Web Browsers Reviews

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Web Browsers Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Web Browsers Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. CNet.com	Internet Explorer 7 vs. Firefox 2 Robert Vamosi Not Dated		Robert Vamosi and a panel of three CNet.com judges -- Peter Butler, Rafe Needleman and Elsa Wenzel -- evaluate Internet Explorer and Firefox in a head-to-head competition based on five distinct criteria. In each category, Firefox came out as the unequivocal winner. Customization options, integrated spell-check, strong security and Mozilla's prompt response to vulnerabilities are among the many features that push Firefox to the forefront

Web Browsers Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Web Browsers Ratings Comments on Reviews

2. Softpedia.com	IE7 vs. Firefox 2.0 vs. Opera 9.20 – Looking for the appropriate web browser Ionut Ilascu May 2007		Ionut Ilascu puts the leading browsers through their paces in a series of tests to quantify their respective performance. Opera soars ahead on all counts but security, where Internet Explorer excels. Firefox proves to be a sound middle-of-the-road contender. No clear winner emerges and user needs are emphasized as being key to choosing the best browser.
3. Extreme Tech.com	Which New Browser Is Best: Firefox 2, Internet Explorer 7, or Opera 9? Michael W. Muchmore July 2006		This older comparison looks at the latest versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera when they first debuted. Though a few comments are now dated, most of the points remain valid. Michael Muchmore compares features in a table, which makes some key differences easy to spot. Extensive discussion adds further insight on each browser's strengths and weaknesses. In the end, Muchmore names no clear winner, instead saying, "Users will reap some benefits from upgrading to any of these browsers, and all are excellently engineered, well-working software with lots of convenience, capability, and security."
4. ReadWriteWeb.com	Web Browser Faceoff Alex Iskold Oct. 2006		This analysis of six browsers stops short of declaring an official winner, but Alex Iskold's assessment leaves few questions: Opera rises to the top. The review finds Opera to be fast and richly featured. Its only downfalls are poor marketing and a lack of the "coolness" factor enjoyed by Firefox. Firefox also fares well; competitors Internet Explorer, Safari, Flock and Maxthon are marked by technical shortcomings.
5. eWeek	Safari on Windows Falls Short of Top Browsers Jim Raposa June 2007		According to Jim Raposa, Mac's foray into Windows-based web browsing fails to compare to other available browsers. Raposa notes that Safari's Mac-like user interface will stymie most native Windows users, and even Mac users are unlikely to be satisfied with limited customization and extensibility options. This review concludes that, though on par with Internet Explorer, Safari falls short of competitors Firefox and Opera.
6. ScottBerkun.com	Browser Review: IE7 & Firefox 2.0 Scott Berkun Nov. 2006		Author, consultant and former Microsoft manager Scott Berkun is underwhelmed by both Internet Explorer and Firefox. He praises the design changes in IE but notes visual missteps. Firefox's release is called unexciting. Although he notes that IE's functionality is improved in the latest version, Berkun identifies Firefox as being more functional and richly featured.
7. Extreme Tech.com	10 Reasons Not to Use Safari on Windows Michael W. Muchmore July 2007		This review leaves no question about writer Michael Muchmore's opinion on using Safari for Windows. He finds the browser inefficient and user un-friendly by every conceivable measure. Muchmore instead recommends Opera for its speed, look and security.
8. Network Computing	Review: Camino 1.5 Mitch Wagner June 2007		In a side-by-side comparison of Mac browsers, Camino beats out Firefox and Safari, if only by a hair. In performance tests, Camino comes out on top; it renders pages well and provides an excellent user interface. Reviewer Mitch Wagner states that Camino is a clearly superior choice to Firefox and marginally better than Safari.
9. ReadWriteWeb.com	The New Browser War: Mobile Firefox vs. Opera Mini Sarah Perez Jan. 2008		This head-to-head competition pits the currently available Opera browser for mobile devices against the still-in-development Mobile Firefox. Exciting features proposed for Firefox are outlined, such as add-ons and desktop synchronization capabilities. But, these innovations are already available on Opera Mini. Sarah Perez concludes that Firefox may gain popularity due to widespread use of its desktop browser, but Opera is ahead of the game in mobile browsing.
10. MostofMyMac.com	Safari 3 Faces Off Against Firefox Vinzy July 2007		This evaluation of Mac browsers compares Firefox and Safari on speed, tabbed browsing and search capabilities. Though Firefox has the edge in search options, Safari is the clear overall leader. It is said to be faster, with a superior user interface and greater functionality.
11. Computerworld.com >> Details/Subscribe	Battle of the betas: Firefox 3 beats IE8 Preston Gralla Mar. 2008		In this blog post, Preston Gralla pits the next generation of Firefox and Internet Explorer against each other and names a clear winner. Though he finds some nice new features in the forthcoming IE8, Gralla says most are "peripheral to the browsing experience." On the other hand, Firefox 3's enhancements "are aimed at making everyday browsing better and simpler."
12. Macworld >> Details/Subscribe	E-mail and Internet Reviews. Editors of Macworld As of Mar. 2008		Macworld reviews virtually every Mac web browser from well known contenders to sparsely used also-rans. Reviews cover the basics, but are not overly detailed. Pros and cons are highlighted, and browsers are rated on a scale of one to five "mice." Each review concludes with a Buying Advice section that delivers a bottom line assessment. However, though Macworld's reviewers are knowledgeable and credible, too many different reviewers report on different browsers to give the ratings context. Safari receives the highest rating and is recommended for its seamless integration with other Mac applications. Camino, however, is fast and well designed, though with less features than other browsers. Firefox is feature-laden and powerful, but slow. Opera has some good qualities, but other browsers deliver "a more pleasant web surfing experience."

