The most convenient browsers. What are the browsers for a computer

With the development of web technologies, content displayed using a browser is becoming more and more "heavy". The video bitrate increases, caching and data storage require more and more space, scripts run on user machines consume a lot of CPU time. Browser developers keep up with trends and try to invest in their products to support all new trends. This leads to the fact that the latest versions of popular browsers put forward increased requirements for the system on which they are running. In this article, we will talk about which browser to choose for a computer that does not have enough power to use the Big Three browsers and the like.

As part of the article, we will conduct a kind of testing of four browsers - Maxthon Nitro, Pale Moon, Otter Browser, K-Meleon - and compare their behavior with Google Chrome, as the most voracious browser at the time of this writing. In the process, we will look at the speed of startup and operation, RAM and CPU usage, and also find out if there are enough resources left to perform other tasks. Since Chrome provides extensions, we will test both with them and without them.

It is worth noting that some results may differ from those that you get by conducting such testing. This applies to those parameters that depend on the speed of the Internet, in particular, page loading.

Test configuration

For the test, we took a really weak computer. The initial parameters are:

About browsers

Let's briefly talk about the browsers participating in today's testing - about the engines, features and more.

Maxthon Nitro

This browser was created by the Chinese company Maxthon International Limited based on the Blink engine - a redesigned WebKit for Chromium. Supports all operating systems, including mobile.

Pale Moon

This member is a Firefox brother with some modifications, and one of them is optimization for Windows systems and only for them. This, according to the developers, makes it possible to significantly increase the speed of work.

Otter Browser

"Otter" was created using the Qt5 engine, which is used by the developers of Opera. The data on the official website is very scarce, so there is nothing more to say about the browser.

K-meleon

This is another browser based on Firefox, but with the most truncated functionality. This move of the creators made it possible to minimize resource consumption and increase speed.

Launch speed

Let's start from the beginning - we will measure the time during which the browser starts up completely, that is, you can already open pages, make settings, and so on. The goal is to determine which of the patients quickly comes to a state of combat readiness. We will use google.com as the start page. We will take measurements until we can enter text into the search box.

• Maxthon Nitro - 10 to 6 seconds;
• Pale Moon - 6 to 3 seconds;
• Otter Browser - 9 to 6 seconds;
• K-Meleon - from 4 to 2 seconds;
• Google Chrome (extensions disabled) - 5 to 3 seconds. With extensions (AdGuard, FVD Speed ​​Dial, Browsec, ePN CashBack) - 11 seconds.

As we can see, all browsers quickly open their window on the desktop and show that they are ready to work.

Memory consumption

Since we are very limited in the amount of RAM, this indicator is one of the most important. Let's look into "Task Manager" and calculate the total consumption of each test subject, having previously opened three identical pages - Yandex (main page), YouTube and the site. Measurements will be made after some waiting.

Let's run a video on YouTube at 480p resolution and see how much the situation changes.

Now let's complicate the task by simulating a real working situation. To do this, we will open 10 tabs in each browser and look at the overall responsiveness of the system, that is, we will check whether it is comfortable to work with the browser and other programs in this mode. As mentioned above, we have Word, Notepad, a calculator running, and we will also try to open Paint. We will also measure the page loading speed. The results will be recorded based on subjective feelings.

• Maxthon Nitro experiences slight delays in switching between browser tabs and when opening programs that are already running. The same thing happens when viewing the contents of folders. In general, quite a working behavior of the OS with small lags. The page loading speed is not annoying.
• Pale Moon beats Nitro in terms of tab switching and page loading speed, but the rest of the system is somewhat slower, with long delays when launching programs and opening folders.
• When using Otter Browser, page rendering speed is quite slow, especially after opening multiple tabs. The overall responsiveness of the browser also leaves much to be desired. After starting Paint Otter, for some time it stopped responding to our actions, and running applications opened very “tight”.
• Another thing K-Meleon - loading pages and switching between tabs is very high. "Risovalka" starts instantly, other programs also respond quickly enough. The system as a whole responds well.
• Even though Google Chrome tries to unload the contents of unused tabs from memory (reloading them when they are activated), the active use of the swap file makes the work completely uncomfortable. This is expressed in the constant reloading of pages, and in some cases in the demonstration of an empty field instead of content. Other programs also "do not like" the neighborhood with Chrome, as there are high delays and refusals to respond to user actions.

Recent measurements have shown the real state of affairs. If in gentle conditions all products give similar results, then with an increase in the load on the system, some were overboard.

Since CPU utilization can vary in different situations, we will look at the behavior of browsers in idle mode. The same tabs as above will be opened.

All patients show good results, that is, they do not load the “stone” during the absence of actions within the program.

Video viewing

In this step, we will enable the graphics card by installing the NVIDIA driver. We will measure the number of frames per second using the Fraps program in full screen mode and 720p resolution with 50 FPS. The video will be included on YouTube.

As you can see, not all browsers are able to fully play videos in HD quality. When using them, you will have to reduce the resolution to 480p or even 360p.

Conclusion

During testing, we identified some important features of our current test subjects. Based on the results obtained, the following conclusions can be drawn: K-Meleon is the fastest in operation. It also saves maximum resources for other tasks, but is not entirely suitable for watching videos in high quality. Nitro, Pale Moon and Otter are about equal in terms of memory consumption, but the latter lags far behind in overall responsiveness under increased load. As for Google Chrome, its use on computers similar in configuration to our test one is completely unacceptable. This is expressed in brakes and freezes due to the high load on the paging file, and hence on the hard drive.

Nowadays, no one is surprised by the statement about the importance of the Internet for both entertainment and serious work. It should be noted that the productivity of the workflow largely depends not so much on the speed of the connection, but on the convenience and reasonableness of the browser used.

If you do not know what browsers are and how they differ from each other - this article is especially for you. So let's get started! What kind of browsers exist? The list can be very long, but let's list the main "players" in this market:

• Internet Explorer.
• Opera.
• Firefox.
• Google Chrome and all its derivatives.

We will talk about all these "characters" now in more detail.

Internet Explorer

This is a real legend. Deservedly or not - everyone decides for himself, but no one will dispute the fact that the vast majority of experienced users started with him. In 2001, when the Internet in our country was almost in its infancy, and even in large cities Dial Up dominated, the sixth "donkey" was the only association with the word "browser".

Of course, someone knew about the Opera project, very rare geeks in the vastness of our country used Netscape, but the palm clearly belonged to IE, since there were simply no worthy alternatives at that time. For information - the history of Firefox began only in 2004, and the word "chrome" was perceived only as a name chemical element until 2008! Yes, the Google Chrome browser has appeared relatively recently!

It must be admitted that Internet Explorer was good for those years, and many of its features were completely unique. So, IE 6 became the first browser in the world that had "on board" the means of the P3P platform, which provided an advanced (in those years) level of user security when working on the network.

It is not surprising that due to its wide distribution and its presence by default in the Windows family of operating systems, it is the “donkey” that has become the de facto standard for almost all government agencies in our country. To this day, normal work with the websites of state institutions, Sberbank, as well as all similar structures is possible only from under this browser. In many ways, this is also due to the use of ActiveX structures in it, which greatly simplify the creation of software components for such resources.

