Why Make a Second Chrome?

Opera 15 came out and it is smoother than ever and better than ever. But they did this by making a Chromium-based, Blink-based Opera 15.

They removed many of the features and basically made a second Google Chrome.

WHY DID YOU DO THIS OPERAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

Removing mail (forked into a second flagship called Opera Mail) and Notes. With an extension made by Evernote, they bring back the Notes.

IRC is now gone, and if the community-driven SeaMonkey browser were cooler, it could overtake Opera as a internet suite.

BYE!

Opera 15 Takes The Opera Away

Opera 15 was released a few days ago at the time of this post, but lots of features are added and removed. Let's talk about the staying ones, the going ones, and the coming ones.

Staying: Speed Dial, Opera Menu (Windows)

Going: Bookmarks (given up in favor of Speed Dial), IRC, Mail, Notes, Webkit and Presto, Opera Link, etc.

Coming: Google Blink (the first official browser release to use Blink), Stash, Discover, Off-road Mode

Opera Software sacrificed many features, but Opera just started the Blink era and started their Chromium-based era. In other words, Opera will shrink even more, possibly losing to even Maxthon.\

Opera promises they will add more features to Opera to make up for the loss.

* NOTE: Opera Turbo is now Off-road Mode, which adds SPDY to make webpages even faster. *

* NOTE: Opera has just begun a rapid release cycle, following the likes of Firefox and Google Chrome. *

Extensions, however, are rapidly growing. Opera released a bookmarks manager if you miss bookmarks, Evernote made their product if you miss Notes, and more will be released.

Browser Talk's REAL DEATH MATCH (Opera SUCKS On Win8)

Okay. This is a real death match. Let's introduce the testing machine:

ASUS VivoBook X202E, Intel Core i3 processor, Intel HD Graphics 4000 graphics card, Windows 8

And the browsers:

Google Chrome 27, Firefox 24 (Nightly), Opera 12.15, Internet Explorer 10

_________________________________________________________________________________

First test: HTML5 Test (html5test.com) -- MAX: 500 (+15)

1. Google Chrome (463 (+13))
2. Firefox (419 (+14))
3. Opera (404 (+9))
4. Internet Explorer (320 (+6))

Next: CSS3 Test (css3test.com) -- MAX: 935

1. Firefox (593)
2. Google Chrome (571)
3. Opera (449)
4. Internet Explorer (442)

Then: Octane Benchmark v1(octane-benchmark.googlecode.com/svn/latest/index.html)
--- Creator: Google ---

1. Firefox (10415)
2. Google Chrome (9237)
3. Internet Explorer (3548)
4. Opera (3475) -- EarleyBoyer was the best (5042)

Then: Sunspider 1.0 (webkit.org/perf/sunspider/sunspider.html)
--- Creator: Webkit Developers ---
1. Internet Explorer (191.6 ms)
2. Firefox (295.7 ms)
3. Google Chrome (310.7 ms)
4. Opera (354.6 ms)

Next: Peacekeeper Benchmark (peacekeeper.futuremark.com)

1. Google Chrome (2609)
2. Opera (1947)
3. Firefox (1555)
4. Internet Explorer (1544)

Then: WebVizBench @ 1366 x 668

1. Internet Explorer (4590)
2. Google Chrome (4290)
3. Firefox (4130)
4. Opera (3350)

Next: Asteroids HTML5 Canvas 2D Rendering and JavaScript Benchmark

1. Google Chrome (3675)
2. Internet Explorer (2138)
3. Opera (1136)
4. Firefox (1090)

Then: Impact HTML5 Benchmark

1. Internet Explorer (6882)
2. Firefox (6777)
3. Google Chrome (5700)
4. Opera (5055)

RANKINGS:

1. Google Chrome, Internet Explorer
2. Firefox
3. Opera

Switching Testing

:) From now on you'll get more reliable results. No Windows Vista computer, no more OS X Leopard, but Windows 8!

Wait... why? I just got a new Windows 8 ASUS VivoBook X202E Touchscreen computer. :)

Also another note: Opera is not Opera Software's flagship product anymore. It's now a mail client too (Opera Mail) that is probably going to compete with Mozilla Thunderbird.

HTML5!

Google Chrome is no longer in second place. Some minor web browser took second place and shoved it into third place! This browser, called Sleipnir from Fenrir Inc. and is for Windows and Mac, knocked Chrome and still has Maxthon, BlackBerry, and Tizen to beat. Wow.

KKKKKKKKKKKK (no, I'm not a white supremacist)

Top 10 Web Browsers. For Me.

I've seen a bunch of fights in the Youtube comments where 5 people post like every half hour and they are all fighting. Which is why the Internet Explorer YouTube channel blocks comments on most videos. So don't try to fight over this one. It's my opinion.

1. Opera

Blah blah blah. If you know me I babble on and on about Opera and its great features. Yeah but has anything noticed that I never talk about its bad features?

Overall it's great. Its HIGHEST score on the HTML5 Test (the scores vary between version and operating system) is 419 points and 9 bonus points out of 500 points and 15 bonus points, falling right into 5th place after Google Chrome 26, Maxthon 4, BlackBerry 10, and Tizen 2.

2. Google Chrome

Obviously Google's contender in the browser contest gets a spot in the top 3, if not first place. Google Chrome is widely used among the United States, and it's fast, quick, and nice. (So is Opera.) Google Chrome offers friendly options and it's just good.

3. Mozilla Firefox

Firefox 4 is a giant step backward from Firefox 20 (I use Firefox 4) but overall the Firefox browser is actually a good alternative. Google Chrome scaring you with its speed? Try Opera! Opera too crazy for you? Try Firefox. =)

4. Apple Safari

Safari for Mac is indeed an excellent browser. Haven't you heard on Mac clearing the history from the menu bar? HELLO! Safari also allows you to spoof user agents for some sites, which is great for testing. Opening it in another browser is allowed. This is just plain old awesome because awesome is good. But Safari is quite slow sometimes especially with Safari 5. But I have to use Safari for embedded Flash. My Google Chrome doesn't even HAVE Flash, Firefox is slow, Stainless is just wicked fast, and Opera doesn't display embedded Flash very well.

5. Internet Explorer

Microsoft's web browser comes in fifth. Internet Explorer is a quite reasonable, but rather insecure, browser. It's awesome with Internet Explorer 10 especially in the Metro style but in other words it's not much different from your ordinary browser. If you're using Internet Explorer on Windows unless it's Internet Explorer 10, then I recommend (no fighting now) that you switch to Firefox/Chrome/Opera.

6. Maxthon

This desktop king of HTML5 is just as good as you thought. Maxthon Dock = trouble? Maxthon is pretty good. It's now for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.

7. Stainless

This wicked fast browser for OS X was a response to Google Chrome. Stainless has its tabs run on totally different processes (go find out for yourself by opening a few tabs, going into Terminal, and typing "ps x (pipe) grep Stainless". It'll turn out into a few different processes. The processes that exclude "grep Stainless" are your current processes. Single session tabs allow parallel sessions which allows you to log in with different credentials on the same page at one time. It tricks Gmail, Yahoo, Microsoft, and pretty much every service. One thing I know it doesn't trick? Nothing.

8. Camino

Camino for OS X is a pretty cute browser minus all the giant back/forward/refresh/stop buttons. The only problem I ran into is when I accidentally (don't try this with Camino) entered an infinite loop of prompt boxes. Quit? Nope. Try to edit the code? Nope. So I had to open up terminal and start ps x. A trick that's worth knowing.

9. Lunarscape 6 "Orion"

Lunarscape, the triple engine browser with the other triple engine browser, Avant, looks pretty neat and is actually nicer than Lunarscape (the only problem: I really don't have a need for triple engines).

10. Avant

The equivalent of messy Lunarscape.

Okay Chrome Canary

I just installed Google Chrome Canary on my Windows Vista desktop (yes, the same victim of Sweetpacks) and it is totally redesigned from Google Chrome 27. It is dubbed "Google Chrome 29" and the new tab page, alert boxes, and address bar typing. This could be the effect of Google Chrome 28+ using the new Blink engine (although it still identifies itself as Webkit).

Here's an image of Chrome Canary on Windows Vista (on the New Tab page):

So... um, I guess that's it!

Smart Browser

I am just amazed by something that Firefox does for me. Whenever I type in something that would result in a Google search on Google Chrome, Opera, Safari, and most other web browsers (including Internet Explorer), Firefox goes through some cases.

For example, I typed "best antivirus software" and it got me to PC Magazine's webpage. I type in "10 worst computer viruses" and it got me to the HowStuffWorks webpage. I typed "naked security", a common security website from Sophos, and it got there. WOW.

