Which browser do you want to use today?

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Geoff Spick19 March 2009, 11:02 PM

With IE8 released and Google Chrome battling against Firefox and a host of niche browsers, what will you install on your Windows 7 desktop?


You should know by now that when you use Windows 7 you will be able to remove Internet Explorer and pick your own browser, but which one will you go for?



With Internet Explorer 8 now available and making a lot of news, it is interesting to read that the browser isn't all it could be, thanks to those who develop web sites. The Register has an article which basically says that site creators have to add a tag to their sites for IE8 to view the pages in its best standards mode. Without the tag, IE8 switches to "compatible view" mode, making things look not as good as they should.



Google Chrome is a flashy browser which is back in beta mode (though of course, the released version is still the latest official version, and users have to opt to receive the beta update). Some people argue it really should not have come out of beta as it is still in heavy development. The latest beta is claimed on Google's blog to be one of the fastest browsers out there and has an interesting take on some of the features that other browsers offer.



Firefox is the second most popular browser and has taken a bit of lull at Version 3 (although still with lots of small incremental updates). The next big version, 3.5 is due out in June and promises faster Javascript performance, its own video and audio features, removing the need for some plug-ins and more new features.



Safari probably hasn't had the impact Apple had hoped for on the Windows market, currently up to Version 4 in beta, it has some iTunes-esque presentation features and is another browser aiming for great speed. With useful ways to store information you find online, it has a lot going for it.

Other browsers offer an interesting range of niche features, Flock is based on Firefox and helps tie all your social networking sites into the browser, so you're never out of contact with your friends. Opera has made great strides in mobile browsing and even made it on to the Nintendo Wii, and makes use of mouse gestures, torrent support and much more.

So, there are many browsers out there, just remember to choose one that is compatible with your online bank, supermarket and all the other important things you do on the net (one reason why most Windows users still have an IE icon somewhere on their system). Or, you could install them all, try them out and pick a favourite.


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Halcon (Advanced member):

Bah! Why should you stick with IE8, when many people have deserted the previous versions in favour of Mozilla Firefox?
Microsoft SHOULD give away the Operating System instead, then we shall see the results later!
Eaten bread, isn't it?

20 March 2009, 12:04 AM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

The Penguin (Advanced member):

Install all the browsers... I did

20 March 2009, 1:54 AM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tin (Senior Forumologist):

I'm planning that for the school I work for... When I get time anyway.

I'm hesitant to install Chrome until Google get their finger out and release the Linux version though. Just out of principal.

21 March 2009, 9:18 AM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Jarrod Spiga (User):

In my opinion, the absolute biggest feature missing from ALL alternative browsers are MSI packages and group policy templates, which allow for easy corporate deployment via Group Policy. The closest that you'll get is a re-package - FrontMotion re-build Firefox as an MSI - but this isn't the most ideal solution (especially since you have end users completely looking over the browser because the icon is different to the regular Firefor icon due to licensing restrictions).

So while I'll continue to use Firefox, most of the users that I support will probably continue to use IE8...

20 March 2009, 6:11 AM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tin (Senior Forumologist):

We have people using Firefox at the school I work for, and I rolled out the Frontmotion one... Some because for a while it made itself the default browser, and others because they specifically choose it.

21 March 2009, 9:20 AM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (Senior Forumologist):

I'd rather browsers be invisible. In days of yore I loaded copies of Mozilla.
When IE became bundled It was at most times easier to run that on windows boxes. On Nix Firefox was generally my preference.
From IE7 onwards I've found the browser so obtrusive that one of the first to do when setting up a new box is to load a copy of Firefox.
In short the effort to load another browser was less than the effort of fighting IE to do what I wanted to do.

Commonality across platforms and lack of intrusion has firefox as my preference. At one time you have to still run IE for badly coded and non compliant web-sites, but that is almost never a problem now.



20 March 2009, 9:36 AM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

petert (Senior member):

I was reading an article elsewhere that contains a list from MS of a couple of thousand major sites that are incompatible with IE8. One of the sites is . . . . wait for it . . . . microsoft.com

If that it true, you've just got to laugh!

