Chrome 10, on the other hand, is only as old as IE9.

 

IE9 really put the hurt on Chrome. Disciplines like page load times, JavaScript performance, and memory management have traditionally been bastions for Chrome's success. This time, IE9 excelled in all three. Chrome also gives us disappointing results in HTML5 performance, the CSS3 Selectors Test, and it was unable to run Dromaeo DOM.

 

Opera, though not as terribly battered by IE9 as Chrome, also gives up some ground to Microsoft's newest Web browser. IE9 demonstrates excellent performance in areas where Opera is also strong, such as HTML5 and Flash.

 

Not only does IE9 manage to beat previous WBGP champions Opera and Chrome with regard to performance, but it also succeeds in strutting its stuff in efficiency and standards compliance. IE9 is the clear winner of Web Browser Grand Prix 3, and we at Tom's Hardware approve of Microsoft Internet Explorer 9.

 

By beating the stiffest competition (Opera and Chrome) in areas where the competition has historically dominated, Microsoft has made IE a real contender. But with the launch of Mozilla Firefox 4 just over the horizon, the company's arch-nemesis in the browser wars might pose the gravest threat to IE9's WBGP championship.

 

In any event, it's a good idea to keep your browser updated.

[Smazz]

 

In any event, it's a good idea to keep your browser updated.

Well, i guess since i still have my IE on here (not my default) I should update it to 9? Why were all the ads just sayiing "update to IE8 and not IE9"

 

Another question, If i update the IE still on my comp, how do i make it not be my default since it will be the latest browser updated if i do? In case it doesnt ask me

[zarley]

 

In any event, it's a good idea to keep your browser updated.

Well, i guess since i still have my IE on here (not my default) I should update it to 9? Why were all the ads just sayiing "update to IE8 and not IE9"

 

Another question, If i update the IE still on my comp, how do i make it not be my default since it will be the latest browser updated if i do? In case it doesnt ask me

 

Are you running Win7?  I noticed on my WinXP PC that I can't update to IE9.  It may be OS related.

 

If you launch a browser that isn't set as your default, it should ask to be set as the default when you launch it. 

 

Chrome 13 or Firefox 4 will probably perform better than IE8, but I don't think they're clearly better than IE9 at the moment.

[Smazz]

 

In any event, it's a good idea to keep your browser updated.

Well, i guess since i still have my IE on here (not my default) I should update it to 9? Why were all the ads just sayiing "update to IE8 and not IE9"

 

Another question, If i update the IE still on my comp, how do i make it not be my default since it will be the latest browser updated if i do? In case it doesnt ask me

 

Are you running Win7?  I noticed on my WinXP PC that I can't update to IE9.  It may be OS related.

 

If you launch a browser that isn't set as your default, it should ask to be set as the default when you launch it. 

 

Chrome 13 or Firefox 4 will probably perform better than IE8, but I don't think they're clearly better than IE9 at the moment.

I have XP - i think the IE version is 7 so maybe it has to be updated to 8 first then 9?

Oh well, Im using Chrome mostly now just using IE for the trading/banking etc.

[Liberty]

In laymans terms, what is it in the software that makes Chromes so much faster than IE.

 

Man, I always thought it was my comp but it was the damn Browser!!!!!!

 

Chrome is based on the Webkit rendering engine, which is based on KHTML, an open source project of the KDE desktop environment. Both Safari and Chrome are based on Webkit, but the Chrome team has done really first rate work on the javascrip engine and the rending engine over the short time that the browser has been out and this has forced all the others to try to catch up. Browser wars are always very good for the users (worse time ever was after IE crushed Netscape and just stopped fixing bugs and enhancing the product - everybody was stuck with the crappy, non-standards compliant IE6 for what seemed like an eternity (which gave an opportunity to Mozilla to rise to fill up the void)).

 

They've also brought great security and stability improvements by making each individual tab and plugin its own separate process, so that if one crashes, you don't lose everything.

[eclecticvalue]

 

In any event, it's a good idea to keep your browser updated.

Well, i guess since i still have my IE on here (not my default) I should update it to 9? Why were all the ads just sayiing "update to IE8 and not IE9"

 

Another question, If i update the IE still on my comp, how do i make it not be my default since it will be the latest browser updated if i do? In case it doesnt ask me

 

Are you running Win7?  I noticed on my WinXP PC that I can't update to IE9.  It may be OS related.

 

If you launch a browser that isn't set as your default, it should ask to be set as the default when you launch it. 