This was in Firefox 16 on Mac, and I'm not sure if it got to Firefox 17, 18, 19, 20, or 21.

Although this does slow down loading by a bit, it doesn't affect it greatly, which makes Firefox even more loved than Google Chrome. =)(= just a personal preference =)(=

I Was Bored

I was kind of bored today so I just made a browser for Mac (sorry Windows users) called W3Explorer. It isn't available for download yet =( and it doesn't have tabs =( and it's only for Mac =(

But...

It is very fast =) It's Cocoa; no installations required =) and it scores higher than Internet Explorer 10 on the HTML5 Test (including bonus points) =)

But this is only the start! This is only W3Explorer 1 and W3Explorer 1.5 will be coming later in the year, possibly with tabs and possibly available for Windows (VB W3Explorer compared to Cocoa W3Explorer).

If you're experienced with Cocoa, you can help me with W3Explorer.

I'm using W3Explorer to post this.

So.. bye!

Reuniting With Firefox =) And A Newer Version

Other reports by me of Firefox being "slow", "buggy", etc. are totally false by my means. I was bogging down Firefox on purpose =)

One day I was going to clean my Dock on my Mac and then I accidentally removed Firefox when I meant to remove Stainless. Whoops! And when I searched up "Firefox" in Spotlight, it wasn't there. So I must've deleted it.

So then I searched up the latest version of Firefox for Mac (previously I was using Firefox 4 and it kept trying to upgrade to Firefox 11) and now I have Firefox 16. I'm blogging in it right now. I'm just happier now that I have a more recent version. Everyone has to have the most recent version for them. =)

Veteran Browsers

Some browsers are literally veterans from the old days of the 1990s. We include all browsers earlier than 1997 that still survive today in the order of age from oldest to youngest.

1. Lynx

This text-only web browser developed by Thomas Dickey is still in use and development, although it will be probably discontinued since the last release was 2.8.7rel.2, two years ago and its preview release (2.8.8dev.15) was released 6 months ago. It has lived since 1992 (for 21 years). I told you cats have nine lives! (Don't get it? A lynx is a big cat.)

2. Opera

This web browser is receiving enhancements all the time. Developed by Opera Software it is 5th in usage currently and is not likely to be discontinued in the foreseeable feature. Opera 14 is planned to switch to Google's new Blink rendering engine, along with Google Chrome and Yandex Browser. It has lived since 1994 (for 19 years). Its latest version is Opera 12.15 released April 4, 2013. It has been shareware then ad-sponsored, then, as of version 8.5, free and no ads.

3. OmniWeb

Developed by The Omni Group it could be well discontinued because the last release was in 2011. It's a good browser indeed (except when you open a new tab you have to open a "drawer"). It has lived since 1995 (for 18 years).

4. Internet Explorer

Microsoft's famous browser can't be missed. It started in 1995 (but later than OmniWeb) and has lived for 18 years. The first release, Microsoft Internet Explorer 1, to the current release of when I'm writing this, Internet Explorer 10, sums Internet Explorer. Rumors of Internet Explorer 11 supporting WebGL are going around.

Those are the 4 veteran browsers! Of course I have to list the source:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Timeline_of_web_browsers.svg

What Some Developers Complain About

My page looks fine in Internet Explorer but <insert name of browser> can't even display it correctly! This stupid <insert name of browser> with its rubbish and annoying <JavaScript | HTML | CSS> support! ***optional: Curse You!***

Or is it just because Internet Explorer's not doing it correctly? This annoying browser has failed to keep up with much standards support. Internet Explorer is still the lowest in HTML5 and CSS3, even with Internet Explorer 10, which was supposed to be a revamped version of Internet Explorer 9.

A transaction through the Santa Clara Garbage ***insert thing*** only worked in Internet Explorer. "HA! IE RULES PPL!" Or is it because of ActiveX/different DOM/different BOM/something else?

Then they usually accommodate Firefox or Chrome. Just tweak it... gah! Now it doesn't work in IE! Wait, I've got it! My box model is incorrect! There!

Adjust to Firefox. There!

But my standard? At least make it work in Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, Opera, and Maxthon, the 6 most popular browsers.

Also you may want to add in responsive web design for browsers like the iOS Safari, Android browser, BlackBerry browser, Tizen, Opera Mini, and Internet Explorer Mobile. You would like to mostly accommodate for:

the Android browser, iOS Safari, Opera Mini, BlackBerry browser, Internet Explorer Mobile

As long as it works in the Android, iOS, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone interfaces, then it should work.

"But... I can't set up my own test lab."

Simple! If you have an AT&T store or Verizon or Sprint or T-Mobile you should be able to get a view of the phones. Just head on over, and even then, learn how to use the operating systems to turn from a web developer into a web developer and a phone guru.

=)

List of Standards-Compliant Browsers

By standards-compliant, I mean that they have to pass the Acid series of browser tests (for Acid3 rendering does not count)

These are in no particular order.

• Safari
• Opera
• Google Chrome
• Internet Explorer
• Firefox
• Stainless
• Arora
• Chromium
• Comodo Dragon
• Dooble
• iCab
• Lunascape
• Maxthon
• Midori
• SeaMonkey
• Torch Browser

How Secure IS Internet Explorer?

I was downloading something from Softonic on my alternative computer (thank goodness) and god, the Sweetpacks virus came with the download. Yeah, I really wished it didn't happen. Uninstall Sweetpacks? Nope. Internet Explorer 9 actually KEPT THE SWEETPACKS ICON ON THE TOOLBAR and I had moved it into the Recycle Bin and emptied it. Boy, it really needs some security fixes. Google search? Uh... websites promoted supposed tools that would remove Sweetpacks miraculously. Others promoted massive downloads including Malwarebytes, Revo Uninstaller, and some used built-in Windows tools, but they were mostly in Windows XP while I was running Windows Vista.

How surprising, I deleted the account that installed Sweetpacks (it was a backup for my good account that had this annoying Visual C# Compiler alert from HP Advisor), put Sweetpacks and my download (Visual Basic 2010 Express or something like that) in the recycle bin, and emptied it. :/ I was not pleased with Internet Explorer's methods. Google Chrome, Opera, Firefox, and Maxthon all didn't have any Sweetpacks problems (Google Chrome, the downloader of the Sweetpacks virus in this case, was salvaged), but why Internet Explorer did? Uh... no.

Hey, if you have any opinions about Internet Explorer and the Sweetpacks virus, then post in the comments below. I'll be tweeting on Twitter (I'm @ChessAddict21), posting on Google+, and more about browsers and their oh so annoying things and their oh so yay things.

In the first few minutes of an AVG system scan AVG did not catch it.

EDIT AS OF 5-6-2013: AFTER SWEETPACKS'S SUPPOSED UNINSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FROM PERION, I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE IT FROM INTERNET EXPLORER AND GOOGLE CHROME (IT CAME BACK!!!).

The King(s) of HTML5!?

The king of HTML5, as I announced earlier, should be Maxthon 4, right? Well, actually, referring to the HTML5 test website (html5test.com), that's the king of desktop browsers. The king that reigned?

A mobile browser. The BlackBerry 10 browser is the king (scoring at 485 and 11 bonus points compared to Maxthon's 476 and 15 bonus points), but only of official releases (non-beta). The king including beta releases is Tizen 2 (mobile!) with almost full support (492 and 16 bonus points).

The kings of HTML5 (excluding beta):

Desktop browsers: Maxthon 4.0
Tablet browsers: Google Chrome 25 (on Android 4.x devices, e.g. Jelly Bean)
Mobile browsers: BlackBerry 10
Gaming browsers: Nintendo Wii U
TV browsers: Toshiba Espial 6.0.8 (on Toshiba L7200 TVs)

The kings of HTML5 (including beta):

Desktop browsers: Maxthon 4.0
Tablet browsers: BlackBerry 10
Mobile browsers: Tizen 2
Gaming browsers: Nintendo Wii U
TV browsers: Opera Devices 3.4 (Opera emulator)

=)

But what about the BETA KINGS?

The beta kings of HTML5:

Desktop browsers: Google Chrome Canary (Google Chrome 27)
Tablet browsers: BlackBerry 10
Mobile browsers: Tizen 2
Gaming browsers: none (no beta browsers so far tested on HTML5 Test)
TV browsers: Opera Devices 3.4 (Opera emulator)

Or the losers (all including beta releases):

Desktop browser loser: Internet Explorer 6
Tablet browser loser: iOS 3.2 (Safari)
Mobile browser loser: Internet Explorer Mobile 6.5
Gaming browser loser: Sony Playstation Vita (NetFront version)
TV browser loser: Boxee

IE6 Must Die: The Sequel

I said Internet Explorer 6 must die. But if you don't know what to switch to, here are other browsers. The top few you've probably already heard of. The ones close to the bottom, probably not. Plus, I'm going to list them by popularity first (Internet Explorer the 5th). I'm only going to talk about the top 5, then just go on.