20 March 2009, 9:58 AM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (Senior Forumologist):

Quoting petert:
I was reading an article elsewhere that contains a list from MS of a couple of thousand major sites that are incompatible with IE8. One of the sites is . . . . wait for it . . . . microsoft.com

It is a laugh Peter, but to be fair to Microsoft, many of those problems are likely to due to efforts to make IE8 more compliant with Web standards. These recent efforts by Microsoft should be applauded.


20 March 2009, 10:08 AM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

The Big Baboo (User):

Quoting Raindog:
Quoting petert: I was reading an article elsewhere that contains a list from MS of a couple of thousand major sites that are incompatible with IE8. One of the sites is . . . . wait for it . . . . microsoft.comIt is a laugh Peter, but to be fair to Microsoft, many of those problems are likely to due to efforts to make IE8 more compliant with Web standards. These recent efforts by Microsoft should be applauded.

Hey "petert" Does that mean that Microsoft don't have any web standards
and did they ever really try to




21 March 2009, 12:29 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

todd_h86 (Cornerstone member):

I prefer IE.... thats right... I've tried Safari for 3 months or so and really liked it, but the bugs started to get to me, like sometimes flash or java animations would freeze (Like countdowns to download buttons etc). Firefox just annoys me, not sure why just does! And Chrome, I'll wait for a proper release. IE 8 seems to be a big improvement over IE7, and I fail to see how it is the browsers fault if webdesigners dont adhear to standards, as MS have finally adopted building a browser compatible! (Am I right in saying that? I remember reading that IE8 was meant to be compliant with standards for web design... did that make it through?)

20 March 2009, 10:16 AM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

TV Bis (User):

In a world of “I hate Microsoft Products- but if they didn’t exist what would we talk about” – it’s nice to know that I still use IE8. I tried the rest but I still came back to a fairly good Microsoft product. Not perfect but I paid for it so why not get my monies worth of usage out of it?..............

20 March 2009, 10:23 AM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tin (Senior Forumologist):

You pay for beds in jails too, but I don't see you trying to get a nights accommodation in one.

21 March 2009, 9:24 AM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

petert (Senior member):

I did some more research and it turns-out the information re IE8 being incompatible with microsoft.com is not entirely correct. IE8 will apparently display that site correctly in compatibility mode. Nonetheless, that still means that microsoft.com is not compatible with web standards (no real surprise there!).

20 March 2009, 11:06 AM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

agami (User):

Quoting petert:
web standards


Microsoft are only interested in standards they create or derive by virtue of their EEE method.

For the uninitiated, Embrace (and existing standard), Enhance (and create a MS variant), Eliminate (the original standard).

20 March 2009, 5:40 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

AndyCee (Advanced member):

It's been a while since I've heard that acronym used. I remember when Microsoft were smashing their competitors with EEE.

20 March 2009, 10:10 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

The Big Baboo (User):

Haven't tried Chrome yet but damned if I'll ever go back to IE. The thing is just a pain in the posterior. God knows why I put up with it for the first 6 years of my pc life. I suppose because there was nothing better around.

21 March 2009, 12:24 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

MadGreen (New user):

WinXP SP3.IxQuick Metasearch.IE7. IE8 wouldn't install. Prefer Chrome anyway however with the blurring of text in Chrome which has been a problem for many for some time and no fix yet, looks as though I'll stay with IE7. Will check out Firefox 3.5 when it's released.

22 March 2009, 1:42 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

The Big Baboo (User):

Quoting MadGreen:
WinXP SP3.IxQuick Metasearch.IE7. IE8 wouldn't install. Prefer Chrome anyway however with the blurring of text in Chrome which has been a problem for many for some time and no fix yet, looks as though I'll stay with IE7. Will check out Firefox 3.5 when it's released.

Hi "MadGreen" I've been using Firefox now for about six months :) I wouldn't ever go back to IE but you may be waiting a while for Firefox 3.5 as it's only up to V3.0.7 now




22 March 2009, 2:52 PM (1 year ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Sp33d d3mon (Cornerstone member):

I used Safari since the day it came out for Windows. Still do until now, if you think Chrome's too basic, but you want a similar-looking browser, look no further than Safari 4.

22 March 2009, 7:32 PM (12 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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