Disadvantages of a "living legend"

It is no coincidence that we constantly used the phrase "at that time." In 2001, IE was rightfully the leader, but ... Its creators completely forgot that the browser should be updated from time to time. Up until 2006, when Vista and IE7 arrived on the scene, there were no updates at all.

Competitors did not doze off, by that time they had already appeared: the legendary Opera 9, which is still revered by many as the best browser, Firefox 2, as well as several add-on browsers that used the IE engine (Maxthon, Avant Browser). All of them were more convenient, more functional and much safer than the hopelessly outdated Internet Explorer. The appearance of the seventh version of the situation did not save, since IE7 was in many ways the same sixth "donkey". Of the visible changes, one could only notice a slightly "refreshed" interface, and support for tabs, which in the same "Opera" were already in the seventh version (2005).

Add to this the terrible compatibility with HTML standards, the terrible rendering of pages and the terribly slow page loading speed. Not surprisingly, only IE 9 finally "became like a browser," as many publications wrote about it. Currently, the latest is the eleventh version, which is really not bad.

The problem is that there are a huge number of old releases (IE6 somehow got rid of), bugs (!) Of which had to be ported to the new Explorer. This was done in order to ensure that the old versions of sites created specifically for the "donkey" are adequately displayed in Internet Explorer 11. This approach does not add popularity or trust to the product from Microsoft.

Alas, when working with state and municipal sites, you will not have special alternatives. However, there are exceptions: a few years ago, the German government officially urged municipal employees to use Firefox, as IE "does not meet modern security requirements." So what other browsers are out there?

Opera

Since we have mentioned this product several times, we will continue the story about it. It all started in Norway in 1994. Until 2005, versions were produced that did not have much popularity. Everything changed in 2006, when Opera 9 was released. At that time, it was the ideal. Judge for yourself:

• great work with tabs;
• built-in mail client;
• bit-torrent client, also built into the browser;
• work with most HTML standards;
• support for mouse gestures;
• the widest possibilities of customization;
• the ability to block ads without the use of third-party utilities.

And all this in a 2006 browser! In addition, we forgot to mention one more “killer feature” of Opera. This is the Turbo mode. What is the purpose of this option? Everything is simple. When it was activated, all traffic to the user's computer passed through the servers of Opera Software and was compressed several times along the way. In some cases, it was possible to save up to 80% of all traffic!

Taking into account the fact that in those years there was no normal high-speed and unlimited Internet even in large cities, this technology was a royal gift for users of our country and the entire former CIS. It is not surprising that in some regions the real market share of this browser was confidently approaching 50%, while in the world this figure rarely exceeded 3-4%.

In addition, Opera Mini appeared in 2009, which made normal Internet surfing possible even for owners of older phones. By the way, the phrase “free browsers” in modern users can only cause a smile, while Opera for smartphones has been paid for a long time, and for desktops (up to Opera 5) this browser was distributed on a reimbursable basis.

Sunset

After the release of version 10.6, strange things began to happen to the company: constant reorganizations forced most of the old developers to leave, and users began to complain about the poor performance of their favorite browser. In 2013, a rather ridiculous event happened. The new management of the company announced a complete transition to the Blink engine, which is a development product of Google Corporation, as well as linking Opera to the Chromium project.

It is not difficult to guess what emotions all this aroused among users. They said that almost all new browsers are already Chrome clones, so the appearance of another player from the same series did not inspire anyone. In addition, the enormous dissatisfaction of both ordinary users and professionals was caused by the simple fact that, in fact, only the name remained from the old Opera.

No mouse gestures, no usual customization options ... and even bookmarks in new version did not have! The developers swear that everything will be fixed “in the near future”, but this has been going on for the second year, and there is no particular progress. The company lost a huge number of users who partly went to Chrome, and someone started using Firefox.

Almost everyone agrees that the Opera project no longer exists: even if the developers return some of the old functionality to the browser (it will not be possible to “screw” everything due to the features of the new engine), the entire program creation cycle will be tied to Chromium and Google itself. By the way, what are the browsers based on the Google product? We will talk about this below.

Google Chrome and its derivatives

The history of this browser, as we already mentioned, began in 2008. The very news that Google is going to create its own browser has caused a lot of controversy on the Internet. Someone rejoiced, some experts were more cautious in their forecasts, but the fact remains that the event was clearly outstanding. To date, the Chrome browser claims to be the "No. 1 browser", displacing not only IE, but even Firefox in this post. How did it happen?

When the new Internet browser just came out, everyone liked its tremendous speed. Many liked the ascetic and simple interface, which did not distract from work. However, the “first approximation” was not very successful, since almost all experienced users noted the complete absence of useful plugins, because of which the browser could not resist ads in any way, and poor integration with third-party applications (antiviruses, download managers, and others).

The beginning of success

For someone else, this could be a failure, but not for Google! The company's incredible capabilities and aggressive marketing policy have done their job: at first, when using a proprietary search engine, an offer was issued to “try a new browser”, and today Chrome checkboxes are available in almost every second shareware application (in the installation kit).

Soon, this particular browser was on the computer of almost every second user, and professionals increasingly began to use it. Again, the punchy policy of Google played its role, which very soon achieved full integration of its product. In addition, using a Google account, users gained access to Google projects such as Drive, Mail, Docs, and more.

To be fair, Google (the browser) is a very safe product: the policy of separating processes is paying off. It is difficult for malicious code to break out of a virtual sandbox into a production system. Among other things, Chrome has plugins for blocking ads and Flash content, integration systems with the most popular downloaders, and more. In 2014, the official x64 version appeared, which became even safer and faster.

Flaws

Alas, there are not enough of them. Firstly, the same fans of the old Opera really lack the ability to change the browser “for themselves”. The maximum that the WebKit engine gives is to apply a color scheme. All. More than a simple user is not supposed to do anything. Of course, you can use the Flag argument and “scrub” the browser from the inside, but you can’t do anything special even from there.

Secondly, there are serious claims to the confidentiality of user information. In general, Google has never hidden that all your data can be viewed for the presence of child pornography and information that can be classified as a “terrorist threat”, but this does not make it easier for suspicious individuals. The browser abundantly collects information about your search preferences and frequently visited pages, forming targeted advertising based on this data. However, all modern free browsers often sin with this.

It is shown not only on the pages themselves, but even in GMail mail. The latter, by the way, is extremely disliked in large companies, sometimes they directly prohibit employees from using it. Of course, there is not a single proven fact of leakage of any corporate data, but this measure is not superfluous ...

As for the "transcendental" speed, today it is no longer possible to call the Google Chrome browser fast. With the plugins installed and the user account connected, the application (especially on older machines) starts up by no means quickly.

Chromium

After the Chromium license agreement scandal, in which the developers allowed themselves rather frivolous clauses about user privacy (they were later removed or changed), the Chromium project appeared. Unlike its "big brother", this browser is based on open source code, which anyone can change at their own discretion. In terms of features, it is not much different from the parent application, except for the ease of creating your own plug-ins.