1. Google Chrome

What? Google Chrome is clearly not Internet Explorer 6, so that makes it a good candidate! Google claims Chrome is the fastest browser ever. I find it fast, quite easy to use, and just pretty nice. You know my favorite browser if you've been with this blog for about a week or two; Opera. Google Chrome is pretty similar minus Opera's search bar. (Hey, Opera has the Omnibox too!) Google Chrome is compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7, and 8.

2. Mozilla Firefox

Another one you've heard of. Firefox 20 is absolutely the awesome web browser. It's fast, cool, awesome, and it's just like Google Chrome. Although Firefox is known as a browser that sometimes makes me feel like it has bipolar disorder (fast, slow, fast, slow, annoying!), it's still a good browser. Firefox is compatible with Windows XP+.


3. Safari

Apple doesn't support Safari for Windows anymore, but Safari 5.1.7 (pretty close to the latest Safari 6) is the latest version of Safari for Windows. Although Safari is often kind of slow for Windows, it's still a browser worth checking out.


4. Opera

THE ONE I'M ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT. OF COURSE. Opera is an awesome web browser that is just plain old awesome and I'm talking awesome. Hear my complaints and my compliments about Opera in this blog. =) Opera is often known for supporting old versions (Opera 11 still actively supported Windows 2000) (or Opera 10?) However right now Opera supports Windows XP+.


5. Internet Explorer... 8

If you're using Internet Explorer 6, I'm guessing you are using Windows XP. Internet Explorer 8 is the last Internet Explorer that XP supports. Using Windows Vista? Probably not, but if so, Internet Explorer 9. Windows 7? (PLEASE!) Very low probability, but if so, Internet Explorer 9 is still yours (DO NOT TRY INTERNET EXPLORER 10).


6. Flock
7. K-Meleon
8. Maxthon
9. xB Browser
10. Arora
11. Slimbrowser
12. Pale Moon
13. Browse3D
14. Lunascape

WHY!?!??!?!??!??!?!

Maybe that title was a little too annoying (leading you to not read this post, probably), but my question is:

WHY!?!??!?!??!??!?!

Why are so many web developers ignorant. Back then in 1997, Internet Explorer was ruling. Duh. So web developers would adjust to IE!

But then it's 2013 and then Internet Explorer still rules. So then they adjust to IE. Most also to Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, but they don't care about Opera.

Happy about -o-? Opera was a very good browser and doesn't need many vendor prefixes. Most CSS3 properties are supported with Opera 12.1+, and only some require the -o-. So that's fine; Opera's fine there. But when you need the -o-, some web developers just skip it (like the developers of the Apple website: !!! (check performed by modern.ie)). JUST NO ONE TAKES CARE OF OPERA!

Even Google doesn't quite do it.

Hey, Google, Opera is going to just contribute to Webkit, Google Blink, and Chromium.

=I hope your website will start supporting Opera from now on=

The Best Browsers

Obviously all those "Internet Explorer Sucks" posts were reflecting on me; sorry, Microsoft.. But I'm just going to jump in and say the best browsers for operating systems like XP, Vista, 7, 8, Mac OS X, Android, and iOS.

Best Browser for Windows XP

Since Windows XP is by Microsoft, Microsoft paired the Windows operating system with Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer 8 is the last version XP supports, so go with Internet Explorer 8.


Internet Explorer 8 is the best browser for XP!

Best Browser for Windows Vista

Windows Vista; same thing. Internet Explorer 9.


Best Browser for Windows 7 & Windows 8

Internet Explorer 10 or Internet Explorer 9? However, Internet Explorer 10 adds more features, although some features from Internet Explorer 9 still remain. Internet Explorer 10 is a go for Windows 7 AND Windows 8.


Best Browser for Mac OS X

Mac OS X has the same terminology as Windows, right? Safari must be the best! On newer systems, yes, but on older systems (like Leopard and Snow Leopard), some browsers like Opera or Google Chrome are better. Sorry, Google, but this round goes to Opera.

Best Browser for Android

The Dolphin browser for Android and iOS is clearly a very good browser. With Dolphin Sonar, you can open new tabs, close Dolphin altogether, close tabs, navigate to pages, etc. And you can draw to get to a website. You get the idea. Google Chrome doesn't really have voice control.

Best Browser for iOS

iOS has its default browser: Safari. Dolphin is also very good, but I think it pretty much doesn't quite outmatch Siri in accuracy, so that's off (sorry!). iCab is shareware and so is Atomic Browser. Google Chrome is kind of unstable and the current winner for iOS is Opera Mini. I haven't heard the name Opera Mini for a long time after it dropped from first place in 2009, dropped to iPhone, went up again and stayed in the superior position for a long time until 2012, where it was overtaken by Android's browser. It stayed up until later in 2012 when Android took over, and then around July 2012 being taken over by iPhone. However Opera Mini is still the leading mobile browser in many European and African countries.


That's the point, folks.

Internet Explorer 6 MUST DIE. And I Mean It.

Chances are, you're not viewing this on Internet Explorer 6. But about 0.3% of users of the web use Internet Explorer 6 in the United States. In fact, a whopping amount of users (25.3%) in China use Internet Explorer 6.*

But why do so many people still use Internet Explorer 6? For one, it was the standard web browser for Windows XP (the second most popular web browser) for 5 years, and simply people either don't want to upgrade or think there is no need to upgrade. But there are needs. For one, there is no CSS2 support. Crazy, huh? Also a huge number of PNG images don't render correctly in Internet Explorer 6.

Internet Explorer 6 is also regarded as insecure. Yes, there are even code snippets that can shut down Internet Explorer 6. Secunia reported 24 unpatched vulnerabilities. Microsoft, thank you, fixed many with Internet Explorer 7, then Internet Explorer 8, then Internet Explorer 9, and finally Internet Explorer 10.

Also, Facebook doesn't really like Internet Explorer 6. If they detect you using it, a message says:

Please read this!
You may want to upgrade your browser.

You're using Internet Explorer 6 to browse Facebook right now. Facebook will work better for you if you upgrade to Internet Explorer 7 or switch to another browser.

Upgrade to Internet Explorer 7
Switch to Firefox
Switch to Safari
Switch to Flock

yea, facebook doesn't like IE6.

Also, Digg and Youtube have cut back support for Internet Explorer 6.

HTML5 does not work in Internet Explorer 6, either. And HTML5 will become the new HTML.

*From Microsoft's IE6 Countdown website.

Internet Explorer Rules! (For Internet Explorer Lovers)

You heard me. Internet Explorer also rules.

Mainly in Internet Explorer 10. Internet Explorer 10 has a nice layout, and goes unconventional with the address bar at the bottom instead of the top, which calls for more view at the top... and yeah. However, Internet Explorer 9 also makes good improvements. On a crowded Windows Vista computer, it still tends to operate fast and well. Although I have ran into some problems using Internet Explorer 9, overall, it's better than Safari 5 (on my Mac), which is slightly slower.

Erm, Internet Explorer's advantages are not that extended, but one big one is that Internet Explorer debuted in 1995 and so Microsoft knows how to build a web browser. It's like, natural thought. (Same with Opera, debuting in 1996.) Rather for Google, Apple, and Mozilla, theirs date back quite a few years ago only (2008, 2003, and 2002 respectively) so they don't yet have just the natural logic to build one.

Internet Explorer also is versatile and blah blah blah. It's great, and critics, um, hate it sometimes, etc. etc. I hope you liked this, Internet Explorer lovers.

BYE!

More Reasons That Internet Explorer Sucks!

Yay! More Internet Explorer Sucks posts! (Sorry, Internet Explorer lovers, maybe I'll do an Internet Explorer Rules post.) MORE REASONS!

Okay, I know that these are kind of "outdated" (because these are comparing old versions), but they still matter; although Internet Explorer has been improving in performance with Internet Explorer 8, 9, and 10, people still use Internet Explorer 7, and Microsoft's website (link here) even discourages the usage of Internet Explorer 6 (China has the highest usage). Yes, Microsoft even hates Internet Explorer 6. I remember those old days when my Windows XP PC would be using Internet Explorer 6; I would be "offended" by the layout and use Firefox instead. Digg and Youtube stopped supporting Internet Explorer 6, and Facebook even hates Internet Explorer 6.

