Web Browsers Reviews

Though Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) is the best known and still the most widely-used Internet browser -- after all, it comes bundled with practically every PC sold -- it is anything but the favorite for many users. Earlier versions were plagued by well documented security and usability shortfalls, providing an opening for competitors. Today, Windows users (and Mac users to a lesser degree) can choose from several alternative browsers, some of which have advantages over IE.

Most of the best comparative reviews we found when compiling this report were written when the three most popular Windows browsers -- Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera -- last released major updates. Though a little older, those comparisons remain largely valid as only Opera has seen a significant change in features. Opera has added anti-phishing capabilities and a "speed dial" function, which calls up favorite web pages at the press of a single key.

With that in mind, eWEEK, a weekly technology-insider magazine, and the technology editors of CNet.com offer the best, most critical reviews comparing major web browsers. ExtremeTech.com, ReadWriteWeb.com (a web technology weblog) and Softpedia.com are among those who also review browsers in sufficient detail, but do not rank or specifically identify "winning" browsers. We also found some good coverage elsewhere, including single browser reports in Computer Shopper (UK), Internet Week and The Washington Post.

One of the few available reviews of Netscape 9, written by Davey Winder for Britain's PC Pro, notes that the latest Netscape versions use the same Gecko page-rendering engine that drives Firefox, which means that Netscape users looking for a new home will acclimate quickly and easily to the Firefox browser.

Though Winder says Netscape 9 is faster and leaner than Internet Explorer, and features some interesting networking tools, he says that aside from social-networking features, the browser does little to distance itself from Firefox. "Why anyone other than already committed users of Netscape.com services would be tempted to use Navigator 9 instead of Firefox is, frankly, beyond us," he adds. Netscape Communications is advising Netscape users to migrate instead to either Firefox or Flock, a "social media" web browser that also uses Firefox's rendering engine.  ... Continued

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

When it comes to browsers, it seems beauty is in the eye of the beholder as most have their fans. Those who put security first and foremost favor Internet Explorer. Opera sits at the other extreme; it is lean and fast, but offers the least protection against the hazards on the web. Firefox strikes a balance, offering both good performance and security, but is not the best at either. Still, more reviewers favor it more than any other Windows browser. For Mac users, Camino gets a slight nod over Safari, but most say both are fine choices. Firefox and Opera are lesser contenders on the Mac platform. Opera Mini has an early lead among browsers for mobile devices.