It was on its basis that a huge mass of “chromium-like” programs appeared, which we will now talk about. In general, almost all new browsers that appear recently are exactly that in 90% of cases. This is due to the ease of adapting the code to your needs, and you don’t have to worry about updating “your” product, since all the work will lie on the shoulders of Google programmers.

"Yandex browser)

To date, it is the most successful fork (branch). The creator is the "domestic-Dutch" Yandex search engine. The first versions of Yandex (browser) differed from Chrome only in a different search engine and a slightly modified design, but today the situation has changed radically. So, there appeared: support for mouse gestures, intelligent search menus and other "buns", which gave rise to many users to call this browser "the successor to the old Opera". This fact in itself is surprising, especially given the biased attitude of professionals towards any fork of Chrome. Thus, the free Yandex browser has very good prospects.

"Amigo"

This is the complete opposite of the above project. Also a product of a domestic company, but this time the authorship belongs to the Mail.ru corporation. Alas, there are no "breakthrough" opportunities. Of the features - only close integration with all existing social networks, but it is rather difficult to consider this circumstance as a special advantage. In addition, "Amigo" (browser) also collects a bunch of advertising information, which is then shown to the user in abundance.

There is nothing more special about him. In addition, there are also such varieties of "Chrome":

• "Internet" (from the same Mail.ru, somewhat similar to "Yandex").
• "Uranus" (from Ucoz).
• Dragon (by Comodo).
• "Nichrom" (from "Rambler").
• Iron (German development, originally created to profit from the developers blog).

And many, many similar products. And what browsers are there besides this "variegated" family?

Firefox

Appeared in 2004 (as already mentioned above). It was developed on the basis of the mortal "ashes" of Netscape. The first versions were simply terrible, constantly hung and terribly slowed down. Of course, the collapse of the program was the most common occurrence. Time passed. In 2006, there was already Firefox 2, which was distinguished by good qualities, and the third version was included in the Guinness record holders (several million people downloaded it in the first day).

Why is this browser so liked by users from all over the world? First of all, its "omnivorous". While some developers relied on functionality (Opera), others on beauty (Safari), and Microsoft did nothing at all, the Mozilla Foundation team collected all the HTML standards, at least theoretically found on the Internet. As a result, their browser is a kind of "reference". If the site does not open normally in Fox, then it is unlikely to open somewhere else.

In addition, numerous plug-ins have become the reason for success. With the help of them, you can turn the browser into a multifunctional "combine", in terms of capabilities, almost surpassing the operating system! In particular, the Tor browser, created on its basis, largely uses the capabilities of various extensions designed to improve the level of user anonymity on the Internet.

In addition, even with a dozen or two extensions, Mozilla starts very quickly even on older machines, which you can’t wait for from the same Chrome.

Finally, this browser, unlike almost all solutions on the market, can be flexibly customized to your needs, and the available themes will help you bring the interface even closer to the old versions of Opera, Chrome, or even the old IE6. It is because of the latter circumstance that experienced users often seek to install the Firefox browser.

Flaws

These include not too high security of the native (without installed extensions) application. However, without extensions installed, Firefox is generally a very average browser without any special features. Beginners do not always know which plugin and for what purposes they need to install. In addition, such add-ons are not always good programmatically, and therefore often cause memory leaks and even crashes of the browser itself.

These are the main browsers. This list is far from complete, but in the article we have given the most common varieties of such programs. Of course, we didn't talk about Safari (which is used in Apple's OS), as well as many other browsers, many of which are leaders in Asian markets, but these products are quite specific. In any case, they are used quite rarely, in our country you are unlikely to find a user on whose computer they would be installed.

There are dozens of different web browsers on the web today. Each of them has a multi-million army of fans and thousands of negative reviews. Therefore, choosing a browser for comfortable web surfing, you involuntarily begin to wonder which software is better. If you did not find the answer, read our article.

By what criteria should the browser be evaluated

Expert opinions differ, various indicators are given as arguments, but there was no single scale for evaluating browsers. Why is easy to guess:

• Firstly, users approach the use of a web browser in too different ways. One needs it only for communication in the social. networks. Others use it for self-learning/self-development. Still others use it to test my work and projects. And each group has its own characteristics, such as: openness of the code, intuitive interface, performance, etc.
• Secondly, any numerical indicators quickly lose their relevance. Developers do not stand still, constantly improving and modernizing their products. Therefore, if “yesterday” IE occupied the last place on the chart in terms of speed, then “today” it may well get into the top 10 in this indicator.
• Thirdly, the specific characteristics, which are often compared, reflect the real picture only in “vacuum” conditions. In practice (due to various external factors), the situation is often different.

Therefore, we propose to evaluate browsers according to criteria that are universal for any product. These include:

• Security while working (blocking ads and pop-ups, restricting access to infected sites, etc.).
• Universality (availability of versions for different operating systems).
• Relevance (the availability of opportunities that are relevant to the modern user and the frequency of system updates).
• Stability (frequency of detection of critical errors and speed of their elimination).
• Imposing third-party software (when installing a browser, the user is also prompted to install a search bar from its developer, a messenger, or some other programs that do not affect the operation of the web browser itself).
• Customization (the ability to customize the system to fit your needs).

Modern web browsers

To make a comparison, you need to have an idea of ​​what products are on the Internet technology market and what they are. Therefore, to begin with, let's say a few words about each of the compared browsers.

Google Chrome

Browser from Google, based on the Chromium browser and the Blink engine. The first version was released in September 2008. Today it is the most popular browser in the world (as of mid-2018, the market share is 58.09%). The main focus of the developers is on the speed of loading, additional functions are implemented using extensions. Supports automatic translation of web pages. For smooth operation, you need at least 2 GB of RAM (which is expensive for older devices).

Mozilla Firefox

Initially, it worked on the basis of the Gecko engine, but since version 57 it is gradually being transferred to Quantum, by default it supports WASM and WebVR. Particular attention is paid to support for W3C standards. Since 2002, Mozilla Corporation has been developing and distributing the web browser. The main advantages of the browser are open source and maximum flexibility of settings, as well as the largest base of extensions and add-ons. Numerous built-in components deserve special attention, including a PDF reader and a pop-up blocker. After the introduction of a multi-process approach (when opening a new tab starts a new process), like Google Chrome, it has become extremely demanding on RAM.

Opera

Opera is a set of browser and application software package produced by Opera Software since 1994. Being one of the most popular Russian web browsers, it is adapted to many operating systems (including mobile ones). The initial versions of the browser worked on the Presto engine, but since 2013 the entire product line has been gradually transferred to WebKit and V8. The strengths of Opera are working with JavaScript, the speed of which is several times greater than that of competitors, and the elimination of critical errors (all of those identified to date have been eliminated). It also has a very successful implementation of support for various standards: all versions (starting from 10) successfully pass the Acid2 and Acid3 tests, which only advanced web design technologies can do.