Now, back, back, back. Go back to Internet Explorer 1. It looks the the worst thing ever to exist, but it's in 1996. It couldn't even interpret CSS (wait until you see Internet Explorer 5).

INTERNET EXPLORER 2 JUST SUCKS. It can't load images, it looks exactly the same as Internet Explorer 1 (but worse!), and it can't interpret CSS. Well, happy endings because... like, no one uses Internet Explorer 2.

Internet Explorer 3? Eh, no improvements needed. Hey, that was 1996! It looks nice. It's fine for the average 1996 Internet Explorer.

Internet Explorer 4 is regarded as the third-worst (better than Shiira and AOL Explorer) browser by SamueltehG33K. Um, it's kind of cluttered, I wasn't born before Internet Explorer 4 was even released, so I don't have any comments.

Internet Explorer 5. It looks the same as IE4.

Internet Explorer 6; now I remember that smug look. Internet Explorer 6; just criticize! It's, like, not secure, and it made its way onto 'worst tech products of all time' lists! Google actually is most notably dropping literally all support for IE6, which will probably help the Internet Explorer 6 must die campaign. Thank you, Google, and Microsoft, thank them for stopping it (mainly).

Thank you for taking your time to read this post (IE haters).

Browser History (Wikipedia)

I'm taking this kind of copying the timeline of Wikipedia (but no one used this text!) so I will take info from it.

