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Best web browser for iBook G4?

Peterson8765

Peterson8765

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 18, 2010
565
0
Oregon
Hi there,

Just purchased an iBook G4 off eBay as kind of a computer to just surf the web with and I was wondering which web browser would be the best to use overall. The specs of my iBook G4 are a 1.2GHz G4 w/ 768MB Ram. I'm currently using Webkit for Leopard and Camino. What are some other good options? Thank you!
 
Peterson8765 said:
Hi there,

Just purchased an iBook G4 off eBay as kind of a computer to just surf the web with and I was wondering which web browser would be the best to use overall. The specs of my iBook G4 are a 1.2GHz G4 w/ 768MB Ram. I'm currently using Webkit for Leopard and Camino. What are some other good options? Thank you!
Click to expand...

TenFourFox is the one that I use on my 1GHz iMac G4. It works really well. Plus it's still being supported today. Also make sure that you upgrade the RAM on that laptop. That's going to help with your browsing experience greatly, mainly in the aspect of opening more tabs.
 
For me Safari always seems best on PPC Machines and even my Intel Macs. Like Chrome on my MacBook Air watching YouTube feels like I'm trying to watch YouTube on a G4. It's bad but safari doesn't have an issue with it. Chrome had lag with the new Mac Pro page and Safari didn't. And from my past machines (multiple G4s and G5s) safari just had the speed.
 
FigmentNewtonII said:
TenFourFox is the one that I use on my 1GHz iMac G4. It works really well. Plus it's still being supported today. Also make sure that you upgrade the RAM on that laptop. That's going to help with your browsing experience greatly, mainly in the aspect of opening more tabs.
Click to expand...

Webkit for leopard is also being supported and updated.

For best speed use webkit, for more customizing use aurora or tff
 
Peterson8765 said:
Hi there,

Just purchased an iBook G4 off eBay as kind of a computer to just surf the web with and I was wondering which web browser would be the best to use overall. The specs of my iBook G4 are a 1.2GHz G4 w/ 768MB Ram. I'm currently using Webkit for Leopard and Camino. What are some other good options? Thank you!
Click to expand...

Congrats! Well I use all sorts of web browsers:

Safari
AuroraFox
Camino
Fluid
Stainless
Roccat

Depends of what you need
 
The ones that I know of that are still updated for PowerPC are Roccat, TenFourFox, and Leopard Webkit.

Roccat: http://runecats.com/roccat.html NOTE: Roccat is linked against the system Webkit and not the current builds of Webkit. Since it is by default linked with the system Webkit, any updates to the application are to the application only and not to Webkit, since it is using the stock Webkit that came with Mac OS 10.5 and not any newer versions of Webkit that are available such as Leopard Webkit. If you use Roccat, you will probably also want to download Leopard Webkit, since Roccat by default uses the version of Webkit that Apple included in 10.5 and as such does not have any of the more recent updates to Webkit other than what is included in 10.5. Included with Leopard Webkit is an Applescript in which you can drag and drop Roccat in order to link it up against the most current build of Webkit that PowerPC supports rather than the Webkit that is included by default within the Mac OS.

TenFourFox: http://sourceforge.net/projects/tenfourfox/files/ and sometimes http://code.google.com/p/tenfourfox/downloads/list will both give you the 24.0 version.

Leopard Webkit: http://code.google.com/p/leopard-webkit/downloads/list
 
Last edited:
Doesn't Roccat still use the old highly insecure default Webkit engine? That would put it in the not updated group. Just because you repaint the car and change the oil occasionally, doesn't mean you ever replace the tyres.
 
Another vote for Leopard Webkit.

Also, iCab was recently updated to version 5.1.1 for Leopard, though no update for Tiger fans. It also runs well on my iBook G4.
 
I'm still on Panther with my iBook G4... have used most browsers Mozilla etc etc, but in the end for the most "modern" experience i've found Opera 10 (this is the last version for Panther) to be excellent, I can't fault it anywhere!

Tbh, I'm a Safari fan and ideally this is the browser I would like to use permanently but version 1.3.2 which is on Panther crashes at random...

