# Chrome v. Firefox

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [January 1, 2011, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029 "2011-01-01T05:54:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029/21 "2011-01-01T18:49:17Z")

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I’m a Firefox user until Chrome gets a vBulletin Manager wannabe or the official thing or something that does the same thing. Gotta block all the trolls at a message board or two that I frequent dontcha know.

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029/22 "2011-01-01T19:17:22Z")

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I like Chrome because it’s “cleaner”. I don’t like to have a bunch of icons on my desktop and I don’t like having a bunch of buttons on my browser. Plus, it’s more intuitive, and leaves more screen space for non-browser stuff.

The downside to Chrome as far as I’m concerned is that occasionally you run into sites (mostly government sites and the like) that require IE or Firefox. So I keep those installed.

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**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029/23 "2011-01-01T20:31:26Z")

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> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> The downside to Chrome as far as I’m concerned is that occasionally you run into sites (mostly government sites and the like) that require IE or Firefox. So I keep those installed.

If it is just a rendering problem there is a Chrome extension called IE Tab or something similar that causes the page to rendered as it would be in IE, without the need to actually open IE.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029/24 "2011-01-01T20:43:48Z")

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> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#):
>
> Perhaps you should read this thread.

I have already read it. What’s your point?

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**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029/25 "2011-01-01T21:02:13Z")

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I keep coming back to Firefox too, even though Chrome seems faster, cleaner and more stable. For me, it’s plugins where I haven’t been able to find an equivalent on Chrome. I use the most recent Firefox 4 beta on both the PC and Mac, and it seems quite a bit faster and more stable than FF 3.

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029/26 "2011-01-01T22:35:14Z")

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> [@mittu](#):
>
> If it is just a rendering problem there is a Chrome extension called IE Tab or something similar that causes the page to rendered as it would be in IE, without the need to actually open IE.

That would help for a couple but mostly it’s sites that say “you must have FF or IE to access this site.” [Progressive.com](http://Progressive.com), for example (although some of it works in Chrome).

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**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029/27 "2011-01-01T22:42:27Z")

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> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> I like Chrome because it’s “cleaner”. I don’t like to have a bunch of icons on my desktop and I don’t like having a bunch of buttons on my browser. Plus, it’s more intuitive, and leaves more screen space for non-browser stuff.

That’s the exact reason why I don’t use Chrome. Without buttons, I don’t know where to click!

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**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029/28 "2011-01-01T23:07:48Z")

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I switched to Chrome simply because every time I start up Firefox, I get a window called the “Error Console.” Every time. And this is what it says:  
[QUOTE=Firefox Error Console]  
Error: not well-formed  
Source File: moz-nullprincipal:{5fbf5615-5f13-45ec-85a4-a287bf4f2a4b}  
Line: 1, Column: 14484  
Source Code..

Error: not well-formed  
Source File: moz-nullprincipal:{9f1c6eda-1c5a-466b-9f5b-29522ba813b8}  
Line: 1, Column: 14484  
Source Code:  
\<?xml version=“1.0” encoding=“utf-8” ?\>\<toolbar\>\<toolbaritem id=“yahoo-toolbar-main-container” maxheight=“32” flex=“2” style=“margin-right:3px;margin-left:3px”\>\<toolbaritem id=“yahoo-toolbar-reqbtns” maxwidth=“700” pack=“begin” align=“center”\>\<toolbarbutton class=“lightning-button” id=“yahoo-toolbar-wlp” label=“Welcome Page” yhash=“{‘id’:‘wlp’,‘p’:‘wp2’,‘pos’:‘yhoo’,‘to’:‘-1’,‘ultid’:‘wlp70’}” oncommand=“yahooButtonHandler(event);” onclick=“if(event.button == 1) yahooButtonHandler(event);”

and so on…  
[/quote]  
(Obviously that information is not “well-formed,” but what exactly am _ **I** _ supposed to do about it?)  
I’ve reinstalled Firefox many times, and upgraded it. I’ve gone over the settings, and options, etc., but this window still comes up every time I launch the Firefox. I got just tired of closing it all the time.

However, I have to go back to Firefox for printing files, because the Chrome print options are just about zero.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029/29 "2011-01-01T23:09:42Z")

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Right now, Chrome is my top browser. Fast and clean.

Opera is number 2.

Firefox is slow and clunky, especially starting up. I stopped using it as soon as I caught on to Chrome.

MSIE is mediocre, but is necessary for some MS-only web pages. Luckly, there are add-ins for Firefox and Chrome that let you use its rendering engine within the other browser.

Safari is the worst – lack of features and a silly bookmark scheme designed just to be different and not to be better. It’s only on the market because Apples ship with it.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029/30 "2011-01-01T23:21:47Z")

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> [@guizot](#):
>
> I switched to Chrome simply because every time I start up Firefox, I get a window called the “Error Console.” Every time. And this is what it says:(Obviously that information is not “well-formed,” but what exactly am _ **I** _ supposed to do about it?)  
> I’ve reinstalled Firefox many times, and upgraded it. I’ve gone over the settings, and options, etc., but this window still comes up every time I launch the Firefox. I got just tired of closing it all the time.