When Sir Tim Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web, people were finding a way to view the web. If the World Wide Web could not be viewed, it was like... inventing a thing but keeping it out of our world. Berners-Lee got the chance with the first browser, WorldWideWeb. He was the first to make the World Wide Web; why not make the first browser? However it was only compatible with NeXTSTEP computers. WorldWideWeb debuted with WorldWideWeb 0.1 and was later renamed Nexus (referring to the NeXTSTEP computer it ran on) to avoid confusion with the World Wide Web. However after, Line Mode Browser was also introduced. It, however, debuted in 1991 when Nexus 0.4, 0.7, 0.11, and 0.12 were relesaed. Line Mode Browser made its first flight into the 1990s with Line Mode Browser 0.7 and 0.11. ViolaWWW was also introduced, leading to a “chain” of browsers; one would be introduced and another release, etc. ViolaWWW really made their first version in 1992 with ViolaWWW 1. It was one of the first browsers to interpret HTML (the other is Erwise). tkWWW 0.1 and 0.4 were introduced, making a WWW trend for browsers. MidasWWW 1 was also introduced with the Lynx browser introduced (and the Lynx browser continues to tell the tale, I told you cats have nine lives). WorldWideWeb 0.14 was released by Berners-Lee. And, Line Mode Browser 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4 were released. That wraps up 1992. 1993 was a year where tragedies and happy things appeared. Well, probably not. The web was still trying to find its way into the normal world, so people desparately tried to introduce it. Developers made browsers like MacWWW 1 (its first and last version) and NCSA Mosaic 0.1 and 1 (the basis for Spyglass Enhanced Mosaic, the basis for Internet Explorer). AMosaic, a base off of NCSA Mosaic, debuted late near 1994 when it released 1 just in time. tkWWW 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9 were released. MidasWWW held through 1993, but died at the end of the year. Cello was a new browser. Cello 0.1 was released introducing itself to the world. Developers of Lynx made Lynx 2, ending the 1993 report. 1994 was a year of greatness, yes, greatness. Line Mode Browser 2.14 was released and AMosaic 1.1 AND 1.2 were released. Spyglass Enhanced Mosaic started with an official beta release, then when the beta was done, they introduced 1. IBM WebExplorer, based off of NCSA Mosaic, and Mosaic Netscape, again based off of NCSA Mosaic, were introduced with version 1 to IBM WebExplorer and 0.9 and 1 to Mosaic Netscape/Netscape Navigator (RENAME). tkWWW 0.10, 0.11, and 0.12 were released. Cello 1 in the mid-early section of 1994 and termination near mid-late 1994. But many other browsers took its place; Arena and WebRunner were introduced and SlipKnot 1 made ground. Opera; yes, Opera is that old; was introduced early in 1994 and released version 1 (it’s disgusting, even MultiTorg Opera is disgusting, but that’s 1994) late in the year. Lynx 2.3 ends 1994’s report. 1995, ah, familiarity? It’s funny how much you know about web browsers if you love them. I love them and I haven’t used the one slightest bit of Dillo. Oh, sorry. Starting our report is Line Mode Browser 3, 3.3, and 4. Internet Explorer debuted with IE 1 and IE 2, based off of Spyglass Enhanced Mosaic 2 and later 2.1. NCSA Mosaic 2 was released. Mosaic Netscape 1.1 and 1.22 were released (I’m just going to call it Mosaic Netscape because... like, I don’t know when it was renamed), too. tkWWW 0.13 was released as a final gasping breath before tkWWW died (what I mean, stopped being updated). So if anyone is using tkWWW (I doubt!) out there, you’re 1995. WHATEVER. Arena 0.92 and beta-1 were released. SlipKnot made 1.4 to end 1995. OmniWeb 1 was released with UdlWWW 1 into the web. w3m was announced. 1996 was... crazy. Line Mode Browser 5 was released, and IBrowse took AMosaic’s place with IBrowse... 1. Microsoft announced Internet Explorer for Mac would come out, releasing Internet Explorer for Mac 2. Microsoft announced Internet Explorer 3 and Pocket Internet Explorer 1. NCSA Mosaic 2.1 and NCSA Mosaic 3 were released, and Mosaic Netscape 2 and 3 were also released. IBM WebExplorer 1.1 and 1.2 were released before IBM stopped IBM WebExplorer. Arena beta-2 and beta-3 came out, with OmniWeb 2 coming out and UdlWWW 1.2 coming out unfortunately ending the jurney. AWeb 1 started AWeb and 2.1 was released later in 1996. Opera 2 was released and Lynx 2.6 was released. Tamaya (later renamed Amaya) started with 0.9. Arachne, a new browser, got their first version (Arachne 1) just in time before the calendar went to 1997. 1997, now. Line Mode Browser kept strong with 5.1, IBrowse 1.1, 1.11, and 1.12 were released too. Internet Explorer for Mac 3 came out at the beginning of the year, with STNC HitchHiker made version 1, its first and final release. Pocket Internet Explorer 1.1 and 2 were also released. Internet Explorer 4 was released with Spyglass Enhanced Mosaic ending its life. NCSA Mosaic terminated at the beginning of the year, but Mosaic Netscape 4 was keeping itself strong to not die (just yet). Arena 0.3.18 and 0.3.39 were released, and finally WebRunner made a release: version 1. SlipKnot 1.5 was released, ending its life there. AWeb 3 was released and Opera 3 was released just by the end of 1997. Lynx 2.7 was released pretty early, and Amaya sputtered out releases: Amaya 1 and 1.1. Gzilla 0.1 was released, ending 1997 Browser Report. In 1998, Line Mode Browser 5.2 was released, whereas IBrowse 1.2 and 1.22 were released. Internet Explorer 4 for Mac was released, and so was Pocket Internet Explorer 3. A new browser called SimulBrowse 3 was released. Internet Explorer for UNIX 4 was released later than Internet Explorer 4 for Mac was. Netscape 4.5 was released, and based off of Mosaic Netscape was Mozilla, making the Gecko layout engine. Arena ended with 0.3.62. Opera 3.5 was released, so waas Lynx 2.8. Tamaya 1.2 and 1.3 were released and so was Gzilla 1.5. Late in the year came out 1.7. In 1999, Line Mode Browser 5.2.8 was released plus IBrowse 2. Microsoft Mobile Explorer started its journey and just by December, Microsoft Mobile Explorer 2 was released. Pocket Internet Explorer 4 was released, but Pocket Internet Explorer ended, too. Internet Explorer 5 was released, and so was SimulBrowse 5 (renamed NetCaptor). Internet Explorer for UNIX 5 was also released. Mosaic Netscape 4.6 and 4.7 were released while Mozilla stayed calm. WebRunner skipped ahead to version 3 while OmniWeb 3 was released. iCab 1 was a new browser. Opera 3.6 was released in the middle of the year, with Opera Mobile coming off of it. Lynx 2.8.2 kept Lynx alive while Tamaya kept spitting out releases: 1.4, 2, 2.1, 2.2, and 2.4. Links 0.8 was the start of a new browser. Gzilla 2.(something) and 3.8 were released. While Gzilla ended, Dillo continued. It’s weird because in December, Dillo 0 came out. Does that mean it was a beta release or it was an official release? Or is it because computers count from zero onwards? Anyway, onto 2000, the last year before the 21st century; yes, the 21st century started in 2001. Line Mode Browser 5.3.1 and 5.3.2 were released (celebrating its 10th birthday!). Internet Explorer 5 for Mac was released, using the Tasman layout engine. Internet Explorer 5.5 and NetCaptor 6 were released. A new Chinese browser, MyIE2, was announced to be made. Netscape based off of Mozilla (I’ll call it Mozilla Netscape) 6 was released. K-Meleon 0.1 (off of Mozilla) was also released but even before that Galeon 0.6 was released (off of Mozilla!!!) And even after Beonex Communicator 0.6 was released. Yes, it was based off of Mozilla. And even more so, Mozilla 0.6 was released. THE MOZILLA MONSTERS ARE ATTACKING! (Okay, that was a weird exaggeration.) Konqueror 2 for Linux was a new browser. iCab 2 was released, and so was Opera 4 and 5. Opera Mobile 3.6 was released, too. Lynx 2.8.3 was released, and finally Amaya gets to something: 3, 3.1, 3.2, 4, and 4.2. Links 0.9 was released and ending our report is Dillo 0.1. 21st century’s first flight: 2001! Microsoft Mobile Explorer 3 was released. Internet Explorer 6 was released (also Windows XP was released). Internet Explorer for UNIX 5 SP1 was released, and so were Mozilla Netscape 6.1 and 6.2. K-Meleon 0.5 was released when Mozilla took its first steps: 0.7, 0.8, and 0.9. Beonex Communicator 0.7 was released as well as Galeon 1. OmniWeb 4 and iCab 2.5 were released roughly at the same time. AWeb 3.4 was released in January 2001 while Opera 6 was released late in the year. Lynx 2.8.4 was released near the middle of the year. w3m 0.2 was finally released and Amaya 4.3, 5, 5.2, and 5.3 were also released. Arachne 1.7 was released and ELinks was announced (based off of Links). Dillo 0.5 ends our 2001 report once again. 2002. Line Mode Browser 5.4 was released at the end of the year, Internet Explorer 5.2 for Mac was released, and Microsoft Mobile Explorer was ended by Microsoft. NetCaptor 7 was released while Internet Explorer for UNIX was terminated. Slimbrowser was announced while MyIE2 0.(something), 0.45, 0.(something), and 0.6. IEOpera (later renamed Avant) 6.5 and 7 started its journey. Mosaic Netscape ended but Mozilla Netscape (now we can call it just plain Netscape) 7 was released. Camino based off of Mozilla 0.5 was released while Mozilla 1, 1.1, and 1.2 were also released. Mozilla Phoenix 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 were released. Beonex Communicator 0.8 was released and Epiphany for Linux (based off of Galeon) was announced. Konqueror 3 was released, and so was Opera Mobile 5.14. w3m 0.3 was released, and Amaya 6, 6.2, 6.4, and 7 were released. Links 2, ELinks 0.3, and ELinks 0.4 were released all in 2002. NetSurf was announced and Contiki was also announced. 2003! IBrowse 2.3 was released while Greenbrowser, a new browser, released a bunch of versions: 1, 1.(something), 1.(something else), 1.5, 1.(something else), 1.(something else), and 2. NetCaptor 7.5 was released while Slimbrowser kept a steady pace on releases; 3.45, 3.53, 3.71, and 3.80. MyIE2 0.7, 0.8, and 0.9 were released. IEOpera (Avant) 8 was released and so was Netscape 7.1. K-Meleon 0.8 was also released with Mozilla 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5. Mozilla Phoenix was renamed Firebird so as not to be confused with Phoenix Technologies. Mozilla Firebird 0.6 and 0.7 were released, but Beonex Communicator ended its own updating. Epiphany 0.5, 1, and 1.1 were released. Apple decided to step in the browser frenzy with Safari 1. Opera 7 and 7.1 were released and Opera Mobile 6 and 6.1 were released. w3m 0.4 and 0.5 were released, too. Amaya 7.2, 8, 8.1, and 8.2 were relesaed. ELinks 0.9 came out in December while Dillo 0.7 came out in January/February. Contiki 1 and 1.1 end 2003 Browswer Report. 2004. Greenbrowser ended their giant slew with 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3. Slimbrowser 3.91, 4, 4.01, and 4.03 were released. MyIE2 was renamed Maxthon and released Maxthon 1. Avant 9 and 10 were released as well as Netscape 7.2. Mozilla 1.6 and 1.7 were released plus Firefox (renamed from Firebird as to avoid confusion from Thunderbird) 0.8, 0.9, 0.10, and 1. Epiphany 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5 were released, too. Shiira 0.9 was a new Japanese browser. Konqueror 3.2 and 3.3 were released whereas OmniWeb 5 was released nearly at the same time as Konqueror 3.3. AWeb 3.5b was released and Opera 7.5 was released. Lynx 2.8.5 was released, and Amaya 8.(something), 8.5, 8.6, and 8.7 were released. ELinks .10 was released and Dillo 0.8 was made and released to the public near February. 2005. Internet Explorer for Mac ended, but Greenbrowser started making the slew of versions start again: 2.4, 3, 3.1, and 3.2. Internet Explorer Mobile was announced to be made and AOL made AOL Browser 1. Slimbrowser 4.04 and 4.05 were released. Maxthon 1.5, Avant 10.1, and Avant 11 were released, also. Netscape was renamed Netscape Browser, and Netscape Browser 8 was released. Firefox 1.5 was released, but way before that in 2005, Flock, a social web browser, was released with Flock 0.5. Galeon 2, Epiphany 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, and 1.9 were released. Shiira 1, 1.1, and 1.2 were released. Konqueror 3.4 and 3.5 for Linux were also new releases, finally bringing back Konqueror. Safari 2 was released by Apple, and way down, Opera Software announced a new mobile web browser: Opera Mini, making an Opera family of web browsers. Opera 8, Opera 8.5, Opera Mini 1, Opera Mobile 8, and Opera Mobile 8.5 were all the new releases in the Opera family. Amaya 9, 9.1, 9.2, and 9.3 were relesaed. ELinks .11 was released just in December, and Contiki 1.2 ends our 2005 report. We’re getting closer! 2006! Line Mode Browser 5.4.1 and IBrowse 2.4 ended their journeys. Greenbrowser 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, and 3.6 were released. FINALLY Microsoft woke up and made Internet Explorer 7. AOL Browser was renamed AOL Explorer, and 1.5 was released. Slimbrowser 4.07 and 4.08 were made and yet, released to the public. Avant 11.2 and Netscape rowser 8.1 were released around early 2006. K-Meleon 1 was released around July or August, and Camino 1 was released. Mozilla ended, but just before its termination, SeaMonkey 1 was released to take over. Firefox 2 was released near the end, and Flock 0.7; again in mid-2006. Epiphany 2 was released, and going down, OmniWeb 5.5 was also released plus iCab 3. Opera 9, Opera Mini 2, Opera Mini 3, and Opera Mobile 8.6 were the releases in the Opera family. Lynx 2.8.6 was released. Amaya 9.4 and 9.5 were released with ELinks 1.9. Dillo 0.8.6 and Contiki 1.3 were releases. 2007! Greenbrowser 3.9, 4, 4.1, and 4.3 were released. Slimbrowser 4.09 and 4.1 were released along with Maxthon 1.6 and 2. Avant 11.5 was released with Netscape Browser (now Netscape Navigator) 9. K-Meleon 1.1 was released with Camino 1.5. SeaMonkey 1.1 was released in January. Flock 1 was released and Epiphany 2.2 was released. Shiira 2, 2.1, and 2.2 were released for the Mac. Safari 3 was also released, and AWeb ended its journey. The Opera family renamined relatively quiet except for Opera Mini 4’s release. w3m 0.5.3 was released. NetSurf 1, NetSurf 1.1, and Contiki 2 were released in 2007. 2008 has finally come. Greenbrowser 4.4 and 4.5 were released. Internet Explorer Mobile 6 was released and Microsoft announced Internet Explorer Mobile would be going down. Slimbrowser 4.11 was also released. Avant 11.6 and 11.7 were released and Netscape Communications announced Netscape Navigator would no longer be updated. K-Meleon 1.5 was also released. Firefox, which was quiet for the past few years, released version 3. Flock 1.1, 1.2, and 2 were released and Galeon ended. Google introduced Chrome 0.2, preceding Chrome 1 in December. Konqueror 4 and 4.1 were released. iCab 4, 4.1, and 4.2 were released and in December Rekonq started a journey. Opera 9.5, 9.6, Opera Mini 4.1, and 4.2 were released. Amaya 10 and 11 were released and Arachne ended. Links 2.1 and 2.2 were released and so was Dillo 2. NetSurf 1.2 and Contiki 2.2 were released. 2009 is here. Greenbrowser 4.9 and 5.1 were released. Microsoft actually announced Internet Explorer Mobile would be coming back, and so Microsoft started working on it. On the other hand, Internet Explorer 8 came out. Slimbrowser 4.12 also came out near December. Maxthon 2.5 came out early. Classilla took Netscape Navigator’s place with Classilla 9. Camino 2 was released and so was SeaMonkey 2 and Firefox 3.5. Flock 2.5 was released and Epiphany 2.27 was released. Epiphany was ready to change from Gecko to KHTML/Webkit, and so they did in version 2.28. Chrome 2 and 3 came out in 2009. Shiira 2.3 was created as the last version of Shiira. Konqueror 4.2 and 4.3 came out. Safari 4 also came out. OmniWeb 5.10 came out too. iCab 4.5, 4.6, and 4.7 came out. Also iCab Mobile was based off of iCab and released versions 1, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7 and 2. Rekonq 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 were released. Opera 10 and 10.1 were the reports for the Opera family. Lynx 2.8.7 was released (yes, 1992 to 2009 already). Amaya 11.1, 11.2, and 11.3 were the browser’s gasping breaths. ELinks died off, Dillo 2.1 was released, NetSurf 2 was released, and Contiki 2.3 was released. 2010, hello. Finally. Greenbrowser 5.3 and 5.7 were released. Internet Explorer Mobile finally came out with Internet Explorer Mobile 7. Slimbrowser 5 was released. Avant 11.8 was released, too. Classilla 9.1 and 9.2 were released. Firefox 3.6 was released, too. Flock 2.6 was released and was close to making a transition from Gecko to KHTML/Webkit, but did in 3.5 later in the year. A new browser (Rockmelt (version is b1)) entered the fray. Epiphany 2.8 and 2.9 were soon released. Google already started its slew of releases with Chrome 4, 4.1, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Konqueror 4.4 and 4.5 were released. Safari 5 (I use that!) was released, too. iCab 4.8 was released, and iCab Mobile started something: 2.(something), 2.(something else), 3, 3.6, 4, and 4.2. Rekonq 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6 were released. The Opera family started up again: Opera 10.5, Opera 10.6, Opera 11, Opera Mini 5, and Opera Mobile 10. Dillo 2.2, NetSurf 2.5, NetSurf 2.6, and Contiki 2.4 were also released, ending the 2010 report. 2011, close to last year (hey, this is 2013 when I wrote this!). Greenbrowser 5.8, 5.9, and 6 were released. Internet Explorer Mobile 9 and Internet Explorer 9 were released. Slimbrowser 5.01 and Slimbrowser 6 were released. Maxthon 3, 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 were released, too. Avant 11.9 and 12 were released. K-Meleon stopped updating and Camino 2.1 was released. SeaMonkey 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, and 2.6 were released. Firefox 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 were released. Flock stopped updating, stuck at 3.5. Rockmelt b2, b3, b4, and b5 were released. Epiphany 3, 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 were released. Chrome 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 were released. Konqueror 4.6 and 4.7 were released. Safari 5.1 was also released plus OmniWeb 5.11. iCab Mobile 4.(something), 4.(something else), 4.8, 5, 5.1, and 5.3 were released. Rekonq 0.7 and 0.8 were released. Opera 11.1, Opera 11.5, Opera 11.6, Opera Mini 6, Opera Mini 6.1, Opera Mini 6.5, Opera Mobile 11, Opera Mobile 11.1, and Opera Mobile 11.5 were released. w3m ended with 0.5.3. Links 2.3, 2.4, and 2.5 were also released. So was Dillo 3. Ending our report of 2011 is NetSurf 2.7, Netsurf 2.8, and Contiki 2.5. 2012, last year. Greenbrowser 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3 were released. Internet Explorer Mobile 10 and Internet Explorer 10 were released for Windows 8 and Windows Phone. Maxthon 3.4 and 3.5 were released. Classilla 9.3 was released and Camino stopped updating. SeaMonkey 2.7, 2.8, 2.9. 2.10, 2.11, 2.12, 2.13, and 2.14 were released. Firefox also went on a release spree; Firefox 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17. Epiphany was renamed Web and so Web 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, and 3.7 were released. Another releaser on a releasing spree; Chrome with 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23. Konqueror 4.8 and 4.9 were released. iCab 5 was released. iCab Mobile 5.(something), 5.7, 5.8, 5.9, 6, 6.5, and 6.6 were released. Rekonq 0.9, 1, 1.1, 1.3, and 2 were released. Opera 12 was released and the 12.1 series started, Opera Mini 7 and 7.5 were released, and Opera Mobile 12 and the Opera Mobile 12.1 series were released. Links 2.6 and 2.7 were released. NetSurf 2.9 and Contiki 2.6 were released. 2013, this year. Maxthon 4 was released, Avant 13 was released, and SeaMonkey 2.16 was released. Firefox 18, Firefox 19, Chrome 24, Chrome 25, Konqueror 4.10, iCab Mobile 6.8, Rekonq 2.1, and Rekonq 2.2 were released also. To this day, Greenbrowser, Internet Explorer Mobile, Internet Explorer, Slimbrowser, Maxthon, Avant, Classilla, SeaMonkey, Firefox, Rockmelt, Web, Chrome, Konqueror, Safari, OmniWeb, iCab, iCab Mobile, Rekonq, Opera, Opera Mini, Opera Mobile, Lynx, Links, Dillo, NetSurf, and Contiki have survived and are being updated (Lynx has been preety absent for 4 years). And there’s even more out there like Deepnet Explorer!

