UKH

My current preferred web browser is Firefox but a new PC I have came with Edge on it and I haven't used it yet. Another laptop I use has Chrome which seems OK.

What does the hive mind of UKC prefer to use? Oh and 'Why?'

A recent Windows update came with a very strong 'encouragement' (!) to start using Edge, i.e. you needed to be very careful to hunt down the various screen options to close it without it, presumably, declaring itself your default. It may well be a huge improvement on IE (which wouldn't be difficult!) but have an aversion to even trying it out when faced with such insidious tactics. I'm still happy with Chrome.

Even web developers have struggled to care for the last 5 years or so... Whichever happens to be installed. Usually Chrome.

Usually use Chrome or Firefox. Edge is pretty fast now it's using the same rendering engine as Chrome though.

Would recommended anything other than Safari these days, it's the new Internet Explorer.

I use a mix.

Firefox for general browsing in pretty locked down mode (thanks to various addons) then chrome in private mode for if something I can be arsed looking at complains about the lock down.

Chrome, it just works and has plenty of useful plugins and extensions to make thing easier too.

Chrome has been really good for me for years but it's beginning to get sluggish - I'm wondering if I've fed it too many cookies or something? If anyone has got any tips to speed it up again, I'd appreciate it!

Exacty the same here, though i use Chrome in 'normal' mode with a couple lightweight addons.

Firefox, mainly out of principle, but it is starting to become serious bloatware. I would be interested in a non Google or MS alternative.

Alternatives like Opera simply crash too often on my ancient Macbook Pro.

I also agree that Safari is very sluggish, also, it tends to crash (on my office mac) with certain bioinformatics websites that run fine with all other browsers.

CB

Chrome is an absolute ram hog. If you’re using a lower species machine and have multiple tabs open at time, could be the problem.

Netscape navigator!!

A Dell Inspiron 5758. Closing some of the tabs and applications has helped, cheers!

On a tangent to this: I run both Chrome and Firefox on my PC.  I like running two because it's convenient for keeping two different email addresses open at the same time - my wife uses this PC a lot too.  It's been pretty reliable for years but all of a sudden it's developed a habit of crashing - the computer continues to run but the signal to the monitor gets cut off.  Resetting it is the only way out.

It's random, but always happens when I'm doing something in Firefox, and it seems to be linked to how many tabs I have open - more than four or five tabs dramatically increases the odds it'll go.

I'm about to remove Firefox and shift to doing everything in Chrome, or possibly Edge.  But before I do that, is there any obvious fix?

Chromium - Google open source code without the Google or Microsoft bits that make it Chrome or Edge.

Chromium as my main browser.  Firefox is my go to when something doesn't work in Chromium, but that's rare.

As a developer for a bioinformatics website (probably not any of the ones you are talking about, but nonetheless), we try to keep everything compatible with Safari but it causes us many more problems than Firefox or Chrome/Chromium/Edge.  We do our best, but unfortunately when something slips the net it is usually Safari users that take the hit.

Chrome at home, then FF at work for most stuff. IT dept at work sent this out this week though:-

"We've just installed the new version of EDGE on your machines. we would really recommend switching to this web browser if you have not already done so,  it is much more reliable and we have had quite a few reports of issues using Firefox especially with working from home and we are finding general use of the new Edge works extremely well with what is used in our business."

I've not tried it yet.

I use Vivaldi as my default browser at home and Edge as my default browser at work in preference to Chrome or Internet Exploder.

https://vivaldi.com/

To be honest I think the differences are slight on a PC but I like Vivaldi because it is very customisable.

Chrome. I did use Firefox but I prefer the Google integration.

Unfortunately need iexplorer on Windows as it's the only way to authenticate a network share that link to Sharepoint. Stupid Windows.

i've been using Brave for a little while which is based on chromium with a focus on privacy. Seems ok

Thanks, will give it a try!

CB

if you use Ecosia they plant trees with profits

Firefox works well for me and has good privacy. Occasionally use chrome if site doesn't load (usually confirms site is down rather than a browser issue). Dislike Edge barging in...

Opera because when you close it with more than one tab open it warns me that “you are about to quit Opera” which always amuses me because I can’t sing a note 

Mainly Chrome and Firefox but Puffin is sometimes handy for free viewing of Flash sites on tablets.

I use Firefox, the current iteration of it is quick and reliable.

That was the reason I switched to Firefox, Chrome is getting very bloated indeed, not the lightweight browser it was originally conceived as.  Firefox was going that way, but the latest iteration is much quicker and lighter.

Ecosia is just a search engine rather than a browser is it not?

As an alternative I would recommend Vivaldi. It uses the open source Chromium engine and can use all the Chrome extension without any problem.

Also European made and Not controled by a large advertising company (i.e. Google).

Yes, Brave seems now to be marginally the best of them. Opera next best (re. another post above, it scarcely ever crashes on my MacBook Pro) There was some memory issue with Chrome. Safari not so good. Firefox has given probs in the past.

Thanks!

CB

To the thread (and other threads) in general:
What is everyone's issue with Safari? I see a mostly anti-Safari feeling going on. I've not really had any issues with it, on my MacBook Pro and iPhone (where it is the default and I've been lazy enough not to bother changing it, although I do have Opera installed now on my MacBook Pro)

Thanks for all your replies, that was really useful. I originally asked the question because I was having problems with Chrome that didn't appear In Firefox. It came to a head when I realised that it was a hard drive problem exacerbated by the fact that I had stuffed Chrome with bookmarks. A new laptop was required!

On the new laptop I have had to use Edge to get started but have defaulted to Firefox which has not given problems on other machines I use.

Thanks again folks.

I was looking at old UKC threads last night, that I have archived. Chrome simply would not open them. Firefox would.

I need to have a play with alternative browsers, because Chrome seems to gobble CPU, and Firefox nags me to upgrade every five minutes, and it is updated every ten minutes, or so it seems... Loading pages is getting as slow as it used to be on slower networks. Partly bloated pages (especially those with animated adverts...), partly bloated browsers.

Hi everyone.

Does 'chromium' use RAM like chrome does?

I'm having big problems with chrome and memory issues make complete sense, but non of my googling every brought that to light. Thank you.

The latest incarnation of Edge is a rebadged Chrome anyway - still seems to tun slower though.

I usually use Firefox and Chrome - but I have to say, the new, Chromium-based Edge is really pretty good. It's a complete rewrite, not really an upgraded version of the old Edge.

The old Edge is awful.

And whatever you do, don't set Edge as your pdf viewer!

Anyone still using older computers ? I have an AppleMac with PowerPC G5 & OS 10.5.8

V limited choice of browsers ! I have TenFourFox running ok when the graphics aren't too heavy ...

That’s what I was thinking? I never even knew there were so many alternatives, or why anyone would even care?

I assume it all depends on what you ‘browse’ for. But I never use anything but Safari. At work I just use whatever my employer adds to the laptop.

Brave has done some seemingly shady things: https://davidgerard.co.uk/blockchain/2020/06/06/the-brave-web-browser-is-hi...

I'd give it a further investigation.

Firefox + ublock Origin for a truly privacy conscious browsing experience IMO.