 

Chrome 13 or Firefox 4 will probably perform better than IE8, but I don't think they're clearly better than IE9 at the moment.

 

Have you tried firefox 5 it runs very well and firefox 6 comes out tomorrow.

[augustabound]

If you want to see fast, go in preferences and enable the checkbox that says "Enable Instant for faster searching and browsing". It takes a few minutes to get used to it, but it's pretty neat and makes it hard to go back to other browsers once you get used to it.

 

That is fantastic. 

[Liberty]

If you want to see fast, go in preferences and enable the checkbox that says "Enable Instant for faster searching and browsing". It takes a few minutes to get used to it, but it's pretty neat and makes it hard to go back to other browsers once you get used to it.

 

That is fantastic. 

 

Isn't it? Hard to go back.

[augustabound]

If you want to see fast, go in preferences and enable the checkbox that says "Enable Instant for faster searching and browsing". It takes a few minutes to get used to it, but it's pretty neat and makes it hard to go back to other browsers once you get used to it.

 

That is fantastic. 

 

Isn't it? Hard to go back.

 

It will be now that Smazz mentioned using a folder under the address bar as my favourites instead of the drop down that Firefox has in the address bar, I may not go back.  We'll see how Firefox 6 goes tomorrow.

[Smazz]

If you want to see fast, go in preferences and enable the checkbox that says "Enable Instant for faster searching and browsing". It takes a few minutes to get used to it, but it's pretty neat and makes it hard to go back to other browsers once you get used to it.

 

That is fantastic. 

 

Isn't it? Hard to go back.

 

It will be now that Smazz mentioned using a folder under the address bar as my favourites instead of the drop down that Firefox has in the address bar, I may not go back.  We'll see how Firefox 6 goes tomorrow.

Not sure if its the same thing but i drag and drop "favorites" on the top menu bar just under the web address window. I think  you go into the wrench at the right hand corner and go to options i think.

 

 

[Liberty]

 

It will be now that Smazz mentioned using a folder under the address bar as my favourites instead of the drop down that Firefox has in the address bar, I may not go back.  We'll see how Firefox 6 goes tomorrow.

 

On a mac if you cmd-click on the folder, it'll ask you if you want to open all the bookmarks at the same time in different tabs. on windows it's probably alt-click or ctrl-click. So if you keep only your very faves, you can quickly open them all up.

 

And you can drags and drop tabs from the top between different browser windows or re-arrange them (figure you probably knew that, but just in case), have multiple bookmark folders in the bookmark bar, etc..

[Smazz]

Liberty,

which "Preferences" are you talking of?  If its on the Chrome Browser I dont see it.

 

DGC,

I checked out the Extensions site and there sure are alot of them - pretty cool stuff and though i found alot of extensions that do things with Gmail and Yahoo I havent come across one that will send a link when the default email is just  :-[ Outlook Express :-[

 

And to anyone who would like to answer this:

Whenever i  now go into the IE browser, the pop up tells me there are no "add ons" or something like that.

What does this mean?

[Liberty]

Liberty,

which "Preferences" are you talking of?  If its on the Chrome Browser I dont see it.

 

On the right you should see a little wrench icon, click on that. If you're in a Mac, that works too, and you can also click on "Chrome" in the topscreen status bar.

[Smazz]

Liberty,

which "Preferences" are you talking of?  If its on the Chrome Browser I dont see it.

 

On the right you should see a little wrench icon, click on that. If you're in a Mac, that works too, and you can also click on "Chrome" in the topscreen status bar.

See it now, thanks.

[Liberty]

Liberty,

which "Preferences" are you talking of?  If its on the Chrome Browser I dont see it.

 

On the right you should see a little wrench icon, click on that. If you're in a Mac, that works too, and you can also click on "Chrome" in the topscreen status bar.

See it now, thanks.

 

If you install extensions, you'll see small icons next to that wrench. for example, the GMail extension shows you in real time how many unread emails you have in your inbox and when you click on it GMail opens, etc.. Many very useful extensions out there.

[augustabound]

 

On a mac if you cmd-click on the folder, it'll ask you if you want to open all the bookmarks at the same time in different tabs. on windows it's probably alt-click or ctrl-click. So if you keep only your very faves, you can quickly open them all up.

 

And you can drags and drop tabs from the top between different browser windows or re-arrange them (figure you probably knew that, but just in case), have multiple bookmark folders in the bookmark bar, etc..

 

Good stuff, I didn't know that.  

I've dragged and dropped tabs into a new window by accident, but I may just need to play around with Chrome some more.