Hey, did you know I did that in 3 days?

Outsider News: Airline Tickets

This raises a talk about browser security. What do browsers and buying airline tickets have in common? Cookies. No, I don't mean that you should go grab a snack from Google Chrome, I mean the cookies you get when you visit websites. NO, YOU DON'T HAVE A PILE OF COOKIES JUST YET! Sorry, it's not a holiday yet (unless you are reading this on a holiday). What I mean is the computer cookie.

Did you know that airlines artificially raise their prices the more you check? So either don't check that much or... get rid of the cookies. The most common way to is to turn on private browsing or incognito mode.

Don't know how to turn on private browsing or incognito mode? Sorry, I don't want to do it and I'd love to tell you how in Camino (I have Camino) but I doubt that  you're using Camino. If you are, then... um... uh... whatever.

bye-bye!

Bye-Bye Rockmelt

If you've noticed, the Rockmelt browser is a social web browser. At least, was. Rockmelt tried to reimagine itself then failed. When Rockmelt fell, they semi-blamed Google and Microsoft for Google Chrome and Internet Explorer, but they kept quiet when they came to Mozilla (Firefox).

It says, "distributing a web browser is hard and expensive (especially if you don't have an operating system or the world's most trafficked website to promote it)".

Let's think about it. Chrome already has Google to promote it, Internet Explorer has Windows, Safari has Mac OS X, Firefox has... um... Mozilla? And Opera has... pretty much nothing except for the Opera family of browsers (Opera, Opera Mini, and Opera Mobile).

This is a short post, I know. Um, maybe... you want to consider looking for the other posts if you're looking at this post.

Alternative Browsers (Longer List!)

I've grabbed a list of good alternative browsers from Google searches. Yes, I do not use Bing, Yahoo! Search, DuckDuckGo, Blekko, or any other search engine. Trust all my searches all you want and don't trust all my searches all you want.

Whatever. Here are some alternatives to the 5 biggies (IE, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Opera).

Camino

I've mentioned Camino. Camino is based off of Firefox (Gmail generally identifies it as an old version of Firefox), is stable, and can be very good. However Camino is annoying when it comes to updating; if you can't find a way to put Camino in Applications, you're stuck with this version forever.

For your information, Windows people saying 'WHAT???' when I talk about Applications should actually be freaking out about not being able to install Camino; sorry, it's for Mac users. Hey, you're not the only people with the browser choices.

Flock

Flock is a good web browser. With integrations from Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Picasa, Blogger, Gmail, etc., it is a social web browser. Besides that, Flock is based off of Mozilla.

Flock is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Mozilla SeaMonkey

MOZILLA? AGAIN!? Mozilla was the base for many minor web browsers; the open-source project became its own browser, stuck with it, and had other browsers take its place; Camino, SeaMonkey, etc.

But this is the talk about SeaMonkey, not Mozilla.

SeaMonkey has an IRC client, mail client, etc. It's stable and great.