I've managed to source Tiger which should fix Safari issues.
 
ad931 said:
I'm still on Panther with my iBook G4... have used most browsers Mozilla etc etc, but in the end for the most "modern" experience i've found Opera 10 (this is the last version for Panther) to be excellent, I can't fault it anywhere!

Tbh, I'm a Safari fan and ideally this is the browser I would like to use permanently but version 1.3.2 which is on Panther crashes at random...

I've managed to source Tiger which should fix Safari issues.
Click to expand...
Opera is great! I favor version 10.20. Opera has user javascript and you can use userstyles with it using that. I would still be using Opera, but the useragent is just too old. Facebook stopped working correctly and so I was forced on to Firefox/TenFourFox.

However, I do have Speed dial and a vertical sidebar. I also have the CMD+Spacebar set as my home page shortcut. So, while I had to leave Opera I took some of it with me.
 
Intell said:
Doesn't Roccat still use the old highly insecure default Webkit engine? That would put it in the not updated group. Just because you repaint the car and change the oil occasionally, doesn't mean you ever replace the tyres.
Click to expand...

You can relink it against Leopard Webkit via an Applescript.
 
MysticCow said:
You can relink it against Leopard Webkit via an Applescript.
Click to expand...

But by default it is using the old stock Webkit. If it is to be advertised as still updated, make sure you specify that it needs to be linked with a newer Webkit engine when advertising it. Otherwise people will download it thinking that they are fully protected from the insecurities of the stock Webkit.
 
Personally, I like tenfourfox because it is the most modern of them all, but its not all that fast. If you would like speed, I would go with Webkit.
 
jrsx said:
Personally, I like tenfourfox because it is the most modern of them all, but its not all that fast. If you would like speed, I would go with Webkit.
Click to expand...
There are things you can do inside about:config and addons you can install to speed things up. No, it probably will never be as fast as webkit, but for me that is a tradeoff I am willing to make - extensive customization for a small sacrafice in speed.
 
eyoungren said:
There are things you can do inside about:config and addons you can install to speed things up. No, it probably will never be as fast as webkit, but for me that is a tradeoff I am willing to make - extensive customization for a small sacrafice in speed.
Click to expand...

You do have a point-I have both browsers and use both a lot. But it mainly depends on what I'm doing. I have four browsers installed, and use them all, there really isn't one ppc browser that just 'does it all'. I use Camino for youtube (it handles flash very well for ppc), I use TenFourFox for everything modern, I use Webkit for speed and whatnot, and Safari is my default browser, I do everything else on it-checking email, google+, etc. I also watch youtube videos with HTML5 on Safari and Webkit-that works pretty well. My advise if your looking for a browser for an iBook G4, install TenFourFox and possibly Webkit alongside Safari-unfortunatly Camino is no longer supported, and Gmail will not work on it. Also youtube isn't being supported on it soon.
 
jrsx said:
You do have a point-I have both browsers and use both a lot. But it mainly depends on what I'm doing. I have four browsers installed, and use them all, there really isn't one ppc browser that just 'does it all'. I use Camino for youtube (it handles flash very well for ppc), I use TenFourFox for everything modern, I use Webkit for speed and whatnot, and Safari is my default browser, I do everything else on it-checking email, google+, etc. I also watch youtube videos with HTML5 on Safari and Webkit-that works pretty well. My advise if your looking for a browser for an iBook G4, install TenFourFox and possibly Webkit alongside Safari-unfortunatly Camino is no longer supported, and Gmail will not work on it. Also youtube isn't being supported on it soon.
Click to expand...
Same here. If I need to watch Flash video, or do a quick search, it's usually Camino. Most of my browsing is done in T4Fx though. Safari and I have a hate-hate relationship. :D
 
eyoungren said:
Same here. If I need to watch Flash video, or do a quick search, it's usually Camino. Most of my browsing is done in T4Fx though. Safari and I have a hate-hate relationship. :D
Click to expand...

I actually like safari. the only problem I have with it, is it doesn't send messages on google chats, while tenfourfox and camino do. Webkit seems to have the same problem.
 
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