Web Browsers Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Web Browsers Ratings Comments on Reviews

13. Applelinks.com	Reviews Charles W. Moore As of Mar. 2008		Reviewer Charles W. Moore covers lots of Mac hardware and software, including browsers, in full and "mini" single product reports. One downside to the site is that the browser reviews are interspersed with all other reviews, so it takes some hunting to find them. Most recently, Moore reports on the Firefox 3 beta 4 and comes away generally impressed. A mini review of iCab addresses recent improvements, and says the browser now holds its own speed-wise against Firefox and Safari, but makes no other specific comparisons or recommendations. Camino is called swift, smooth and refined, with Moore adding it "provides plenty of reasons to make it your default browser." Moore calls Opera one of his favorite browsers, but admits that "it still has room for improvement."
14. Information Week >> Details/Subscribe	Review: Microsoft Internet Explorer 7, Firefox, And Other Browsers In Four-Way Shootout Ed Bott, Scot Finnie, Dennis Fowler and Ron White Feb. 2006		In this older review, four tech experts debate which is the best browser -- Internet Explorer, Firefox, Maxthon or Opera. Ed Bott assures readers that Internet Explorer is solid and attractive with robust security features. Scot Finnie praises Firefox's simplicity, security (in avoiding ActiveX and VBScript) and for being the first to identify tabbed browsing as a pivotal feature. Dennis Fowler says Opera meets Firefox on the basics but adds some frills that Firefox lacks, including a capacity for almost limitless customization. Ron White says Maxthon is powerful, with almost every conceivable browsing tool. In the end, no clear "winner" emerges but the reader comes away with a renewed appreciation for expanding browser options.
15. eWeek	Opera Beta Links Web Across Systems Jim Raposa Oct. 2007		This article looks ahead to the impending Opera 9.5 release. Jim Raposa discovers a few gems in an otherwise bare-bones update. A new History Search function simplifies the process of re-finding previously browsed data. Perhaps most exciting, however, is Opera Link, which enables synchronization of data between desktop and mobile devices.
16. Network Computing	Safari 3.0 Beta Barbara Krasnoff June 2007		Barbara Krasnoff assesses Apple's Safari as a Windows browser. She finds some nifty tools and advantages, but also notes the lack of features that are intuitive for most Windows users. Krasnoff ultimately concludes that Safari is a good browser, but is inferior to Firefox.
17. eWeek	Opera 9 Is Music to eWEEK Labs Ears Jim Raposa June 2006		Raposa is an unabashed fan of Opera, writing that it is the most innovative browser of recent years. In Raposa's opinion, "If market share correlated strictly with quality, Opera would be the top browser today." He notes that a search customization feature that allows users to add a website's search engine to Opera's list of integrated search engines is among the browser's most valuable tools. He also applauds Opera's ability to selectively block content within a website.
18. The Washington Post >> Details/Subscribe	Opera Browser, Still Perfecting Its Pitch Michael Tedeschi July 30, 2006		Michael Tedeschi describes some of Opera's features as more "amusing than useful." These include voice recognition (the browser responds to voice commands and reads web pages), a trashcan that can retrieve closed tabs and a notes tool that allows you to add notes about a website. He appreciates a thumbnail feature allowing users to navigate multiple tabs more easily (place the cursor over a tab and a thumbnail of the page displays with its title and address). Improved security features are mentioned without elaboration. Legacy features such as tabbed browsing, bookmark importing, flawless mail and RSS news feeds are all praised.
19. Computer Shopper	Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 David McKinnon Aug. 2006		Reviewer David McKinnon notes that Internet Explorer's interface has been pared back from previous versions and that the browsing pane is bigger. He appreciates the less clunky navigation buttons and their improved placement. He also applauds tabbed browsing, and prefers Explorer's thumbnail preview pane to Opera's mouse-over previews. McKinnon praises the dedicated search in the toolbar that allows you to use popular engines without visiting them. In addressing Internet Explorer's security, he notes that Protected Mode relies on the architecture of Windows Vista, so is unavailable to XP users.
20. CNetDownload.com	Opera 9.26 Editors of CNet.com Feb. 2008		Editors of CNet's Download.com award Opera a rating of five out of five. They praise the tabbed browsing that lets you preview a page before opening it, as well as the advanced bookmarking tool that easily imports from any popular browser. Mouse-gesture support and keyboard shortcuts are noted, as are the Wand utility that helps auto-fill online forms and securely saves passwords for multiple sites. User reviews are almost as complimentary, which is rare at this site.
21. About.com	A Comparison of Web Browsers for Windows Scott Orgera Not Dated		Though this head-to-head comparison lacks much of the depth in reviews we rate higher, it does a decent job of outlining the reasons some users should pick either Firefox or Internet Explorer. About.com's guide to web browsers, Scott Orgera, says that the choice in past versions would have been a "slam dunk" in Firefox's favor, but that now Internet Explorer has closed the gap considerably. He says the decision about which one is better is "too tough to call," and recommends users to give both a test run. (Note that About.com and ConsumerSearch are owned by the same parent company, but are not affiliated editorially.)