"Yandex browser "

The Yandex company presented to the general public its Yandex.Browser, which runs on the basis of the Blink engine, in 2012. Over the past time, he has not only entered the top five most popular web browsers in Russia, but also acquired interesting features. So, tools for supporting PDF files and working with office documents and support for Adobe Flash Player are initially built into it. Other strengths include:

• Smart line (which displays the address, even if you type its name in Russian letters).
• "Turbo" mode for faster work with a weak signal.
• Mouse gestures.
• "Yandex.Zen" (user's personal news feed with built-in advertising).

To protect the user from malicious content, Protect is used - an active protection technology with several modes of combating network threats.

Internet Explorer/Microsoft Edge

Internet Explorer (for Windows 10 - Microsoft Edge) is a browser based on the Trident engine (ME - on EdgeHTML), which is included in the set of pre-installed programs of Windows OS. For a long time it was considered one of the slowest, inconvenient and unsafe web browsers, which, moreover, cannot be removed without additional manipulations with system files. The latest version (IE 11) is equipped with most of the features requested by users. Among them: page scaling, automatic pop-up blocker, phishing filter, support for modern W3C web standards‎. In Microsoft Edge, more attention was paid to developers. They were endowed with extensive opportunities for creating and editing pages. For example, owners of touch devices can take notes and draw directly on the open tab.

safari

Apple's web browser, included by default with macOS and iOS. In Russia, it is less in demand than abroad, but it is among the top five. This web browser is interesting in that, like Opera, it passes the Acid2 and Acid3 tests without the slightest problem. In addition to high download speed and intuitive interface, it offers the user:

• Support for various encryption protocols.
• Private browsing is similar to Incognito mode.
• Built-in RSS aggregator.
• View content, change the structure and appearance of HTML, XHTML and XML documents using the Web Inspector.
• Pop-up blocker.
• Multimedia technology QuickTime.

Since 2011, the developers have switched the browser to the WebKit2 engine, which has a positive impact not only on its functionality, but also on security, the firewall has become more stable and reliable. Since version 5.1.7, the browser has become better able to respond to the lack of memory in the system and reallocate its resources.

TorBro

This web browser is mainly aimed at those who want their Internet activity to remain anonymous. Although it was created on the basis of Chromium, the browser lacks Google Host, Google Cloud Messaging and other Google domain-specific functionality. Also, all scripts for collecting statistical data and automatic URL formatting have been removed from it. By default, searches are conducted through the duckduckgo search engine. The built-in VPN allows you to choose which country you will “go online” from. Automatic installation of extensions from the Chrome Webstore is not available. Each will have to be downloaded and installed manually.

Chromium

This browser is developed by The Chromium Authors community with the support of specialists from the largest Internet companies. First released in 2008 based on the free WebKit engine, it has served as the basis for Google Chrome and dozens of other web browsers. In April 2013, it was transferred to the Blink engine, which made it possible to reduce the amount of source code and speed up the performance of the software. To protect against phishing and malware, the browser is equipped with a Safe Browsing mode, as well as a number of powerful protective features, including HTTP-only cookies, plug-in supervision, XSS Auditor (in experimental mode). As for web specification support, the latest versions of the browser fully pass the CSS3 Selectors Test and Acid3, and support over 95% of the current standards. An interesting feature is the ability to synchronize with any browser developed on the basis of Chromium with a kernel above version 5.

"Amigo"

It was originally called "[email protected]" and was released by Mail.Ru Group in the winter of 2011. Like most other web browsers, it is developed based on Chromium, but it has its own characteristics. These include the social panel. networks (which allows you to exchange messages and follow the news of the resource without going to its website), a built-in application for listening to music, a panel of quick actions and quick access to favorite sites.

In Russia, this browser has a predominantly negative reputation because:

• It is often installed on a device without the user's permission along with an affiliate program.
• Removing the browser itself and the additional software with which it loads the system is extremely difficult, because. A standard uninstaller is not included in the browser package.
• Mail.ru is used as a search engine in Amigo by default. It is impossible to replace it.
• Due to the use of an outdated version of the Blink engine and a generally ambiguous architecture, the browser consumes RAM inefficiently.

Vivaldi

Developed by Vivaldi Technologies based on Chromium and the Blink engine. Since its owner is one of the founders of Opera, the browser largely repeats its functionality. So, it has a sidebar, notes, a basket with closed tabs and other solutions that are in demand among users. It has an improved file upload function and allows you to access the address bar from full screen mode. Security tools also largely repeat the anti-virus mechanisms of Opera.

A "light" browser for Windows, developed by Dorian Boissonnade. To run on Linux, you need additional software - Wine. In terms of its architecture, it is similar to early versions of Mozilla Firefox (including due to the Gecko engine used, which is now gradually being replaced by Goanna), but it also has a number of fundamental differences. So:

• In terms of customization options, it bypasses even the aforementioned Firefox (the latter wins only due to a larger base of extensions).
• The browser has its own macro language, which allows you to create "ultra-light" extensions that do not affect the speed of the program.
• The web browser supports the ability to control programs with mouse gestures.

The non-standard browser architecture and low popularity had a positive impact on its security performance. It cannot be secretly infected with malicious extensions, and it is (in 97% of cases) unrecognizable for infected web pages.

S.R.Ware Iron

Like many other web browsers, this browser was created on the basis of Chromium. It has been developed by the German company SRWare since 2008. In many ways it is similar to Google Chrome, but there are differences. So, according to the authors, their browser does not track user actions on the network, uses the latest versions of WebKit and V8 (whereas Chrome is stable). And in one of the browser modifications (Andy Browser), there is even a built-in Tor anonymous network with the possibility of flexible self-configuration. One of the serious disadvantages is the presence of advertising on the home page and start bookmarks.

SlimJet

Little known in Russia, but very functional browser based on Chromium. Included in the list of 12 browsers that Microsoft offers to users of the European Economic Area. Initially, this software was planned to be used as an add-on for Internet Explorer, but then it was decided to release it as an independent browser. The main focus of the developers (FlashPeak) is on the functions that are in demand in modern society: a built-in ad blocker, tracking protection, downloading music and restoring paused downloads without the help of third-party applications, and dozens of other interesting features.

Sputnik

Browser from the company "Rostelecom", the release of which took place in the fall of 2015. Although initially positioned as a national project, it is being developed on the basis of Chromium, which served as the basis for a dozen other web browsers. Distinctive features of the browser are a built-in ad blocker, children's mode (to deactivate which you need to enter a password), as well as its own search engine with the same name. Despite the fact that the software was originally developed as a national one, its popularity in the Russian segment is extremely low (less than 1% of users use it, most of which are state-owned companies and organizations). Serious disadvantages are the lack of information (there is not a word about the features and functionality on the official website) and the emphasis on those standards / formats that other browsers are gradually abandoning ( a prime example– flash).

