Which Browser

[Panda]

Not anymore they don't, but there was a time that IE was the best out there. Netscape was the only real competition, but they tried to charge for their browser, and for the most part, it didn't really work any better. It really wasn't until Firefox came out that the browser landscape began to really change.

 

[jonbanjo]

I usually have 2 running, Firefox and Chromium
Firefox is my main browser but sometimes it's more convenient/a site doesn't work (I use spam blockers on Firefox) for me to use Chromium.

As for IE, I switched to Linux rather than going from Win2K to XP. It's been a long while since it's been a regular browser of mine. When I was running a web site, I did have a use for it, eg. I'd never feel sure html that would pass the ww3c validator would actually look right on IE. So it was, for me, an occasional testing tool even though my own html was very simple.

 

[jonbanjo]

Not anymore they don't, but there was a time that IE was the best out there. Netscape was the only real competition, but they tried to charge for their browser, and for the most part, it didn't really work any better. It really wasn't until Firefox came out that the browser landscape began to really change.

I was only a web user then but it was difficult in the days of those browser wars, remember for example marquee tag. I think Netscape had a "counter attack" that blinked but neither side really seemed to care about standards. Just convince users of our superiority, MS probably having the advantage of being able to bundle theirs with an OS (so it too was paid for...). Sites used to exist with things like "Best viewed with IE at XXXX resolution...

 

[Jeffin]

How things have changed since Chrome entered the arena? I loved Chrome for making a browser with maximum viewing area, the tabs feature and also for making it lighter on the processor. Now they are all fighting to get into our mobile phones and in future may be into our glasses or contact lenses. And don't worry CFS site will be contact lens compatible then like it is mobile compatible now.

 

[jonbanjo]

How things have changed since Chrome entered the arena? I loved Chrome for making a browser with maximum viewing area, the tabs feature and also for making it lighter on the processor. Now they are all fighting to get into our mobile phones and in future may be into our glasses or contact lenses. And don't worry CFS site will be contact lens compatible then like it is mobile compatible now.

I'd go along with Banarenth on Firefox starting the change. My own feeling is that they got things open.

Now, finally owning one, I feel mobile phones went back to pushing people into makers ways. I did try to change on thing in this way, (see http://mobd.jonbanjo.com/jfcupsprint/) a simple attempt at printing using known open standards for those of us with Linux and Macs but both I broke down something in the program and my health broke down too, the end result was me withdrawing the program. Still I know full well one doesn't need to be bound to makes of printers or Googles Cloud, etc., at least for those of us with home networks and using shared printers. I just didn't get that attempt right enough.

As for into our eyes, I dread to think. My eyesight seems to get worse and worse. and I don't fancy the idea of carrying a computer (except for maybe some optical correction like a camera's autofocus). I'm lousy at doing it but I like and sometimes even wish for my breaks from what can (to me) feel like computer/Internet addiction. I don't get out often and when I do am usually dependent on someone else but when I do, the last thing I want to see is the Internet.

 

[Jeffin]

I'd go along with Banarenth on Firefox starting the change. My own feeling is that they got things open.

Yeah. You are right FF did start the change. They were doing really good till the browser got too heavy. It was then I started looking for lighter browsers and then came Chrome. Now I am stuck with Chrome on my computer and phone.

 

[Panda]

Sadly, Chrome is slowly starting to get bogged down as well, not the point where it is too much, but to the point that I can see the shape of things to come.

 

[jonbanjo]

There is another factor in the speed thing.

In the old days, it was largely bad html (eg. a word document getting translated but winding up with loads of extra lines) and big graphics but these days there is loads of javascript and more payloads like adds to download. Browsers may have got faster, generally peoples download speeds have got faster but what needs to be downloaded to view a web page and what may have to be processed have also increased.

In one sense, maybe a version of Parkinson's law applies?

 

[Stan]

Sadly, Chrome is slowly starting to get bogged down as well, not the point where it is too much, but to the point that I can see the shape of things to come.

and I think that is the issue. All browsers have caches and all caches need to be cleaned out sooner or later. Caches makes the browser load fast but also causes lag when it get to big.
I'll stick with Chrome until IE10 gets the bugs out of it then I'll check it out.