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Please Recommend a Fast, Safe, Light on RAM browser for OS 10.6

7Mac7

7Mac7

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 10, 2016
28
4
Looks like Opera, Chrome and Safari are out due to no longer supporting OS 10.6, no more security updates, etc.
Firefox is out due to being a RAM hog and not doing well on my old computer.
I do not want to upgrade to a new OS at this time.
What are my options for a safe, fast, lightweight (easy on RAM) browser?

Thanks in advance!
 
OLDCODGER said:
Try Roccat, it works well on 10.6.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Oldcodger! I will look into Roccat. Is it still active and supporting 10.6 with security updates, etc.? Safe browser to use? One thing I loved about Opera was all the security features. Such a shame that Opera is taking the path it's taking.
 
7Mac7 said:
Thanks, Oldcodger! I will look into Roccat. Is it still active and supporting 10.6 with security updates, etc.? Safe browser to use? One thing I loved about Opera was all the security features. Such a shame that Opera is taking the path it's taking.
Click to expand...

Yes, 10.5 +. Full security and features include side tabs, ad-blocking, etc.

Opera was brilliant on OS9, then went downhill fast - unfortunately.
 
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W00t! Thanks again, Oldcodger - I have it bookmarked and gonna download it and try it out very soon!

Fisherking, yes indeed - 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard) ... and I agree, it completely rocks. ;)
 
UPDATE: I downloaded and installed Roccat. Such a shame! I LOVED it.....while it actually worked. Then it just stopped working.....I rebooted....I uninstalled and reinstalled....that worked for a little while....then same thing....just stopped working again. Too glitchy. :(
 
7Mac7 said:
UPDATE: I downloaded and installed Roccat. Such a shame! I LOVED it.....while it actually worked. Then it just stopped working.....I rebooted....I uninstalled and reinstalled....that worked for a little while....then same thing....just stopped working again. Too glitchy. :(
Click to expand...

That's a shame - may be because of ram restrictions messing with the cache.

Two others to try: Maxthon, which has Firefox-like add-ons; and Slimboat, which is built to be low ram usage.
 
I've been researching... Looks like Slimboat is dead and no longer being developed or supporting anything. Last release/update was 2014 and found another article that said the app has been discontinued and no longer being developed.

Gonna see what I can find about Maxthon...

DARN!!! Maxthon is out too. It's still active but the system requirements listed on the app on macupdate.com are wrong! lol I get this message when I try to install it: "You can't use this app. It requires OS 10.7 or later. You're using OS 10.6.8." (System requirements say 10.6 or later.)

*sigh*
 
Last edited:
7Mac7 said:
I've been researching... Looks like Slimboat is dead and no longer being developed or supporting anything. Last release/update was 2014 and found another article that said the app has been discontinued and no longer being developed.

Gonna see what I can find about Maxthon...

DARN!!! Maxthon is out too. It's still active but the system requirements listed on the app on macupdate.com are wrong! lol I get this message when I try to install it: "You can't use this app. It requires OS 10.7 or later. You're using OS 10.6.8." (System requirements say 10.6 or later.)

*sigh*
Click to expand...

Version 4.1.3.5000 works fine on my 10.6.8.

Look, it's beginning to sound as though you have a problem with your system. Both Roccat and Maxthon should run fine on 10.6.8. Maybe a clean reinstall is needed.
 
Yes but just because it works, that doesn't make it safe/secure to use if the app is no longer being developed or doing security updates...right? That's what I'm concerned about.

Btw, someone else recommend TenFourFox so I downloaded and installed it ... but when I tried to open the app it said I needed to install Rosetta in order for it to work. I thought my computer already had Rosetta (2011 Macbook Air). Strange...
 
7Mac7 said:
Yes but just because it works, that doesn't make it safe/secure to use if the app is no longer being developed or doing security updates...right? That's what I'm concerned about.

Btw, someone else recommend TenFourFox so I downloaded and installed it ... but when I tried to open the app it said I needed to install Rosetta in order for it to work. I thought my computer already had Rosetta (2011 Macbook Air). Strange...
Click to expand...

Both Roccat and Maxthon are still being updated, although Slimboat isn't.

TenFourFox is Power PC, and requires Rosetta on an Intel m/c - which is not present by default in OS 10.6.8, but can be downloaded via Software Update. However, it is no better than Firefox on ram etc. It is for Power PC owners, really.

As an aside, if you do a clean reinstall, you may find that Firefox is good to go again. The fact that Roccat and Maxthon are not working indicates a problem with the OS itself.
 
It's strange because I get a message from the app that tells me I need 10.7 or higher to run Maxthon...yet the system requirements state 10.6 or higher. *shrugs*
 
Actually, the version of Safari that comes with 10.6.8 works fine for me, for most sites.

Otherwise, I use Firefox or the Epic Privacy Browser.
 
