# What Web Browser Do You Use And Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 1, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145 "2003-12-01T01:11:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145/21 "2003-12-01T04:49:33Z")
Firebird in Linux, regular Mozilla in Windows, but only because I don’t use that OS enough to go through the trouble of installing Firebird. I LOVE the built-in Google bar, and the pop-up browsing (I had to use IE at school last week, and I was SO annoyed at popups!) I also LOVE tabbed browsing…every program should have tabs. Word processors, spreadsheets, everything, all tabs! Tabs tabs tabs! (Yes, I am tired, can you tell?) ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145/22 "2003-12-01T04:50:24Z")
IE 6, occassionally Firebird when I want to see how something looks in another browser. I use IE 6 almost exclusively because I have no compelling reason to use anything else most of the time. (I have PanicWare’s Pop-up Stopper Pro, and haven’t seen a pop-up in years.) ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145/23 "2003-12-01T04:53:48Z")
IE 4, since that’s the only one that will work with my old computer. _sigh_ ☹ Hopefully, my friend Vernon gets it upgraded SOON… F\_X ---
**Author:** ![leenmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@leenmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leenmi)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145/24 "2003-12-01T05:06:30Z")
Opera. Can’t put my finger on what makes me prefer it to Firebird, which has similar features and is free, but there is just something about the feel of Opera that makes me willing to pay the $39 or live with the banner ads. Love, love, love my Opera browser. ---
**Author:** ![maleinblack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@maleinblack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maleinblack)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145/25 "2003-12-01T12:27:35Z")
Cant agree more with you **leenmi**. Love my Opera.It is so so better than the crappy IE. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145/26 "2003-12-01T12:27:49Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Boscibo_ > **I guess I don’t understand the appeal of tabbed browsing, I open new windows in IE and all the 'tabs" are down on my taskbar and it’s easy to switch between windows. Is there something I’m missing?** For me, it’s not so much the tabs (as you say, the taskbar performs a similar function), it’s the fact that new windows open in the background, so you don’t have to navigate back to the original window every time. And my browser supports background opening by clicking the mouse wheel, which makes it soooo much easier to open multiple links quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145/27 "2003-12-01T12:51:45Z")
Opera. It appears to run faster than IE for me, has some helpful features (tabbed browsing, mouse gestures, easy toggling of image loading, “open in background” options and the like) and is nicely customisable. I’ve heard similar good things about Firebird, but am quite happy with Opera for the time being. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145/28 "2003-12-01T13:05:38Z")
I’ve heard that Firebird is a slimmed-down version of Mozilla? If that’s true, what does Mozilla provide that Firebird does not? ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145/29 "2003-12-01T13:06:29Z")
I have multiple versions of various browsers running - purely for web design testing etc. With regards to my _personal_ browsing, i’m a Firebird user. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145/30 "2003-12-01T13:14:06Z")
Mozilla, mostly for the tabbed browsing. That is such a handy little. You wont know how useful it is until you actually use it. ---
**Author:** ![BuddyToBud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9bd4f/32.png) [@BuddyToBud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuddyToBud)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145/31 "2003-12-01T14:50:24Z")
Funnily enough, although I am an IE fan and hate Lotus Notes with a vengence, since my e-mails come through Notes at work, anything to do with SDMB and other links tend to be done through Notes (IE browsing rather than Netscape). At home though, I’m exclusively IE - more through habit than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145/32 "2003-12-01T15:14:31Z")
Opera user here. I’ve been playing with Firebird and have to say I am very impressed…Not enough to switch though. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145/33 "2003-12-01T15:20:43Z")
It varies. When I’m doing my html coding for class, I use Netscape 4.7 - it lets me know straight off if something’s not how I planned it to be (I also keep the page open in IE 6, because that’s usually going to be how I want it to look and I can compare the two). N4.7 is also one of the browsers the professor will use to view our work once we hand it in, so it helps to see it that way. I also run pages through Opera, Mozilla and Safari to check how they look. But I mainly surf using IE6. It’s just right there - and all my favorites are saved there, since I never think to save things in other browswers. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145/34 "2003-12-01T16:25:46Z")
Safari; in additional to the popup blocking and other “technical” features, I like the graphical layout and the built-in Google search. Oh! and the spool chocker! ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145/35 "2003-12-01T16:34:38Z")
I have a G4. I use Netscape 7.02. IE is only on here to use older websites that aren’t up to scratch with newer browsers (see [www.gamesup.com](http://www.gamesup.com), unless it’s updated in the last few months.) ---
**Author:** ![Teegus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Teegus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teegus)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145/36 "2003-12-01T16:41:39Z")
Netscape 7.1 because it comes with email and an HTML editor and it blocks most pop ups. And it looks cool too :). Also raised on Netscape since my parents first got internet way back when. Occasionally IE 5.5 to see if my webpages work. ---
**Author:** ![leenmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@leenmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leenmi)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145/37 "2003-12-01T17:01:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ratatoskK \* > \*\*I’ve heard that Firebird is a slimmed-down version of Mozilla? If that’s true, what does Mozilla provide that Firebird does not? \*\* Mozilla is a suite of web products: browser, email client, news reader, etc… Firebird is just a web browser. No email client, news reader, etc… Both are developed by the same group, although some extensions are for Firebird only. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145/38 "2003-12-01T17:14:30Z")
What? No [Camino](http://www.mozilla.org/projects/camino/) users yet? I know I should try Safari more, and I do use it on occasion, but I tend to stick with Camino. I just like it. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145/39 "2003-12-01T18:18:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Troy McClure SF \* > \*\*Safari. > > Tabs, pop-up blocking, built-in Google, Bookmarks bar, and it’s quicker’n hell. However, I do hope they do 2.0 soon. There are some things I’d like to see (“Copy Image Address” and “Open in Background Tab” come to mind). \*\* Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145/40 "2003-12-01T19:51:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jervoise \* > \*\* > – If I type a phrase in the address bar and hit ctrl+shift+enter, it will open a new browser tab showing me the Google results matching that phrase! Just like the Google toolbar . \*\* What’s the advantage? Why type the phase in the ADDRESS bar, and then hit 3 keys–ctrl+shift+enter? Why not just click on [google.com](http://google.com) (say, by setting it as the home page icon, or the top row of the bookmarks) and then type the phrase in the google search bar? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-web-browser-do-you-use-and-why/216145.md?page=3)