SeaMonkey is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Konqueror

Konqueror; finally a browser that can be powered by more than on engine. KHTML and WebKit are switchable, and... yeah. Konqueror is an open-source project and it is also its own file manager. KDE is also part of Konqueror.

Their debut in 1996 said this: "First comes the Navigator, then Explorer, and then the Konqueror (pun off of conqueror)."

Download Konqueror for Linux. 

K-Meleon

MOZILLA? AGAIN!????????

K-Meleon focuses on speed while remaining a lightweight application and a highly customizable browser. It focuses on the connection between the UI of the Windows system it runs in and the browser.

Download K-Meleon for Windows.

Shiira

Shiira is a browser that is powered by WebKit and written in Cocoa. The goal of it is "to create a better browser than Safari."

DOWNLOAD SHIIRA FOR MAC.

Maxthon

I mentioned Maxthon. It connects between any device in the cloud, and its goal was to produce a browser that is more customizable than Internet Explorer. Made in China, it is hugely popular in China and it achieves slight usage in the US but still is considerable.

Download Maxthon for Windows.

iCab

iCab is a browser specifically for Mac. While it is free, to access the full application, you would need to pay a shareware cost of $20. It is also nagware and will boast a number of features that are not generally found in other browsers.

Download iCab for Mac AT YOUR OWN RISK.

That completes it! =) I have to keep reminding myself not to download another browser since I just reached 5 browsers with Camino (:O). I keep doing a chain download; I downloaded Firefox from Safari, Chrome from Firefox, Opera from Chrome, and Camino from... whoops, Chrome. Broke the chain.

Why Opera Is So Great

Opera is a lightning fast browser that actually can surpass Google Chrome in terms of speed. It is secure, you can sync from it, and if you hover over something and the little box doesn't appear yet, it does quickly in the bottom bar of the browser.

Although Opera keeps its bookmarks in an obscure place (Panels > Bookmarks) instead of many other browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari, you can easily navigate between things. For example, Opera Panels have notes, downloads, history, windows, and you can add more panels while deleting some at the same time.

Opera Dragonfly is easy to find; Safari Web Inspector is a thing, and Chrome Web Inspector is a thing; you can't even change the web page without doing a bunch of double clicks. Sure they have Chrome DevTools, but Opera Dragonfly is also versatile.

Firefox's Firebug? Don't even ask; why an add-on? Internet Explorer's Web Inspector; fairly easy to access but takes up the whole screen.

That's JavaScript/HTML debugging; what else? Well, Opera can tell you how much of a page is loaded by an Elements: property that can say something like Elements: 274/371, telling you the page is almost finished. Also, I'd like to throw in Opera Turbo; bypass Wi-Fi and just cache your way through.

Although you could say the address bar doubles as a search bar but they have a search bar already, the address bar can really help when going away from the set search engine. By default when you download Opera, Google is the search engine, but you can change it. But in the address bar, you can type:

'g' for Google
'b' for Bing
'z' for Amazon
'e' for eBay
'd' for DuckDuckGo
'y' for Yahoo! Search
'bl' for Blekko
and 'w' for Wikipedia

to search up certain things. For example, if I wanted to search 'download opera next' on Bing but my search engine was Google, then I would type in the address bar 'b download opera next'.

However, there is a dark side to every good side. Many web developers develop websites that don't support Opera, but they support Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari. They either don't know about Opera, or they know it but they think only a few Opera users will visit their websites; wait until I start roving around with Opera.

For example, Codecademy Labs and Code School do not necessarily support Opera; Opera works fine but some features are depleted from Opera.

On Apple's website, Internet Explorer and Opera do not render the page correctly (according to Microsoft's modern.ie) because of the 'transition' property. However, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari render the page just fine.

But web developers need to know about Opera. The desperate Opera Software is simply waiting for users of Opera to come. However, they're not; they're Norwegian, after all.

If you don't mind, I'll spoil the death match winner: ***** *****. Yes, you will see.

Alternative Browsers

The big 5 browsers are the most common, but what are the alternatives? Stay tuned.

1. Maxthon Cloud Browser


The Maxthon Cloud Browser available for Windows is a browser that can save data in the cloud. It's fast, it's great, and it's also very good at doing the benchmarks. Maxthon is big in China, where it was developed.


2. Camino

Camino off of Firefox is arguably more Mac than Safari (see Shiira). Clearly, Camino's layout is off by a bit for me, but it is still a great browser. Camino is just more Mac than Safari.


3. Mozilla SeaMonkey

SeaMonkey is a branch off of Mozilla. SeaMonkey is sometimes laggy, slow, and sluggish in moving along, but if you're looking for simple browsing without bits and pieces scattered everywhere, SeaMonkey would be a choice for you.


4. K-Meleon

K-Meleon was a browser developed before Mozilla and was built for you to have control over the browser. K-Meleon is a great browser, it's fast, and settings are quickly accessible.


5. Shiira

Shiira is even more Mac than Camino. Shiira is slow on Windows, but on Mac, it is Mac-ish and doesn't give that Windows feel to it. SamueltehG33K (or something like that) says Shiira is the second-worst browser, worse than Internet Explorer 4 but better than AOL Explorer.


6. Avant

Avant is a browser that you can easily manage. You can switch between three engines (Gecko, Trident, and WebKit), and it is considerably good for you.


THOSE ARE 6 ALTERNATIVE B R O W S E R S!

Microsoft Test Drive Shows Off MSIE

Simply, Microsoft is "promoting" Microsoft Internet Explorer by creating programs on the Microsoft Test Drive.

First, let's look at the Penguin Mark Benchmark on Microsoft Test Drive.

Results on the same Windows 8 PC made Chrome 26 have only a score of < 200 where as Internet Explorer 10 had a score of > 26000.

Clearly Penguin Mark was built to make IE10 look good, but it's still a browser. Chrome and Opera don't quite beat it on my PC and definitely on my Mac (I use BrowserStack). Opera 12.15 doesn't even score anything, and Chrome 21 scores... well... 21.

Next let's look at Audio Explosion. If you're not using Internet Explorer 10, an annoying alert box pops up that says "You are using a browser that doesn't support MSGesture APIs. You aren't getting the best experiences the Internet has to offer! Upgrade to the latest version of Internet Explorer to see what the Web has been waiting for!" even if you have a Mac.

MSGesture API? What? You probably haven't heard of it even as an HTML5 developer. This OBVIOUSLY stands for Microsoft Gesture APIs, which means an annoying thing to Mac users. Since when did you trust Microsoft? (unless you love PCs).

The Mandelbrot Explorer shows my least favorite results. It shows IE 10 as two times faster than Chrome and about 20% faster than Firefox. Look: IE 10, Chrome 23, and Firefox 16.

Did they skew it by emphasizing the test for IE or by outdating the versions?

This is just three tests on Microsoft's Test Drive.

If Microsoft is viewing this post, then I'm sorry, I'm just a Windows hater. I'm sorry I hate you, but I <3 your rival: Apple.

Browser Battle Deathmatch! Round 1: Internet Explorer vs. Safari

This is a battle between browsers! My plan:

Round 1: Internet Explorer 8 vs. Safari 5.0.8
Round 2: Winner of Round 1 vs. Firefox 4
Round 3: Winner of Round 2 vs. Opera 12.15
Round 4: Winner of Round 3 vs. Chrome 21.0.1180.90

This is Round 1: IE8 vs. Safari 5.0.8.

Usability

I find Safari easier to navigate in. Everything is readily available to you, around you. In Internet Explorer 8, a lot of things are hidden in menus (sometimes in menus!), which take the overall clutter out of the main page, giving it a great appearance, but can cause nuisances for people who are often changing settings. However, Safari has a few more options with this:

Result: Tie
Scores: IE: 1/2, Safari: 1/2


Tabs

Nothing with inventing tabs is relevant (Opera invented tabs). But I like how Safari can drag and drop tabs, rearrange them, open new ones, etc. As far as I know, Internet Explorer 8 cannot drag tabs into new windows. Criticize me if they can. I am a Mac user and has slight experience with Windows.

Result: Safari wins
Scores: IE: 1/2, Safari: 1 1/2

Launch Speed


Safari launches quickly, although IE takes a while to. I can argue on uncluttered systems, IE would open up faster than Safari. However on cluttered systems, Safari may open up faster, but I could argue IE even gets Safari on this.

Result: Internet Explorer wins
Scores: IE: 1 1/2, Safari: 1 1/2
Reset to IE 0, Safari 0 (because they are the same)

Plugins

Apple and Microsoft only offer half a handful of extensions and add-ons. Accessing IE add-ons is easy but Apple may have less. Who knows? They're also known for not having many plugins!