Oldcodger -

UPDATE: I Googled "Maxthon Snow Leopard" and found this version: Version 4.1.0.1000, which I have downloaded and installed and am now using successfully. Why is it that we both have 10.6.8 but I cannot run the version you are using (Version 4.1.3.5000). Very strange!

P.S. I can't seem to find a "check for updates" manual option. I would like to double check to see if I am running the latest version for my OS...any idea how to do that?
[doublepost=1455292453][/doublepost]Hi, Fishrrman, yes Safari works for me too just fine...however because it's no longer supporting 10.6.8, it is not safe/secure to use.
 
7Mac7 wrote:
"Hi, Fishrrman, yes Safari works for me too just fine...however because it's no longer supporting 10.6.8, it is not safe/secure to use."

I've been using it for almost six years now.
No problems with security or safety.
If this old MacBook is "infected", please keep the infections coming, because it runs just fine!

There are thousands upon thousands of Mac'ers out there still using old (no longer supported) versions of the OS.
I suspect the overwhelming majority of them are doing well, too.

How many documented cases of "viruses in the wild" have appeared, lately....?
 
Fishrrman, your Mac is probably not infected...but you never know when it COULD become infected. That's the problem with unsafe/insecure browsers which are no longer supported - such as Safari. And I'm not talking about just viruses. That's only 1 of many possible culprits.
 
7Mac7 said:
Oldcodger -

UPDATE: I Googled "Maxthon Snow Leopard" and found this version: Version 4.1.0.1000, which I have downloaded and installed and am now using successfully. Why is it that we both have 10.6.8 but I cannot run the version you are using (Version 4.1.3.5000). Very strange!

P.S. I can't seem to find a "check for updates" manual option. I would like to double check to see if I am running the latest version for my OS...any idea how to do that?
[doublepost=1455292453][/doublepost]Hi, Fishrrman, yes Safari works for me too just fine...however because it's no longer supporting 10.6.8, it is not safe/secure to use.
Click to expand...

Very good point about no Update feature - I only use MacUpdate to find new versions, so I have never tried to find Manual Update.

One thing that comes to mind (always late) is that I once had an App say 10.7 required, where dev site said 10.6. I repaired permissions and the App worked. Worth a try.
 
Hey, Oldcodger! Well...I ended up uninstalling Maxthon. It ran about the same RAM usage as Firefox and Chrome (maybe a tad less), plus it just had NO privacy/security/ad blocking features/settings...nothing! Settings/preferences were VERY general. Ran some ad blocking/tracking/security tests and it didn't do very well at all. Ah well, it was a worth a try! :)
 
7Mac7 said:
Hey, Oldcodger! Well...I ended up uninstalling Maxthon. It ran about the same RAM usage as Firefox and Chrome (maybe a tad less), plus it just had NO privacy/security/ad blocking features/settings...nothing! Settings/preferences were VERY general. Ran some ad blocking/tracking/security tests and it didn't do very well at all. Ah well, it was a worth a try! :)
Click to expand...

All of the features you want are to be found in Add-ons - just like Firefox. Pity about the RAM hogging though. If you have 4GB RAM, Snow Leopard runs fine with any browser - but 2GB just doesn't do it.
 
OLDCODGER said:
All of the features you want are to be found in Add-ons - just like Firefox. Pity about the RAM hogging though. If you have 4GB RAM, Snow Leopard runs fine with any browser - but 2GB just doesn't do it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I realized that about the add-ons...that was the only way to get those features in Maxthon...and of course the more add-ons, the slower it gets and the more RAM it eats up with all the "helpers" and "renderers" in Activity Monitor. That's 1 (of many) reasons I love Opera! I have ONE add-on...that's ALL I need because Opera already has everything built-in. I feel like crying if Opera goes through with the sell and no longer supports older OS's. PLEASE tell me it's not final yet! lol :(
 
W00t!!!!!

11k9q2o.jpg
 
Are you using 10.6 because you have a 32 bit Intel CPU rather than one capable of 64 bit. If so it looks like Chromium based browsers are out.

You can still use Mozilla based browsers. Have you given SeaMonkey a try. It is based on Mozilla so it is related to Firefox but not based on Firefox.

If you have a Core 2 Duo or Xeon you can try Citrio and SrWare Iron. They are Chromium based.
 
velocityg4 said:
Are you using 10.6 because you have a 32 bit Intel CPU rather than one capable of 64 bit. If so it looks like Chromium based browsers are out.

You can still use Mozilla based browsers. Have you given SeaMonkey a try. It is based on Mozilla so it is related to Firefox but not based on Firefox.

If you have a Core 2 Duo or Xeon you can try Citrio and SrWare Iron. They are Chromium based.
Click to expand...

Hi, velocity! I'm using 10.6 because that's what my computer came with. It's a core 2 duo and 64 bit I believe. Thank you, I will check out those 3 browsers!
 
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