Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

What is your main browser?

  • Safari

    Votes: 36 51.4%
  • Google Chrome

    Votes: 25 35.7%
  • Mozilla Firefox

    Votes: 9 12.9%

  • Total voters
    70

MacMan988

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 7, 2012
833
116
Hi, This is a super noob question. I have been using only safari and I see that there are a lot of chrome users out there now. What is the advantage of using chrome over Safari? What would I miss if I make the Chrome my default browser?

I know I can download and try it out, but I believe an experienced chrome user can give a better answer for this. Thanks for coming to my thread.
 
Last edited:

MacDawg

Moderator emeritus
Mar 20, 2004
19,823
4,503
"Between the Hedges"
I used Chrome for quite a while and have recently returned to Safari
I can't say that either is truly better/faster than the other
Chrome probably has more extensions available

Mostly it is just personal preference
 

SandboxGeneral

Moderator emeritus
Sep 8, 2010
26,482
10,051
Detroit
Hi, This is a super noob question. I have been using only safari and I see that there are a lot of chrome users out there now. What is the advantage of using chrome over Safari? What would I miss if I make the Chrome my default browser?

I know I can download and try it out, but I believe an experienced chrome user can give a better answer for this. Thanks for coming to my thread.

I use Chrome because I can sync my bookmarks across my Mac, iPhone, iPad and Windows 7 computer at work. I use Gmail as my primary email account so I can sign into Chrome with it and achieve that sync across all platforms.

Plus Chrome uses the protocol SPDY, which with websites that enable it, can improve their load times up to 30%. Chrome and Firefox both use SPDY, but Safari does not, at least yet.

I like Safari, but Chrome has a better ease of use for me.
 

charlieegan3

macrumors 68020
Feb 16, 2012
2,394
17
U.K
Chrome is the best for syncing but i too have recently returned to safari as it works so much better with the retina display and in full screen mode.
 

MacDawg

Moderator emeritus
Mar 20, 2004
19,823
4,503
"Between the Hedges"
Safari bookmark syncing with my iPhone and iPad is better than Chrome's recent entry
And with Safari as the default on my iDevices that is helpful for me
 

Sylon

macrumors 68020
Feb 26, 2012
2,032
80
Michigan/Ohio, USA
I prefer Chrome over Safari. When I first bought my Macbook, the first thing I installed was Chrome, as it was my primary browser on my Windows PC. With bookmark and login syncing at the time, it was perfect. Not to mention I feel the extensions are better on the Chrome side. Safari's extensions are more miss than hit. Now with tab syncing, Chrome has a boost with my iPhone and iPad as well. Being that my iPad is jailbroken, Chrome is my primary browser on there as well, and has Adblocker. I have the perfect setup.
 

Drew017

macrumors 65816
May 29, 2011
1,254
11
East coast, USA
I prefer Safari, (Both in Lion and Mountain Lion) because it fits seamlessly with OS X and seems more lightweight than chrome. When Safari can't handle something, I use Chrome (for instance with some youtube videos)
 

MacMan988

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 7, 2012
833
116
Thanks for all the people who has replied and voted. Please post your ideas as well.
 

wrldwzrd89

macrumors G5
Jun 6, 2003
12,110
77
Solon, OH
Fortunately I'm unaffected by the MBA Kernel Panic issue - I don't use an MBA ;) I like Chrome for its simple sync implementation. None of the other browsers I have tried does sync as well as Chrome does. If only it wasn't WAY too easy to permanently lose your sync setup in Firefox... I'd be using that instead.
 

NotYoMac

macrumors member
Jul 8, 2012
32
0
Mineola, TX
I use Safari due to the sharing features between other apple products like the book marks as well. I also hear that in ML Safari is a vast improvement to its current?

Guess I will see when ML comes out! Anyway I voted Safari ;)
 

MacMan988

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 7, 2012
833
116
Thanks for all inputs. I started trying the chrome browser. what are the chrome specific things that makes you attached to it ?
 

D-a-a-n

macrumors 6502
Mar 22, 2010
270
237
Chrome because Safari is really (!) bad for playing any flash content. And you can reopen your last closed tab with cmd-shift-tab in Chrome, Safari doesn't have that feature...:eek:
 

MacMan988

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 7, 2012
833
116
Chrome because Safari is really (!) bad for playing any flash content. And you can reopen your last closed tab with cmd-shift-tab in Chrome, Safari doesn't have that feature...:eek:

I did not know that! Thanks for the input.
 

east85

macrumors 65816
Jun 24, 2010
1,343
495
I just use Safari for OS X in addition to the following extensions:

1. ninjakit (greasemonkey)
2. adblock
3. click2flash

Honestly, those are all I really need for just about anything. Safari runs beautifully in "full screen" mode, which is important on my 13.3" MacBook. I essentially live in "full screen" apps. I do always use Chrome for the Windows machines I work with though. From my experience it is superior to Firefox in just about every way on both Windows and OS X, speed and load times being the most obvious.
 

MacMan988

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 7, 2012
833
116
I just use Safari for OS X in addition to the following extensions:

1. ninjakit (greasemonkey)
2. adblock
3. click2flash

Honestly, those are all I really need for just about anything. Safari runs beautifully in "full screen" mode, which is important on my 13.3" MacBook. I essentially live in "full screen" apps. I do always use Chrome for the Windows machines I work with though. From my experience it is superior to Firefox in just about every way on both Windows and OS X, speed and load times being the most obvious.

I didn't know about the ninjakit. Thx for the reply. looks like there are more Safari users than Chrome.
 

ScoobyMcDoo

macrumors 65816
Nov 26, 2007
1,188
37
Austin, TX
I guess that eleventy billion "what is the best browser" threads is not enough?

Maybe if folks keep asking this question over and over, finally there will be a consensus.
 

MacMan988

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 7, 2012
833
116
I guess that eleventy billion "what is the best browser" threads is not enough?

Maybe if folks keep asking this question over and over, finally there will be a consensus.

Whats wrong with them? A thread made in 10 years ago under the same topic would not reflect current situation and conditions?

So you are scared that the internet will run out of space and we wouldn't be able to make a thread or send a mail once thats happening?
 
Last edited:

ScoobyMcDoo

macrumors 65816
Nov 26, 2007
1,188
37
Austin, TX
Whats wrong with them? A thread made in 10 years ago under the same topic would not reflect current situation and conditions?

Dude, if this came up every decade - hell even once a year, I wouldn't have made a snide comment. But it just seems like we see one of these pop up once a week. The same old comments are added. The outcome is always the same.
 

MacMan988

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 7, 2012
833
116
Dude, if this came up every decade - hell even once a year, I wouldn't have made a snide comment. But it just seems like we see one of these pop up once a week. The same old comments are added. The outcome is always the same.

Yes. But browsers are changing fast as their new versions are being released. Its not always the same. And we cannot always expect the same outcome. No one uses all browsers available in the net. So as a safari user, this type of threads helps me to understand whats going on in the other sides. I find this type of threads cos they help me to stay up to date.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.