Comparing Browsers. Why change from Safari?

[tallguy]

What version of FF, out of curiosity? I'm using 3.6 and some basic multitouch gestures work for me. In fact, the three-finger swipe up/down to go to the top/bottom of a page doesn't work in Safari 4 for me, but works in FF :-( Strange.

Surprisingly Safari doesn't have the 3 finger swipe feature. I used Multiclutch to add that and do some other gestures like rotate left and right to switch tabs.

I recently just switched back to Firefox and I have to admit it's a much better experience. With Multiclutch, all of the gestures are still here and the add-ons and the smart address bar make browsing a better experience. Less crashes too.

 

[coops]

. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Yeah, but I need someone to give me a few examples, advantages, to using, say, Chrome or Firefox over Safari. I've used Firefox now and then, and you still find what you're looking for on the web, same as with Safari, same speed.

I've used Opera for ages..... and previously on Windows.

Example of a major advantage:- it has a built-in POP3/IMAP email client. No need for any other app like Mail/Thunderbird/Eudora/OutlookExpress etc - if you're getting your email, you're online, so almost certainly going to be using your browser anyway.

Emails to be read or written are just another tab in your browser.
http://www.opera.com/mail/

It's had tabs for so long, i can't remember it never having them (since the ad supported days....), speed dial also.

Even with 10.1 Opera (forthcoming 10.5 is Cocoa) together with better touch tool and Opera's wide customisation of keyboard shortcuts, have set it up so 3 finger swipe up is switch to tab to the right, 3finger down is switch to tab to the left; 3 finger swipe left goes back and right moves forward in your active tab; a 3 finger tap opens a link in a new tab, a one finger tip-tap right opens a clean new tab (with speed dial), and a tip-tap left closes a tab.
I can still use my old Opera standard keyboard shortcuts of '1' to move to left tab, and '2' to the right , and 'command' left click (tap) to open a link in a new tab...

I do find it hard to understand a Windows user continuing to use IE... but, after all, as you say - "you still find what you're looking for on the web".

Coops

 

[1911]

Comparing Browsers. Why change from Safari?

I have found that SonicWall devices prefer Firefox. The latency in Safari is terrible. Also, IE8 is worse, unless you load it without extensions.
Other than that Safari when combined with 1Password is an excellent combination.

 

[kasakka]

Safari is my least favorite major browser right after IE. It has the same kind of lack of features, slightly annoying user interface, lack of address bar search and url completion etc.

Firefox after 3.0 has kept its place as my default browser. Before that I used Opera because it was much faster, but nowadays Opera's speed is countered by its archaic user interface and tons of annoyances. Opera is also full of half-baked features like the e-mail client, RSS reader, those useless widgets etc. I don't think these are a strength because you can find several programs or webapps made for one of those purposes that are 10x better than what comes in Opera. I don't want something like an IRC session closing because my browser crashed or was closed.

Chrome, especially on Mac, is still too much of a work-in-progress even though it has improved at a really fast pace. It's the little things that just don't quite work. Lack of smooth scrolling is one, somewhat crappy extensions are another and the fact that the Mac version is obviously behind the Windows version isn't nice either.

Firefox keeps going because of its great extensions that help make it work just like I want it to. Without them it wouldn't be all that great. It may not have the fastest rendering engine, but it is fast enough.

 

[steve-p]

I couldn't cope without the flexibility that Firefox addons offer. I have used Safari occasionally, but it has crashed on me a few times. Rendering speed is not the huge benefit that some people seem to think it is. Firefox renders slightly slower, but the biggest delay on most web pages is downloading it from the server anyway, and AdBlock avoids downloading ads (of any kind including Flash), which in itself speeds up browsing. Chrome has an ad blocker, but it still downloads the ads, it just doesn't render them. So in practice, Firefox is not much slower on the average web page. Syncing bookmarks, saved form info, history, usernames and passwords between Firefox on different machines is free (with an add on), unlike MobileMe. There are lots of reasons for not using Safari, although it's still a good browser. It's just personal preference at the end of the day.

 

[Dolorian]

Firefox has been my default browser for years and no matter what other browser I try (Safari, Chrome, Flock, Opera) I always come back to it. Safari is good but I think Firefox, despite being a little slower, offers a far better browsing experience.

 

[oneeach]

I have both Safari and Firefox installed. Partially because my day job involves web development. Safari is the browser I use the most especially since I installed Click2Flash which made Safari rock solid with no crashes or spinning beach balls of death.

Firefox is still a good browser, but it has been getting slower and more bloated as of late. It seems each browser goes from "wow, this is fast and small but doesn't do XYZ" to "Wow this browser does everything including XYZ, but now its too big and slow".

 

[Mikebuzzsaw]

I hate chrome and opera because it eats up 50% of one of my cores in my laptop causing it to lag. Firefox and safari use the least amount of cpu.