Maxthon

A cloud browser developed by the Chinese company Maxthon International Limited. Powered by Microsoft Trident and WebKit, announced as an add-on to Internet Explorer. The main focus is on browser personalization and cloud synchronization of most of the available features. The web browser is actively developing, as evidenced by the presence of options relevant to modern realities, such as:

• Auto-blocking pop-ups and automatic protection against phishing attacks.
• Remove banner ads with one click.
• Do Not Track mode (similar to Incognito mode).
• Resource sniffer (download any embedded media files from a web page).

Summing up

Choosing a browser for Android devices

Today, millions of people access the Internet using smartphones, tablets and other gadgets. Therefore, when comparing browsers, it would be wrong not to mention them. mobile versions. The most popular web browsers in 2018 are:

Google Chrome

The mobile version of the browser took the best features from the main distribution: voice control, full and partial translation of web pages, incognito mode, synchronization support, etc. Also among its strengths are: traffic saving mode, built-in safe browsing, one-touch access to content, etc. Among the shortcomings, users distinguish a not very user-friendly interface, rare updates, high consumption of RAM, the presence of advertising and frequent freezes.

Average rating (according to reviews on the Play Market) - 4.3 points.

Opera Mobile and Opera Mini

Unlike other developers, Opera Software offers 2 browsers for mobile devices at once:

• Opera Mobile is a web browser whose main features include: a smart news feed, automatic scaling, private tabs, and traffic savings.
• Opera Mini is a browser focused on maximum traffic savings. Contains a built-in ad blocker, supports night mode, incognito mode and multitasking. The user can control traffic consumption and independently set the default search engine.

Of the minuses of both applications, users highlight the outdated settings of the ad blocker, which ignores most of the advertising banners, the intrusive “for you” block, as well as slowing down the browser when updating to the latest versions.

Opera Mobile average rating – 4.4 points Opera Mini - 4.5 points.

Mozilla Firefox

This browser is designed for mobile devices based on Android and Maemo. It works on the same platform as the PC version, and therefore has similar functionality. The strengths of the browser include global synchronization (pages, bookmarks, passwords, etc.) with a laptop or PC, a high level of privacy while surfing the web, an extensive database of add-ons (including working AdBlock), smart search etc. Of the minuses, freezes, frequent crashes and incorrect operation of some sites (for example, YouTube when watching a video in the “Wide Screen” mode) predominate.

Average rating - 4.4 points

"Yandex browser "

Like its PC version, this browser is one of the top 5 web surfing applications. Supplemented with a voice assistant "Alice", which is designed to solve small everyday tasks and simulate communication. Among the interesting browser modes are:

• "Zen" - the system independently forms a news feed that will be of interest to you.
• "Turbo 2.0" - accelerated page loading even with a slow, unstable connection.
• "Incognito" - at the end of the work, it erases cookies, passwords, Internet surfing history and other traces of your stay on the network.

Of the shortcomings, users note poor functionality (compared to similar applications) and a not very user-friendly interface.

Average rating - 4.5 points.

UC Browser

One of the most popular Android web browsers in Russia. Can boast:

• Fast loading.
• A reliable ad blocker (with the exception of the latest versions, where bugs were found).
• Support for night mode and incognito mode,
• Friendly, intuitive interface.
• Traffic saving
• Synchronization with any other device where a similar browser is installed.

Disadvantages, as a rule, arise after the next update and are eliminated by developers in an accelerated mode.

Average rating - 4.5 points.

Orfox (Tor)

The browser is built on the basis of FireFox by analogy with TorBro, but taking into account the specifics of the Android OS. For full-fledged work, it requires the presence of the orbot application, due to which there is a connection to the Tor network. It has a convenient, intuitive interface and flexible settings. It guarantees maximum anonymity of web surfing, but it is not without its drawbacks. Users are not happy with the periodic decrease in the speed of the browser, the problem is due to the principle of the network, and therefore cannot be fixed. However, there are no complaints about insufficient privacy on the Internet (which means that the browser copes with the initial task).

Average rating - 4.2 points.

Dolphin Classic

This browser is known for its flexible interface settings. The user is offered hundreds of different themes and add-ons that will help make web surfing as comfortable as possible. Also of the pluses can be noted convenient synchronization with Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, the ability to control the browser with gestures and the presence of the "Incognito" mode and Flash support.

Of the minuses, users highlight frequent crashes when entering social networks, problems with the ad blocker and the above-mentioned Flash (out of 10 games, 6-7 are launched), as well as the gradual styling “like Google”.

Average rating - 4.5 points.

Microsoft Edge

This application will be of interest to those who use Windows 10, since synchronization with devices based on this OS takes place in just a couple of touches. For the convenience of users, Microsoft has developed an interface similar to Win 10 and installed a built-in ad blocker, which (according to reviews) copes with its task with a bang. In addition, the strengths of the application include:

• Russian-language Qwerty-code scanner.
• Night mode and Incognito mode.
• Convenient scaling when reading.

Of the minuses, there are mainly temporary flaws that the developers promise to fix in the next updates: problems connecting to public wi-fi, incomplete Russification of the client, loss of sound when the screen is turned off, and a small number of additions for customization.

Average rating - 4,3 points.

CM Browser

A lightweight and easy-to-manage browser, the developers of which set themselves 2 tasks: to provide the user with fast, comfortable web surfing and protect his device from malicious pages and resources. The user has access to:

• Smart video download.
• Built-in ad blockers and phishing sites.
• Scan APK files before downloading.
• Mode "Incognito".
• Page translator and more.

Among the shortcomings, users note:

• Lack of full-screen mode support on certain smartphone models.
• Blocking not all ads.
• Problems when clicking on links from third-party applications and when switching sites from the mobile version to the full version.

Average rating - 4.6 points.

puffin

To transfer web data to the device, this browser uses a special, patented compression algorithm, thanks to which it is possible to save up to 90% of the processing speed in normal browsing mode. It also has an Incognito mode, Flash support, cloud encryption of traffic on its way from the application to the server, and other useful features.

Among the minuses, complaints about regular freezes and disconnection with the Internet and problems with flash games prevail. It is noteworthy that in the paid version of the browser there are many times fewer such shortcomings (which can be regarded as a veiled incentive to switch to the paid version).

Average rating - 4,3 points.

A cloud browser that can be used on both Android and iOS. Due to this, synchronization is available for any mobile device based on iOS, Windows or Android. The browser has its own app center and supports gesture control. Allows you to save pages and work with them offline. Significantly saves traffic due to the "smart" display of pictures and videos. Equipped with a built-in ad blocker, as well as a password manager, notes and emails. Supports incognito mode and night mode.

Of the minuses, users note:

• Unfriendly interface.
• Numerous translation errors further hindering the use of the browser.
• Frequent spontaneous crashes and crashes.

Average rating - 4.4 points.

Boat Browser

Variable browser for those who like to customize applications for themselves. It has an extensive database of add-ons, and also supports voice control, multitouch, voice search. It is possible to download the cache to the SD card. There are many options for working with bookmarks.

Users are dissatisfied with:

• Frequent freezes and crashes with the loss of open tabs.
• Lack of a built-in ad blocker (mainly due to ad inserts in videos).
• Noticeable slowdown when opening more than 5-7 tabs.

