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

How good is Safari?

X

Xemi

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Basically when using macs in the past they have always had firefox installed and on my windows comp I've always used Firefox/Chrome but I'm buying my first Mac and just wondered how Safari compares to other browsers?

Just want some advice on whether I should install Firefox/Chrome or just stick with Safari?

Thanks =]
 
just add firefox, i dont use safari personally what i did do is add firefox to safari and it works perfectly and you get the the great looking safari toolbar! all the best, mate.
 
Xemi said:
Basically when using macs in the past they have always had firefox installed and on my windows comp I've always used Firefox/Chrome but I'm buying my first Mac and just wondered how Safari compares to other browsers?

Just want some advice on whether I should install Firefox/Chrome or just stick with Safari? ...
Click to expand...
With all due respect, this question generates more heat than light. What's the best flavor ice cream? Who is the most beautiful actress? What is the nicest place to live? These and many other questions, only you can answer.

Firefox is just one Gecko-based browser. Safari is just one WebKit-based browser. Chrome is just one other WebKit-based browser. I have at least 13 browsers--including Firefox, Safari, and Chrome--on the Mac I am using now. I can designate any one of them as my default browser. I can open and use several different browsers at once.

Download and install each of the browsers that interest you. Try each one. Decide for yourself which one you prefer.
 
Safari's great. Add Glims, AdBlocker (for 64-bit ad blocking) and you'll like it better.

Bookmark searches are command+option+B.
 
Everyone has a different opinion on this because no two computers are exactly the same. For me and my computer, Chrome is the best.
 
Xemi said:
Basically when using macs in the past they have always had firefox installed and on my windows comp I've always used Firefox/Chrome but I'm buying my first Mac and just wondered how Safari compares to other browsers?

Just want some advice on whether I should install Firefox/Chrome or just stick with Safari?

Thanks =]
Click to expand...

Install Firefox and Chrome and compare them yourself -- they're free and small, so there is zero reason to not install them.

Firefox is my default browser on all platforms that I use on a daily basis: Ubuntu, Windows, Mac OS X. Safari is only available for two of them, so there is already one good reason to not use Safari.

However, Safari has several compatibility problems with certain Intranet applications and also several Internet websites that I use. Also, Safari 4 was very prone to crashes when it was first released. That finally pushed me over the edge to install Firefox on my Mac and now I prefer Firefox over all alternatives.

Chrome is very fast, but I like Firefox's UI better.

Eventually, it doesn't matter what you use as long as you enjoy the experience. After all, all those browsers are meant to do the very same job, so it more less comes down to compatibility and personal preferences.
 
I've always used FireFox, But sometime between 3.0 and whatever version its at now, It started acting too clunky and slow. I ultimately switched back to IE after the release of seven, However it crashes too frequently and Apple.com is unbearably slow and Walmart Doesn't even want to Load. Then i switched to Opera (i LOVE Opera) but it's lack of support from sites rendered me looking yet again for another Browser. I decided It would be Safari. I've used safari in the past and didnt like it on anything other than a Mac but Safari 4 is exetremely fast.
 
They're all better than IE, no matter which browser you choose

They're all better than IE - IE has too much toolbars and menus cluttering the place up.
 
Firefox is getting too slow and bloated and I stopped using it a couple of years ago.

Safari is good. It's really matured well.

Chrome is nimble. Fastest to me, but the most prone to errors too.



Try them each yourself and pick which works best for your needs. I couldn't use firefox these days just based off of the horrible UI.
 
Agreed that Firefox has become slow and bloated, startup time on Mac is bloody dreadful these days. The only exception being the 64-bit "Minefield" compilations which unfortunately don't support Flash or many extensions at all.

Chrome seems to be the browser to beat now. It uses the same rendering engine as Safari (WebKit) but performs even better in many cases.

Safari remains my browser of choice generally (mostly because bookmarks travel easily to my iPhone) but I have been using Chrome a lot more often these days. Perhaps Safari 5 will blow our doors off but that remains to be seen.
 
i installed firefox the 1st day i got my mbp. i then realized that safari was way better IMO (ive used firefox for 5 yrs). i guess i was just bored from the firefox interface. safari is new to me and im loving it.
 
I used to be a long time user of firefox, but recently switched to Chrome as they have a great selection of good extensions now, and its these extensions which are stopping me using safari. Does anyone know if Safari has any extensions available ?
 
Chrome is the lightest but I get the most trouble with it. It's not stable, like Firefox or Safari. That being said, Chrome is also the fastest but Safari is just as fast. Firefox is relatively slow compared to the two and is really bloated with junk you don't need most of the time. Stick with Safari.
 
Safari is horrid in my opinion. I only like its download manager.

I like Chrome, but it doesn't have all the add-ons I need/like yet from Firefox.
 
Safari is the only one to handle RSS feeds the way I like. Chrome doesn't feel like a polished Mac application. Firefox is slow and bloated. Opera is lovely but doesn't have 1Password support. There are lots of individual things you'll like or dislike about each browser... and these are personal to you, so how 'good' a browser is you'll have to decide for yourself I'm afraid.

I really hope we get some news on Safari 5 this time next week. Some more speed/stability improvements would be much welcomed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back