There are more reasons than ever to replace Internet Explorer (Windows) and Safari (OSX) as your default web browsers. Two of the best reasons? Performance and personality.
Google Chrome is now available on the Mac and the latest Firefox 3.6 beta boasts more than 140 changes. For the past week, I’ve been driving these new browsers hard — and pondering the results.
Both browsers beat the pants off Internet Explorer in JavaScript performance. Chrome (4.0.249.30) is faster than its competitors in most respects, but Firefox (3.6.b4) makes good use of memory. However, the Mac version of Chrome (still in beta) isn’t full-featured like its Windows counterpart. It doesn’t manage bookmarks or integrated Google SideWiki.
The latest Firefox beta is faster than it’s predecessor (on startup and running Javascript) and still boasts one of my favorite features: a great personality (aka the Mozilla Manafesto).
From a functional standpoint, there isn’t a huge difference between most modern web browsers. The most distinguishing factor for most web users is more about a browser’s brand and culture. Stewart Meagher, from the Inquirer, puts it well: “We’ve always found it a bit odd that people are prepared to enter into heated discussions about their favourite flavour of web browser. It’s a bit like being passionate about a breakfast cereal, or your favourite type of pencil.”
Believe it or not, the choice of your favorite browser reveals a lot about your personality. Every web browser has its own brand and culture. Internet Explorer’s culture is the most corporate. Safari’s is the most creative. Chrome’s is the most streamlined and efficient. Firefox’s culture is the most cooperative. Firefox developers have distilled a set of principles that they believe are critical for the Internet to continue to benefit the public good. These principles comprise the Mozilla Manifesto:
- The Internet is an integral part of modern life–a key component in education, communication, collaboration, business, entertainment and society as a whole.
- The Internet is a global public resource that must remain open and accessible.
- The Internet should enrich the lives of individual human beings.
- Individuals’ security on the Internet is fundamental and cannot be treated as optional.
- Individuals must have the ability to shape their own experiences on the Internet.
- The effectiveness of the Internet as a public resource depends upon interoperability (protocols, data formats, content), innovation and decentralized participation worldwide.
- Free and open source software promotes the development of the Internet as a public resource.
- Transparent community-based processes promote participation, accountability, and trust.
- Commercial involvement in the development of the Internet brings many benefits; a balance between commercial goals and public benefit is critical.
- Magnifying the public benefit aspects of the Internet is an important goal, worthy of time, attention and commitment.
The browser you choose says a lot about you. Like my friend @doodlehaus, I can’t resist a good Manifesto. I’m drinking Firefox’s flavor of Kool Aid.
Credits: The Firefox transformer illustration is courtesy of Mozilla.
Speaking of Kool Aid
What is YOUR favorite flavor of Kool Aid? Find inspiration from these classic Kool Aid commercials of yesteryear. It’s surprising just how many of these I recall seeing on TV in my youth…
About Troy Janisch