Probably a dumb question, but have you tried removing the Yahoo Toolbar? (I was going to say “…then reinstalling it”, but thats a recommendation that sticks in my throat)

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**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029/31 "2011-01-02T00:04:41Z")

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> [@Mangetout](#):
>
> Probably a dumb question, but have you tried removing the Yahoo Toolbar?..

Yes. Those weren’t the only problems. It also has things like, "  
Warning: Unknown property ‘zoom’. Declaration dropped.  
Source File: [Google](http://www.google.com/ig)  
Line: 3"  
About 25 of them. This it also has: "  
Warning: Error in parsing value for ‘display’. Declaration dropped.  
Source File: [Google](http://www.google.com/ig)  
Line: 0"

And so on. It’s not just Yahoo. My version of Firefox just hates the whole world.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029/32 "2011-01-02T00:17:21Z")

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Blimey. Long shot: this isn’t on a corporate machine that has some sort of permissions lockdown, is it?

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**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029/33 "2011-01-02T00:45:18Z")

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> [@Mangetout](#):
>
> Blimey. Long shot: this isn’t on a corporate machine that has some sort of permissions lockdown, is it?

No, it’s a personal laptop. Moreover, at one time Firefox and this laptop had a beautiful relationship. Now it’s all I can do to keep them from hurling insults at each other about parsing values, unknown properties and permission denied. It’s brutal.

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**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029/34 "2011-01-02T02:03:00Z")

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Chrome, hands down. (reasons have already been stated in the thread - and the extension offerings are pretty damn good so that’s not a valid reason to choose Firefox over Chrome)

Firefox is the backup browser for the occasional site that’s not with the times and still hasn’t added Chrome support (or for testing if you’re a web dev / have to do tech support).

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**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029/35 "2011-01-02T02:11:56Z")

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**guizot** : The errors you’re seeing in the Firefox Error Console are not abnormal; what is abnormal is if the Error Console is automatically popping up - it’s not supposed to open unless you ask it to, either via the menu or hotkey combo (Ctrl-Shift-J). It’s possible one of your extensions is somehow triggering this behaviour.

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029/36 "2011-01-02T03:54:04Z")

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> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> That would help for a couple but mostly it’s sites that say “you must have FF or IE to access this site.” [Progressive.com](http://Progressive.com), for example (although some of it works in Chrome).

Those should work as well, as the IETab is actually using IE, and tells he website that it is IE (or, at least, it should.)

But if you are wanting a solution that doesn’t involve using IE, I’d suggest reading [this website](http://knol.google.com/k/wardog/google-chrome-change-user-agent-to/187t5jnwvnu9d/6#). When Chrome finally adds an API that will allow extensions to do it, you can just use [this extension](https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/aafciojnlamllgpkpdkbamkfgbofhgcj), but, for now, you’ll have to use the command line.

ETA: And that right there is an example of how their extension support still sucks, **Rigamarole**. There are multiple extensions that can do this in Firefox, and there has been support for it from day one.

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029/37 "2011-01-02T04:00:17Z")

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> [@guizot](#):
>
> I switched to Chrome simply because every time I start up Firefox, I get a window called the “Error Console.” Every time. And this is what it says:(Obviously that information is not “well-formed,” but what exactly am _ **I** _ supposed to do about it?)  
> I’ve reinstalled Firefox many times, and upgraded it. I’ve gone over the settings, and options, etc., but this window still comes up every time I launch the Firefox. I got just tired of closing it all the time.
> 
> However, I have to go back to Firefox for printing files, because the Chrome print options are just about zero.

Reinstalling Firefox does next to nothing if you don’t delete your settings. Did you try [creating a new profile](http://kb.mozillazine.org/Creating_a_new_Firefox_profile_on_Windows)?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029/38 "2011-01-02T04:47:47Z")

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> [@BigT](#):
>
> Reinstalling Firefox does next to nothing if you don’t delete your settings. Did you try [creating a new profile](http://kb.mozillazine.org/Creating_a_new_Firefox_profile_on_Windows)?

I just did, and that seems to have solved the problem. Thanks, **BigT**!

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**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029/39 "2011-01-02T05:26:42Z")

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I can’t even make my stuff readable without spell checking as I go. FF has the best of that IMO.

I’m old and need bigger resolutions and manny sites do not render well with Chrome et al. Still a lot of sites that are IE monsters and FF seems the best at rendering them for me. I don’t like a lot of stuff open as I do not have a powerful machine and FF combines the best of what I need.

I have IE, FF, Chrome, K-Meleon, Oprah, AOHell, on this XP machine and Chrome, Seamonkey, FF on my Ubuntu Machine.

I try to use what is needed for a certain site if FF does not do the trick but pipe size and computer speed restrictions make all the nano second bench clocking you all are fussing over, a moot point for me and manny others out in the woods.

YMMV

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**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chrome-v-firefox/566029/40 "2011-01-02T14:45:02Z")

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> [@Mangetout](#):
>
> I have already read it. What’s your point?

There are Chrome add-ons galore being asked about and brought up.

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