 

[charlesbronsen]

When I first got my Mac I used firefox as thats what I used on all window boxes I had. I installed glims on safari I haven't looked back.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

In principle I like Safari a lot. Unfortunately its a memory hog. I am not sure if it has a leak. Just use Safari without quitting it for many hours and look in activity monitor how much actual memory it uses. Do the same with Firefox.

 

[JRoDDz]

Firefox allows me to run adblock (I don't like advertisements) and it also allows me to sync my bookmarks across multiple computers/platforms (Xmarks).

To my knowledge, Safari can't do this.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

Firefox allows me to run adblock (I don't like advertisements) and it also allows me to sync my bookmarks across multiple computers/platforms (Xmarks).

To my knowledge, Safari can't do this.

clicktoflash helps against most ads, blocks flash and is great.

mobileme helps bookmark syncing across macs and iphones

 

[ron1004]

I've always used FF on Windows, and still do on my work laptop.

I tried Safari when I got my MBP and gave up on it because unlike FF, it does not remember the zoom used for each web site.
If you select Safari to open in 32 bit mode, then only does Adblock work.

The only problem I have with FF on the Mac is that there's no right click available when viewing the list of Bookmarks.

 

[Jett0516]

firefox has so many customization and its add ons is the key. and by customization I don't mean the customize option in safari.

 

[Carmageddon]

without bothering to actually download and install firefox, is there an ability in Firefox to view "activity" like on Safari? I can rip just about any video file streaming from that. Best part about Safari.

 

[ooninay]

clicktoflash helps against most ads, blocks flash and is great.

mobileme helps bookmark syncing across macs and iphones

I don't think MobileMe works on PCs, e.g., if you're actually using Safari on a Windows machine, I don't think you can sync your bookmarks with Safari on your Mac. However, Xmarks can now be used with Safari, at least on a Mac.

 

[CaptMurdock]

I can use Safari, but I keep drifting back to Firefox. It may be entirely subjective on my part. YMMV.

 

[kasakka]

I want to like Safari, but no matter how much I tried I ended up with some problems that I couldn't fix, like how it doesn't remember history when restarting (can't go back on the pages opened) and overall getting some of the features I get easily in FF with addons felt like hacking Safari because it doesn't have a proper plugin system apparently.

 

[steve-p]

without bothering to actually download and install firefox, is there an ability in Firefox to view "activity" like on Safari? I can rip just about any video file streaming from that. Best part about Safari.

Yes, but there are add-ons that make it much easier to save streams, so you don't need to.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

I don't think MobileMe works on PCs, e.g., if you're actually using Safari on a Windows machine, I don't think you can sync your bookmarks with Safari on your Mac. However, Xmarks can now be used with Safari, at least on a Mac.

Did I talk about PeeCees?

There is a mobilme plug for outlook, that doesn't help with the bookmarks but I think for calendar and adresses

 

[GeraldButton]

I dislike FireFox, a lot. People suggest I switch to it full time but I simply love Safari. Add Ons are great, and there a many to choose from! Problem with that is, just like iPhone Apps, a good bulk of them are GARBAGE. I also dislike how FireFox looks, im not going to say it's sloppy, but they could do better, although I will admit the new version 3.7 or version 4 mockups look great!

I like keeping things simple and basic, hell, when I reformat my Mac I usually only install my Apple applications for a month before I put anything else back. Im the same way with Windows as well, in that I only use Internet Explorer and Media Player, although after a few weeks I cave and get Winamp.

Im happy with Safari, I find it fast, simple, and easy to use and I don't need to hassle with add ons to improve it.

If I had to use anything else it'd be Opera, back when I was a teenager Opera was all myself and my friend Cj used and we loved it's speed and simplicity.

 

[bobbytomorow]

Every browser has strengths and weaknesses. Different strokes for different folks. Chrome and Firefox are great browsers, for those who prefer them.

Exactly, Safari is nice but its not perfect. I find using a combination of browsers is the best, and they are pretty well all free so you may as well take advantage of using them.

I like Firefox for general surfing but I find some things tend to make it hang (like streaming divX) so I use Omniweb also.

 

[iammike1]

For those who say FF has an ugly UI...one simple word will fix that. GrApple

There are a few variations to choose from, I use GrApple Yummy.

Basically, it's FF in a Safari skin.

 

[cindyhy]

Safari + Glims works great for me. I seldom get pop-up ads though I don't have blockers. I only retain Firefox because some websites doesn't display properly in Safari and Chrome because I want to give it a shot as it gets developed more.

 

[JRoDDz]

clicktoflash helps against most ads, blocks flash and is great.

mobileme helps bookmark syncing across macs and iphones

I'll stick with the free solution as Mobileme is a subscription service and it doesn't sync bookmarks on your PC browser AFAIK.