Average rating - 4.1 points.

Next Browser

The browser is suitable for both work and play. The user is offered a convenient, intuitive interface with which you can:

• Work in night mode and incognito mode.
• In one click, turn off the display of media files to save traffic and speed up downloads.
• Install various plugins that significantly expand the functionality of the application.
• Get to know the latest news, selected according to your preferences.

Problems are observed:

• When auto-updating (hang).
• When synchronizing bookmarks (no desired result).
• When working in social networks (frequent departures)
• on restart (does not save previously opened tabs).
• When writing text (due to the scaling curve on some sites, the text input window is not visible).

Average rating - 4.3 points.

Lightning Browser

"Lightning" is positioned as a browser with the most loyal interface. All buttons and tabs are hidden in a drop-down menu, so that nothing prevents the user from watching what is happening on the screen. To increase privacy when surfing the web, developers suggest using the Tor network (which requires orbot to be installed to connect). Open source code allows you to quickly find vulnerabilities and fix them.

The disadvantages of the application include:

• Limitations of the free version (for example, it cannot open more than 10 tabs at a time).
• Problems with encoding and support for some fonts.
• Interruptions in the work of Flash-applications (in 3 out of 10 cases).

Average rating - 4.1 points.

Summing up

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Browser (web-browser, graphical browser) is a program with which an Internet user can visit and view websites on computers and gadgets. In fact, it is a translator of CSS style markup, Java scripts and the HTML language, processes http requests from users, receives data from the server and gives them the requested pages. Simply put, a browser is a program through which you downloaded our site and are reading this article.

Today, there are several popular versions of browsers that differ to some extent from each other, which is why inexperienced webmasters encounter difficulties when laying out web resources. However, qualified webmasters know how to solve such problems, so almost every advanced site looks great on any browser.

But before we talk about the functions and versions of modern web browsers, let's briefly recall the history of their appearance.

The first browser that received a graphical interface for displaying not only texts, tables and lists, but also pictures was Mosaic, created in 1993 by NCSA for Windows. In principle, it can be considered a "pioneer" among all modern browsers. Then Mosaic was extremely popular, but 4 years after the creation, due to the loss of the market, the project was closed.

Leading NSCA employees went to work for Netscape, which began developing a new, more functional and modern graphical browser called Netscape Navigator. They wanted their browser to be simpler and easier to use, and more efficient in maintaining standards. And they managed to do it. It is worth noting that the Mosaic code served as the basis for creating the masterpiece Netscape at that time.

Such a success could not go unnoticed, and soon the company Microsoft, already well-known at that time, “hurried in advance”. They understood that a large fish was swimming away from them. However, soon the geniuses of Microsoft reworked the source code of the first browser, creating their own - Internet Explorer.

It was IE, being integrated with Windows and available to users completely free of charge, that pushed the market leaders into the background. It has become an integral part of the Windows update, and people have no choice. But no one was indignant, because few people knew about alternative options.

Thanks to the monopoly, Internet Explorer quickly captured 95% of the market and forced Netscape out of business, but only for a short time. Soon, a code called the Mozilla Public License appeared in the public domain, on the basis of which a completely new Mozilla Firefox browser was created, which has become one of the market leaders today. Due to the lack of competition, the Microsoft project did not develop in any way, since at first users did not know about better alternatives, which Mozilla Firefox became.

The same Opera appeared already in the distant 95 of the last century, but it was popular only in the CIS countries. And all because it appeared in free access on the foreign market already in 2005.

What functions does the browser perform?

In order for a computer or any other device, having connected to the Internet, to be able to download data from it, software designed for this is required, capable of requesting information, processing it and loading it on the screen. For this, a browser was created that opens web pages consisting of code. It receives the code from the server where the site is stored and processes it to give you a readable and watchable picture on the monitor.

To view the site's encoding, right-click on its page and select "View Code". The normal operation and loading of web resource pages largely depends on the correct source code.

Another convenient feature of browsers is the storage of user passwords for various sites, so that when you revisit and log into your account, you do not have to re-enter your login and password. If you have previously visited a site and forgot what it is called, the saved history of visiting Internet resources will help you find the source you need. But the history can be very large and it will be quite difficult to find a site among the abundance of visited pages.

To avoid such situations, browsers have the ability to create bookmarks that are displayed under the address bar. With their help, you can store the sites you need and quickly access them with one click of the mouse.

In addition to downloading and opening sites, browsers are designed to download files of various formats: movies, audio recordings, games, text documents, and the like. All modern browsers have the ability to download add-ons:

1. Extensions. These are add-ons that, for example, block advertising banners on sites, check links for viruses, and so on.
2. Informers. The same extensions, only they notify the user: about the weather, about new messages in the mail, etc.
3. Topics. Change the visual design of background images and other browser elements.

Browsers do not affect the functioning of each other in any way, so they can be installed at least all at once on one device. However, the user must select a default application that will be the main one in the OS, and when clicking on the links, they will open through it.

7 popular browsers

The oldest of modern browsers, included in the Windows operating system. In the last century, it accounted for almost the entire market share. But the protracted and unconditional leadership led to a regression of the web browser, which was quickly taken advantage of by its competitors. IE 6 to 8 inclusive is a horror for webmasters. They do not meet any modern requirements for creating websites. The latest 11th version is available exclusively for Windows 7 and 8. Only Internet Explorer 9 deserves attention - a more or less stable, fast and well-protected version. Although it does not compare with other advanced counterparts.

One of the newest popular browsers. In 2015, with the release of Windows 10, Microsoft introduced its new and modern Edge browser. Unlike IE, it is constantly updated and has become the default browser for Windows 10, replacing the completely outdated Internet Explorer.

The current leader, developed by the most powerful company in the world - the Google search engine. The WebKit engine is used to display web resource pages. Chrome reached the top at an unthinkable pace, as it appeared only in 2008 - much later than its competitors. Now it occupies about 50% of the entire market. The browser pleases users with its speed, reliable protection, simple and stylish design.

It ranks third in popularity. However, it is the first browser to break Microsoft's monopoly in the 20th century. Unlike its counterparts, Mozilla is focused on using add-ons. Among the shortcomings, it can be noted that when installing plugins, the browser becomes heavy and loads pages much longer.

5 Opera

One of the most popular Runet browsers, but noticeably lagging behind in the global market. Opera pleases with an abundance of interesting and unique features, such as built-in instant messengers and an email client, VPN, and many other features that are not inherent in competitors who had to come up with special add-ons. Web browser developers offer users cool mobile versions that are leaders in their field.

6. Yandex.Browser

Development from Yandex, appeared in 2012. The first versions of the application were frustrating with a number of shortcomings. However, in new versions they have been fixed, and now a modern multifunctional web browser is more than a worthy competitor to Chrome. Its main difference: speed of work (turbo mode), reading articles without loading graphics, built-in protected technology protect.

From the name you can guess that this is the brainchild of Apple. It is found in iOS and Mac OS. At the moment, this browser cannot be downloaded for Windows - Apple has removed this feature from its website.

