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QOTW: Which is the best desktop web browser?

by Parm Mann on 7 February 2014, 16:30

Tags: Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Mozilla, Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera (OPERA.OL)

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qacajz

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I've done my fair share of browser-hopping over the years. I started with Netscape, moved to Internet Explorer, then on to Firefox, followed by Google Chrome and now back to IE.

Yet, I can't quite make up my mind as to which browser I actually prefer. I never thought I'd live without my Firefox plugins, but the browser eventually began to feel bogged down and bloated. Chrome felt like a breath of fresh air when it launched in 2008, but there's something about that Chrome-OS-style scrollbar that now irritates me. And then there's Internet Explorer 11, which truth be told is working for me just fine, but hey, it's Internet Explorer - could a browser sound any more ordinary?

It's been interesting to see Firefox and IE lose market share as Chrome picks up pace, but statistics don't always marry-up with user opinion. So let's hear it from: which is the best desktop web browser available today, and what features in particular make it appeal to you?

As always, let us know using the comments facility below, or have your say on our Facebook wall.



HEXUS Forums :: 79 Comments

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Palemoon. Firefox without the hideously unusable (let's replace controls with whitespace!) UI redesign.
Chrome or Firefox. They both have their points for me.

Firefox added sync before the others and was very compatible with sites early on, although lately I have been using Chrome more and more due to issues I have been having with flash-enabled sites and flashplayer causing new web browser windows to appear under the window I spawned them from. Not having flashplayer installed seems to fix this and Chrome has it's own flash player in-built.

IE I never use. There is nothing redeeming about it for me.

So this week I have been mostly using Chrome :)
Firefox! Large amounts of add-ons and the only browser I've found that can reliably delete all cookies and history after exiting.

With australis, however, this may change. The amount of wasted space on the UI is horrific. Lost about 50 pixels of page height, and can no longer move the refresh button. :(
I've had to use IE (10 and 11) and I didn't find them to be disagreeable, but I use Chrome-beta or -dev 99% of the time. I used to be a Mozilla fanboy (even used Netscape back in the day) but I find it's gotten bogged down in recent years
I use either firefox or chrome, though recently ive been using chrome a lot more.