Best iPad web browser?

In My Humble Opinion
1

So I now have an iPad. One of the first things I’ve discovered is that I’ve been spoiled by desktop Firefox. No two ways about it. So I was disappointed when I saw that Adblock for Safari isn’t supported via iOS. Plus, I can’t do as much with Safari as I can with Firefox in general.

What browser do you iPad owners out there suggest? I’ve seen Chrome, Atomic, and iCal suggested (and I don’t mind paying a little if it gives me a lot of versatility and “pleasure” long term). Any of them better than the others, or is there another I don’t know of yet?

Thanks!

2

I have an iPhone, but the experience may be similar on an iPad. I use Mercury Browser, which has a free and very effective ad blocker built in. I see no ads at all on the SDMB. It’s as if i have AdBlock Plus installed. It can also emulate desktop Firefox 3.5, IE 6, 7, and 8, Chrome, and Opera. I use the free version, which lets you browse in up to four tabs, but I believe the pay version, which is 99¢, can let you open up to 10 tabs.

3

The type of faults that bother me in an iPad browser are uniform across all browsers I’ve tried, so from my point of view I don’t really have a preference. I will say that I like the way Chrome will show a list of tabs open on other devices such as a desktop or iPhone but there is some kind of bug that prevents it from opening some links properly.

4

Second the Mercury browser. My favorite thing about it is that it has a full-screen option, while still allowing you to navigate if you need to. The ad-block is also nice.

Only issue is it won’t let me use Flash for some reason.

5

The iPad and other iOS devices don’t support flash.

6

Lifehacker suggests Atomic. I haven’t tried any other browsers, as I don’t have any problems with how Safari runs the show.

7

Actually, Adobe abandoned Flash on tablets and phones last November.

When Android 4.1 - Jelly Bean is released, it will not support Flash.

So, unless you keep a mobile device at an older version of its OS, you won’t get Flash support.

8

My iPad (on which I’m currently typing) has safari, chrome, puffin, and skyfire. The latter two are cloud browsers; good for watching any flash videos you want to see, and also getting around region restrictions to watch U.S. content here in Canada.

I don’t remember the exact reason cited, but because of some special hoops third party browsers have to go to, Chrome runs just a teeeeeensy bit slower than safari on the iPad. The upshot is the integration of the browser with other formats. If I turn my iPad off right now, this exact tab with be available for me to continue reading on my android phone, OR on my desktop. Ditto for my favorites and history.