Web Browsers Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Web Browsers Ratings Comments on Reviews

22. eWeek	Firefox 3 Beta Boosts Usability, Security Jim Raposa Nov. 2007		Jim Raposa looks at a beta release of Firefox 3 and says, "It almost seems as if Mozilla listened to the most common complaints… and decided to address them." Though the user interface is little changed from Firefox 2, significant functionality and usability improvements have been implemented. Particularly notable are strengthened security features and the promised ability to run offline.
23. AppleMatters.com	Review: Camino Browser 1.5 Devanshu Mehta June 2007		In this single product review, Devanshu Mehta says the latest version of Camino delivers an impressive set of features. The article includes some helpful information, including tips on migrating from Firefox to Camino. No ratings are provided, and comparisons are only made with Firefox. Mehta commends the browser's speed, which he says is considerably faster than Firefox, and its "uncluttered and streamlined design."
24. MacZealots.com	Camino: Firefox Power. Mac Style Justin Williams June 2007		This article details several days of browsing using Camino in place of Safari, which had been the reviewer's previous choice. Justin Williams delivers a balanced assessment of strong points and weaknesses, and notes that power users might be better served by Firefox or Safari. However, Williams concludes that he will be switching to Camino as his default browser for the time being, saying, "Camino is fast, responsive and beautiful: all the things I look for in a Mac application."
25. Softpedia.com	Internet Explorer 8 vs. Firefox 3.0 Beta 2 vs. Opera vs. Safari Marius Oiaga Dec. 2007		This article examines Microsoft's claim that the next generation Internet Explorer 8 is the only web browser able to pass the Web Standards Project Acid2 test, which challenges browsers to accurately reproduce a complex web page that includes features that are part of the web standard, but are not widely used because of lack of browser support. Marius Oiaga confirms that IE8 can pass the Acid2 test, but adds that Opera, Safari and the latest Firefox beta are all able to pass that test as well. While interesting, this comparison only addresses this one esoteric issue and is of minimal value in answering the question of which browser is best.
26. Arstechnica.com	First impressions: Opera 9.5 alpha a worthy contender Jeremy Reimer Sept. 2007		Jeremy Reimer offers some first impressions on the next Opera update and comes away pleased. He does admit bias, saying that Opera is already his "browser of choice," but adds that this latest version is a solid improvement. The report details some of what Reimer feels are the most significant enhancements and changes. Though this is a good preview, few negatives are noted and only minimal comparisons to other browsers are made.
27. PCPro.co.uk	Product Reviews: Netscape Navigator 9 Beta 1 Davey Winder June 2007		Britain's PC Pro is one of the few to weigh in on the final Netscape release. Davey Winder finds the browser does very little to distinguish itself from Firefox, concluding, "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."
28. Network Computing	Analysis: Browser Security – Browsing for Trouble Roger Beall Mar. 2007		This article tackles security issues when running web browsers on a large network. Roger Beall contends that Internet Explorer holds an overwhelming edge on that score due to its "ability to tightly manage distributed browsers," which, he adds, "is basic to keeping them secure." The article also includes practical pointers for network administrators looking to keep security risks to a minimum.

Web Browsers Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Web Browsers Ratings Comments on Reviews

29. W3Schools.com	Browser Statistics Editors of W3Schools.com As of Mar. 2008		Although not technically a review site, W3 Schools provides online tutorials for people interested in web technologies. The site includes an interesting table of browser usage statistics collected over a five-year period. This table, including IE7, clearly shows the long and medium-term trends.