Conclusion

We have listed the most popular modern browsers. But there are other smaller browsers on the market:

• Chromium;
• Nichrome;
• Comodo Dragon;
• [email protected];
• CoolNovo (Chrome Plus);
• S.R.Ware Iron.

Previously, Internet Explorer rested on its laurels, because Microsoft literally forced Windows users to use their browser, while there were worthy counterparts. However, the bright mind and interesting innovations of talented developers from various companies that make it easier for users to use the Internet have taken the upper hand, and today the monopoly's share in the world market is drastically reduced. To date, the most successful is Google Chrome, but competition breeds progress, and no one knows who tomorrow will be able to offer us a cooler browser.

Today, Internet technologies are developing at a frantic pace. Unsurprisingly, web content viewers aren't far behind either. But let's find out what browsers are for a computer, and which of all this huge number to prefer for work.

What is a browser?

Let's start with the very definition of this type of program. What is a browser? The official interpretation says that this is not only a tool for viewing the content of web pages with text, graphics, sound or video information, but also a tool for managing sites or web applications, creating search queries, using additional add-ons that increase the functionality of the program, downloading the necessary content to the computer etc.

Now we will consider what browsers for a computer are, what are the differences between similar programs, what additional features they have, etc. Finally, let's pay attention to the comparative characteristics of the most popular applications and give some tips on using one or another browser on a computer.

True, let's make a reservation right away: here you need to clearly understand that the operation of programs of this type directly depends not only on the computer configuration, but also on many other factors, including the type of operating system, installed settings and plug-ins, quality and type of Internet connection, and much more. So it’s simply not possible to unequivocally answer which is the fastest browser for a computer. In other words, the conclusion will be highly arbitrary. But for convenience, we will consider Windows systems, which are most widely used in our country.

The history of the development of Internet technologies in browsers

Now let's find out how it all began. It is believed that the first-born in the history of the development of applications of this type was the browser, which was originally called WorldWideWeb and owed its birth in 1990 to Tim Burns-Lee, the founder of the Internet. As is already clear, the abbreviation WWW was then firmly entrenched in the World Wide Web itself. The browser itself was called Nexus a little later, but it was not widely used.

The NCSA Mosaic application was the first software product of this type, which gained immense popularity around the world. It was the technology implemented in this browser that later became the basis for creating such monsters as Netscape Navigator.

Unfortunately, Netscape Navigator did not last long, although it was considered a fairly convenient and nimble program. This was due only to the fact that it was primarily focused on UNIX-like operating systems and Mac OS. During the global offensive on the world market of Windows systems, it became unclaimed, since the "OSes" themselves already had a built-in Internet Explorer, and the need to install additional software simply disappeared. In addition, the "native" Windows browser at that time showed good performance results and was quite convenient in terms of not overloading the interface with unnecessary elements.

What browsers are there for a computer today? They can be counted not even tens, but hundreds. Of course, among all this, several of the most popular programs can be distinguished, but for a complete understanding of the topic under consideration, we will try to provide at least an approximate list of everything that can be found on the Internet.

What are the browsers for the computer. Review

So, what can be said about today's programs? Frankly, sometimes it seems that every developer persistently sets himself the goal of creating a tool for Internet surfing, just to get a user audience. In particular, this applies to most search or mail sites, for example, Yandex with its "Yandex browser" or Mail.Ru with its "Amigo".

Alas, most of these applications are created in the image and likeness of more powerful systems. As a rule, technologies are borrowed from Google Chrome, in which some changes have been made, some elements have been removed or added. And the saddest thing is that almost all developers shout at the top of their voices that their browser is the fastest.

But they often have so many ads that it is simply unbearable to work. Therefore, the user asks the question: what are the browsers for a computer without ads? Now let's try to present just such programs. Let's look at the existing browsers for the computer. The list (far from complete) is presented below:

• Internet Explorer.
• Google Chrome.
• Mozilla Firefox.
• Opera.
• safari.
• edge.
• Yandex Browser.
• Amigo.
• Acoo Browser.
• Arora.
• Avant Browser.
• Browzar.
• Chromium.
• 360 Safety Browser.
• CoolNovo.
• Citrio.
• Coowon Browser.
• Comodo Dragon.
• double.
• DustyNet.
• Epic Privacy Browser.
• Goona Browser.
• Green Browser.
• Internet Surfboard.
• K Meleon.
• Kylo.
• Loonascape.
• Maxton.
• Midori Browser.
• Mozilla Flock and Mozilla Sea Monkey.
• netsurf.
• Nuke.
• Orbitum.
• Orca.
• palemoon.
• Pirate Browser.
• Play Free Browser.
• QIP Sirf Browser.;
• Qt Web Browser.
• QupZilla.
• rockmelt.
• Slepnir Browser.
• Slim Browser.
• S.R.Ware Iron.
• Sundance Browser.
• TheWorld.
• Torch Browser.
• Vivaldi.
• Uran.
• YRC Weblink.
• Rambler Browser, etc.

Enough? What do you think? If you look closely even at the above names, it becomes clear that only the first five differ in originality and the technology originally incorporated in the software. The rest are, so to speak, derivatives.

Here, in fact, we see what browsers are available for the computer. Of course, if you search well, you can "dig up" a huge number of relevant programs. Here are just a few of the most famous ones. And to say which is the fastest browser for a computer can be very approximate. But here it is necessary to build on this issue exclusively from those programs and technologies that are used, so to speak, by the progenitors (the first five).

Now let's pay attention to the main programs that are used by most users today for surfing. So let's try to choose the most popular browsers for the computer. The list, of course, will not be so long. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of each application.

Internet Explorer 11

This program, although it is a standard integral element of any Windows OS, nevertheless has serious problems (especially with regard to the security system). And if at the very beginning of its evolution the priority of the popularity of Internet Explorer was not in doubt, then over time it fell to almost zero.

The browser itself has received a fairly strong development only in last years and, I must say, showed quite serious and impressive results, beating its closest competitors - Google Chrome, Opera and Mozilla Firefox. At the moment, it boasts a fairly high speed of work on the Internet and a user-friendly interface. So why are only a few using it? Yes, only because the old stereotype is still strong. In addition, users are often repelled by a minimalist, even if completely Russified, interface, in which additional settings and elements are not displayed on the main panel, but are hidden in different menus. Nevertheless, these claims seem to many experts to be clearly unfounded.

Google Chrome

What are the browsers for a computer in Russian yet? Without a doubt, in this question one cannot fail to mention Google Chrome, which not only became a legend itself, but also served as the progenitor for many other programs of this type.

Despite the same minimalism in design, in terms of convenience and speed of work, it looks quite impressive. Basically, users in this program are attracted by the fact that it has a reliable security system. But the main "chip" many users call the built-in extension store, which allows you to install additional plugins (add-ons), as they say, "on the spot". In addition, today you can find quite a lot of programmers who use this browser as a development tool. In addition, here you can quickly navigate to search results directly from the query string.