[rkbabang]

Firefox 6.0 is available now.

 

I just upgraded and I don't notice any difference in the user interface, but it does seem to be a bit faster rendering pages.

 

--Eric

 

[Smazz]

[

 

If you install extensions, you'll see small icons next to that wrench. for example, the GMail extension shows you in real time how many unread emails you have in your inbox and when you click on it GMail opens, etc.. Many very useful extensions out there.

Lib,

do you know of any extensions that work with Outlook Express? i.e. I can click on something and it will prepare to email a link but opening outlook express instead of Gmail or Yahoo? I see the GMail ones but not one for OE.

Thanks

[Liberty]

Firefox 6.0 is available now.

 

I just upgraded and I don't notice any difference in the user interface, but it does seem to be a bit faster rendering pages.

 

--Eric

 

 

Recent Firefox "major version updates" have been very disappointing lately. IMO they are playing the number's game and trying to catch up to Chrome and IE in version number (because obviously some people out there must think that IE v9 or Chrome v13 must be better than Firefox v4 or whatever), so each number major version has very few new features and UI improvements. I think they've even announce their intention to drop version numbers altogether at some point, which would bring them to something closer to Chrome, which updates in the background and doesn't make a big deal about versions.

[Liberty]

Lib,

do you know of any extensions that work with Outlook Express? i.e. I can click on something and it will prepare to email a link but opening outlook express instead of Gmail or Yahoo? I see the GMail ones but not one for OE.

Thanks

 

I'm on a Mac and don't use OE, so I can't help you with that. I did a quick search and couldn't find anything.. I'm not sure if outlook has open APIs that allow other non-MSFT software to interface with it.

[rkbabang]

[

 

If you install extensions, you'll see small icons next to that wrench. for example, the GMail extension shows you in real time how many unread emails you have in your inbox and when you click on it GMail opens, etc.. Many very useful extensions out there.

Lib,

do you know of any extensions that work with Outlook Express? i.e. I can click on something and it will prepare to email a link but opening outlook express instead of Gmail or Yahoo? I see the GMail ones but not one for OE.

Thanks

 

Try the extension called "email this page"

 

It will add an email button to your tool bar and when you click it it will use your default email tool, which will be outlook express if that is what your default email tool in windows is. I just tried it and it starts a message in thunderbird which is my default email tool.

 

--Eric

 

 

[Smazz]

[

 

If you install extensions, you'll see small icons next to that wrench. for example, the GMail extension shows you in real time how many unread emails you have in your inbox and when you click on it GMail opens, etc.. Many very useful extensions out there.

Lib,

do you know of any extensions that work with Outlook Express? i.e. I can click on something and it will prepare to email a link but opening outlook express instead of Gmail or Yahoo? I see the GMail ones but not one for OE.

Thanks

 

Try the extension called "email this page"

 

It will add an email button to your tool bar and when you click it it will use your default email tool, which will be outlook express if that is what your default email tool in windows is. I just tried it and it starts a message in thunderbird which is my default email tool.

 

--Eric

 

Thanks, i will give that a look!

[Liberty]

Another fun trick for new Chrome users: The URL bar can also access bookmarks and pages in the browser's history based on their names. For examples, I have a bunch of Google docs that I can just type the title of in the URL bar and get to, or if I type "CBF" it brings my to the corne of berkshire and fairfax (because I named by bookmark "CBF"), etc.

[Smazz]

[

 

If you install extensions, you'll see small icons next to that wrench. for example, the GMail extension shows you in real time how many unread emails you have in your inbox and when you click on it GMail opens, etc.. Many very useful extensions out there.

Lib,

do you know of any extensions that work with Outlook Express? i.e. I can click on something and it will prepare to email a link but opening outlook express instead of Gmail or Yahoo? I see the GMail ones but not one for OE.

Thanks

 

Try the extension called "email this page"

 

It will add an email button to your tool bar and when you click it it will use your default email tool, which will be outlook express if that is what your default email tool in windows is. I just tried it and it starts a message in thunderbird which is my default email tool.

 

--Eric

 

 

 

Eric, I tried it and it works P E R F E C T !!!!!!!!!!  

 

Thanks!

 

though it did take me a while to figure out just where on the screen/toolbar the app went - lol....

[rkbabang]

Eric, I tried it and it works P E R F E C T !!!!!!!!!!  

Thanks!

though it did take me a while to figure out just where on the screen/toolbar the app went - lol....

 

No problem. Glad to help.

 

--Eric