Result: Tie
Scores: RESET TO IE 0, SAFARI 0

Performance

Performance with the Peacekeeper benchmark has IE better than Safari.


Result: Internet Explorer wins
Scores: IE: 1, Safari: 0

Security

Security problems are often raised by Microsoft's ActiveX controls. Apple does not use ActiveX, so arguably Microsoft would be less secure.


Result: Safari wins
Scores: IE: 1, Safari: 1
Reset to IE: 0, Safari: 0

This is a tie... Hmm, what should we do?


According to many critics, Safari wins. Sorry, Microsoft, but if you can get over security and extensions and all that stuff, you could win in the 2014 death match!

Next episode: Safari 5 vs. Firefox 4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Top 7 (Open)

I've collected results from other people to make a Top 10 list of browsers. This is the list:

1. Chrome
2. Firefox/Opera (my results disagree)
3. Opera/Firefox (#2 depends)
4. Safari
5. Camino
6. IE/Netscape
7. Netscape/IE (#6 depends)

I don't know if this is accurate, but I would say this:

1. Chrome
2. Opera
3. Safari
4. Firefox
5. Camino
6. IE
7. Netscape

Browsers–Best to Worst (That I Have Used)

Browsers have been around since 1990, so why don't I say the best to worst browsers that I have used. Note that IE was run on Windows 7, and the rest on Mac OS X 10.5.8.

1. Chrome


Chrome is very fast, secure, and excellent with the Omnibox. I have Chrome 21.0.(blah blah blah), which is very good, and all I can say is #1. Peacekeeper by Futuremark notes Chrome as King of the Hill.


2. Opera

Although I have been using Opera only for a week, I can say it should be number 1, except I have not had enough experience. This is Opera 12.15 (I am blogging on Opera right now).


It is very fast, it is easy to navigate in, and excluding startup time, it would be the greatest browser. Allowing panels, Speed Dial (Safari's equivalent is Top Sites), Opera Link, and Opera Turbo and all those other good things, I just wish the greatness has spread to the US rather than be stuck in countries around Norway.

3. Safari


Safari is definitely also very good. Preinstalled with Mac computers, it can move quickly, Top Sites are awesome, and even the navigation is organized. Safari is fast to open, secure, and it quickly moves along with the connection. I use Safari 5.0.8.


4. Firefox

Firefox is very good in terms of speed, add-ons, and search. However, Firefox does not have a top sites option, and it can be slow with many windows open. That's all I can say. I could be accusing Firefox, but actually, I am using Firefox 4, a very old version of the browser. Firefox 20 is out and I'm not even using Firefox 5.


5. Internet Explorer

PUT EXTRA EMPHASIS ON THIS HORRIBLE BROWSER!!!


Internet Explorer is slow, totally annoying, and Microsoft has to do IE5 and IE6 with "ActiveXObject()" in Ajax!

GOD, EVEN IE8 SUCKS!

THEY KEPT MAKING EXCUSES FOR NOT PASSING THE ACID TESTS.

I was using IE9 at the time, and now: IE10.

Comparison of the Five Major Browsers

So I decided to compare the five major browsers in terms of security and Acid test scores.

General Information

This is not even relevant, but I will give general information.

Google Chrome was created by Google, has a layout engine of WebKit, and the latest version is 26.0.1410.43.

Internet Explorer was made by Microsoft and Spyglass, is free only with a legal Windows license, has a layout engine of Trident, and the latest version is 10.0.3.

Mozilla Firefox was created by the Mozilla Foundation, has a layout engine of Gecko, and the latest version is Firefox 19.0.2.

Opera was created by Opera Software, has a layout engine of Presto until 12.14, and the latest release version is Opera 12.14, where the layout engine is WebKit.

Safari was created by Apple, has a layout engine of WebKit, and the latest version is 6.0.3.

Security

According to Secunia...

Chrome 25 has no critical vulnerabilities.

IE 10 has no critical vulnerabilities, but who uses IE 10? People use IE8 and IE9, and IE8 has 1 barely critical plus 7 non-critical, and IE9 has non-critical vulnerabilities (1) but still has vulnerabilities.

Firefox 19, Opera 12, and Safari 6 have no critical vulnerabilities.

Acid Test Scores

All passed the Acid1 on time, but when the Acid2 test came, it was a disaster for some browsers.

Internet Explorer 7 was did not pass, and when it didn't, Microsoft responded that the Acid2 test was more of a "wish list" of features than an actual web standards test. Microsoft then announced to the public that IE8 would pass, but the settings needed to pass were not turned on by default, so IE8 wouldn't pass the test eventually. They said so as not to make webpages have problems because they expected IE's (sucking!) old, non-compliant behavior. However, when IE8 Beta 1 came out, they did turn on the settings by default. However, it had an issue IE8 Beta 2 solved.

A timeline of Acid2 passers are available. Safari (privately) passed first, then iCab, then Konqueror. Then, iCab passed publicly, and Safari passed again with source code available. Finally Safari 2.0.2 really passed, making it the first officially released browser to do so. Konqueror 3.5 passed a month later, Prince 5.1 did a few days after Konqueror, and finally Opera 9 Dev passed in 2006. It was a public weekly build. Konqueror 3.5.2 correctly rendered it (previously, it was not but Konqueror passed anyway). Firefox, on April 11, 2006, passed and so (public nightly build). Then a private build of Opera Mobile for the Symbian OS passed, making it the first mobile browser to do so. OmniWeb 5.5 beta 1 passed as a public build, making it the second WebKit browser to do so (after Safari). Opera 9.0 passed about a month before OmniWeb, and Obigo passed on Independence Day. iCab 3.0.3 finally correctly rendered it (same case as Konqueror). It went so on, and the last major browser to do so was IE8, on March 19, 2009. Google Chrome passed Dec 11, 2008 but Chrome was released in 2008.

Acid3 was hard for some browsers. WebKit rose from 60 to 87 in less than a month, dramatically being so great.

By the end of March 2008, development versions using the Presto and WebKit layout engines passed well. Opera and Safari were to pass first.

Then, Chrome 2.0 got a score of 100/100, but did not render the page correctly. New release versions of Chrome 2.0 passed later in the year.

Firefox and IE suffered.

Firefox 3 was focusing on stability rather than Acid3 success. As a result, Firefox 3 scored 71/100. Firefox 3.5 scored 93/100, Firefox 3.6 scored 94/100, and Firefox 4 scored 97/100 because it did not support SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) fonts. They were removed from Acid3, allowing Firefox 4 to pass.

IE very much suffered. Microsoft (god!) kept making excuses that Acid3 was like a wish list. IE8 scored 20/100, worse than all relevant browsers at the time. IE needed 4 times and Firefox needed 3 times.

Criticism was made, especially by Mozilla and Microsoft.

Internet Explorer Sucks

Yes, you heard me. Internet Explorer just sucks. It seems so... not secure! First of all, Microsoft got this: "Hey, Internet Explorer has ActiveX! It makes us so unique! We will have largest market share!"

Fine, Microsoft really didn't do that. But why does it have to be so unnecessary to have ActiveX? It is a pain for Ajax programmers when they use the XMLHttpRequest, and they have to accommodate the IE users (so many!) in IE5 and IE6 by using a "new ActiveXObject()".

Sorry if you were not geeky enough to understand that programming stuff, but do you think Internet Explorer is good? For me, it is the slowest browser. I even ran a test on it over Safari, Firefox, and Chrome, connected to the same network, and in the same environment. Internet Explorer pretty much lost.

And Apple was so generous to give Safari to Windows (5.1.7) and Windows is not giving Internet Explorer past version 5, the sucking version that seems to be so DISTRACTING!!!




THAT'S A NIGHTMARE UP THERE!

And even so, Microsoft kept making excuses on why they wouldn't pass the Acid3 test. Microsoft, you need to improve Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer 9 is even worse than Safari 5.

Your tasks are:

If you are an IE hater, good job! Internet Explorer is the worst thing ever.
If you use IE or have used it before (I don't have to face the wrath of downloading another browser since I use a Mac! (singsongy voice)), describe your worst experience.
If you love IE, run away until the bells call you back to the blog. Just kidding, wait until the next post comes.

Browser Talk

Browser Talk is a blog to talk about browsers. I don't know what else, but I've been grabbing great results:

• Internet Explorer Sucks!
• The Webkit browser layout engine is awesome (yes, we can talk about layout engines)
• Chrome, Fast Chrome
• Why Did Netscape *ACTUALLY* Go Away?

Okay, I may be stretching the truth a bit, but blah. Blogging starts anytime I can do it, which is right now!