Perhaps the most important disadvantage, as strange as it sounds, lies in its plus. The fact is that it shows the optimal results of the speed of work, so to speak, only in a “pure” form. When there is an overflow of plugins and add-ons, alas, the speed of opening pages drops very much. But even on the condition that some tab “freezes”, you can work with the rest in normal mode.

Chromium, Yandex Browser, Amigo and 360 Safety Browser

Now let's take a look at Chrome-like browsers for Windows. The list, of course, can be continued, but these four programs are perhaps the brightest representatives of this family. In principle, they are made exclusively in the image and likeness of the progenitor, even menus and plug-ins often have the same name.

Each application has its own interesting aspects. Chromium is indeed somewhat optimized in terms of page opening speed compared to the original. Amigo offers the user an interface with direct access to the most popular social networks such as Odnoklassniki or VKontakte and the ability to quickly access a mailbox registered on Mail.ru.

Yandex Browser is called the "rising star of Runet", although, to be honest, it is completely incomprehensible why. What repels many users is the default search engine settings, and in general the dominance of Yandex services, which now and then install some additional panels, arrange unnecessary redirects. In general, it seems that the developers have tried in this way to promote their main service on the network. But in terms of speed, you can’t refuse him.

360 Safety Browser is relatively new. This browser is the development of Chinese programmers and, unlike other Chinese fakes, the quality of which is legitimately doubtful, it works quite fast (at least at first, that's for sure). The speed of launching the application itself and opening pages immediately after installation cannot be compared with anything. Even the "oldies", as they say, just "nervously smoke on the sidelines." Alas, over time it passes (however, like all other programs). It will be explained later why this is happening. But in general, this program, despite its youth, looks quite attractive. By the way, this is perhaps one of the few browsers with a built-in AdBlock pop-up blocking system (in other applications, the add-on needs to be installed additionally).

Opera

If we consider the best browsers for a computer, the list, of course, cannot do without such a giant as Opera, which has become, so to speak, a classic of the genre. Not surprisingly, in the usage statistics, this browser has always occupied the top lines.

But here we need to make a small digression. The fact is that Opera was not in demand for a long time only because it was released as a shareware program, that is, you could work with it for 30 days, after which it was offered to buy the official full-featured version of this software.

Only after Opera became free, she ascended to the podium. But even here it is not so simple. The fact is that today you can find too many modifications of this browser, and it is not always clear which one is official. For example, it is claimed that the latest release was released under numbers 15 and 16. Here on the official website you can find and download Opera 21, Opera Stable or Opera NI. What is the difference? Apparently, these releases are simply underdeveloped, and developers-programmers are simply in a hurry to release new versions in order to keep up with competitors. In addition, the latest versions of the browser clearly do not want to work on weak machines. Braking and freezing is such that you simply marvel. However, there are reasons for that. Perhaps the creators of Opera are simply creating a browser for more powerful configurations, working ahead of the curve, so to speak? Who knows…

Mozilla Firefox

Again, if you describe the most popular browsers for PC, the list cannot do without the "fire fox" - the Mozilla Firefox browser, which, if it does not claim to be the leading development in this area, is at least one of the most popular .

What is special about it? Almost everything. First of all, it is worth noting that many experts tend to accuse Google programmers of unethical behavior and uncleanliness, since Chrome turned out to be very similar to Firefox after its debut. Like it or not, it is believed that it was the Mozilla browser that became the basis for Chrome.

As for the application itself, it is one of the most reliable and stable. Maybe the "fox" does not show too high speed of work, in principle, he does not need it. First of all, this browser is aimed at web developers. Even the so-called “boxed” version already contains a lot of additional tools, and in terms of the number of add-ons (of which, by the way, there are not even hundreds, but thousands), it will easily bypass the notorious Google Chrome. Webmasters rate this application highly enough, if only because it is very convenient for writing scripts and testing their work, not to mention other equally interesting features.

safari

What other browsers are there for a computer? Have you seen compass-shaped icons on the Internet? Yes, it's an indispensable attribute of Apple's Safari browser, originally designed for Macintosh systems and later implemented as a beautiful application for Windows.

Everything in it is extremely simple and beautiful. A distinctive feature of this application is a unique font smoothing system, as well as the ability to comfortably view large texts. Another innovation is a built-in password manager with an impenetrable security system. In general, security is considered one of the strongest points of "apple" software products. In general, this is a well-made program, optimized for the needs of an ordinary user.

edge

Finally, if you look at what browsers are available for your computer, you can’t help but say a few words about Microsoft’s newest development called Edge, which first appeared in the new Windows 10 OS.

Although Edge is based on Internet Explorer technologies, the developers have clearly revised their global concept and redesigned the original application quite strongly. As a result, a powerful software product appeared, which today is ahead of similar programs in almost all respects.

True, and here it was not without its "jokes". The fact is that, by default, the start page loads a bunch of unnecessary information such as news or software updates, weather informers, popular sites and bookmarked resources, all sorts of unnecessary interesting things, etc. In addition, it is on the start page that the address the line is not at the top, but a little lower and is presented as a kind of search field. Then, when you click on the link, it returns to its rightful place. However, this is easy to get used to.

On the other hand, the speed of work here is quite high, which cannot be said about similar applications, and the download speed, if there are no restrictions, say, when downloading content from file-sharing networks, is comparable even to torrents. But the program itself has not yet been released as a separate version, so you can evaluate all its capabilities and advantages only if you install the tenth version of Windows (by the way, it has two browsers: Edge and the same Internet Explorer, presented as a separate application ). But by default, the system uses Edge.

PC browsers: list by performance tests

So, what browsers are available for a computer, we figured it out a bit. As far as performance tests go, they don't always look the same. It all depends on who exactly and what test was conducted. Quite often, you can also find results in favor of a particular browser, which can only indicate an attempt to promote this software on the market. In addition, any browser becomes more and more sluggish as you use it. And it has absolutely nothing to do with cache or browsing history overflow. The only exception is Edge. On some systems, the Safari browser is not affected either.

But to say exactly which is the best browser for a computer is simply impossible. And it depends not only on the programs themselves, but also on the preferences of users. In addition, each program of this type has its own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, the question of which browser to choose for a computer, in most cases, the user has to decide on their own. The given test diagram cannot show the objectivity of the assessment (the preferences of the experts who made the comparison also play a role here). This is, so to speak, a conditional result for an approximate understanding of the situation.

What is the result?

Now it’s probably a little clear what browsers are available for a computer and what features they have. Again, giving advice on installing a particular software product is a completely thankless task, because each person has his own preferences. In addition, the browsers themselves can be focused on solving quite specific tasks, sometimes not even related to Internet surfing. Yes, you also need to consider what “OS” is installed on the computer, what is the speed of Internet access, how much of the same RAM and many others, no less important factors. But to be objective and not tip the scales in someone's favor, it is recommended to choose one of the first six browsers presented at the very beginning of the above list. The rest can be fundamentally, since they are all derivatives of the main programs. However, here, as they say, everyone decides for himself what he likes and what is more convenient to work with.