# Which is your preferred browser? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 25, 2010, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463 "2010-06-25T07:47:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463/1 "2010-06-25T07:47:41Z")
For years I’ve sworn by Firefox, but recently I’ve found it to be clunky and inefficient. I’ve looked around at other browsers, and I’m beginning to feel the lurve for Opera. Which is your favourite browser? I have listed the major players, but having Googled browsers, I have discovered literally dozens and dozens of them. For the sake of this poll, I’ve assumed that there won’t be enough users of the less well known browsers to make it worth listing them individually, so please use ‘Other’ and name your choice. ---
**Author:** ![ColdPhoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@ColdPhoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColdPhoenix)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463/2 "2010-06-25T08:25:05Z")
Not voting because, similarly to you, I’ve been using Firefox for years but am finding it slow and clunky now. Will be interested to see the results. ---
**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:** [June 25, 2010, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463/3 "2010-06-25T08:54:28Z")
Still Firefox, but Chrome is catching up. But there are still some niggly problems that keep me from using it full time. Certain plugins have no equivalents, and I still can’t set a default text magnification of 120%. You’d think changing the font size up a step or two would do it, but all text stays the same size. In fact, if they just fixed the magnification issue, I’d probably use it for everyday browsing, and only pull up Firefox for more complex stuff. As it is, I only use Chrome for Flash intensive stuff that tends to max out Firefox’s memory. ETA: Last I used Opera, instead of plugins, you had widgets that didn’t directly interface with the browser. And a really slow adblocking system. No thanks. ---
**Author:** ![wolf-alice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9e8a1a/32.png) [@wolf-alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf-alice)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463/4 "2010-06-25T10:42:06Z")
I seem to have had the same issues - I was really loyal to Firefox for years, then I got a couple of niggly problems all at once (Flash wouldn’t work for ages, certain sites would freeze), so I jumped ship to Chrome. I love it. As soon as I get all my equivalent Greasemonkey scripts, I’ll probably move entirely. ---
**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:** [June 25, 2010, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463/5 "2010-06-25T12:24:48Z")
Chrome by a nose over Opera. I think Opera is the best in many ways, but Chrome avoids some of the issues caused by the fact that no one designs for Opera. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463/6 "2010-06-25T12:46:36Z")
My only problem with Firefox is it doesn’t release its RAM fast enough after closing ro during a require restart. It is starting to get bloated, but I don’t see a need for change just yet, especially since I’ve fine-tuned it, and any other browser will not have half the features I frequently use. ---
**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:** [June 25, 2010, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463/7 "2010-06-25T12:55:58Z")
Chrome. I like the minimal interface and it eats a few applications that other browsers chug on. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463/8 "2010-06-25T12:58:44Z")
I voted internet explorer, but the few times I’ve used Chrome, I’ve preferred it over Firefox. I dislike Firefox, sorry. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463/9 "2010-06-25T13:17:17Z")
Been using Safari for years just because that’s what I had. I’m accustomed to the way it works, I’ve got it entirely figured out, and I have it set up exactly the way I want it. Firefox is the standard at my work, but I too find it displeasing in many ways. I was very excited about Chrome, but when it was released for Mac I did not really get it. I very much dislike the minimalist approach of it. I \*\*\*like \*\*\*having a lot of options and preferences. So I stuck with Safari. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463/10 "2010-06-25T13:53:01Z")
Firefox–I used Opera for a long time but it had too many problems. I use IE for certain things, and have installed Chrome but ran into problems the first time I used it. I have yet to find a browser that works completely right with Blogger–there’s always something that doesn’t work and it makes me cranky. ---
**Author:** ![TheFifthYear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@TheFifthYear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFifthYear)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463/11 "2010-06-25T16:16:51Z")
I love Safari, but think Chrome is pretty good too. I would be happy with either, but stick with Safari out of a combination of inertia and a few killer features (the new Reader feature is the best thing to happen to browsers in years). Firefox is ok, but it’s let down by some interface clunkiness and general ugliness (this seems to be true of most open source software not released by a major company, unfortunately). Haven’t used IE in a long time, and have never used Opera. Didn’t know Netscape/Mozilla was still around, to be honest. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463/12 "2010-06-25T16:27:28Z")
Recently switched from Firefox to Chrome. Seems faster, and the interface is cleaner. I like the way the input box at the top works for both URL and search. However, it doesn’t seem to work with one of my online banking sites; I still have to fire up Firefox for that. And I noticed at least one case where an embedded video link didn’t work properly. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463/13 "2010-06-25T16:42:59Z")
Firefox. That said, I really could use any browser and be happy. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463/14 "2010-06-25T16:52:27Z")
I stubbornly stick with IE8. Slow and buggy but I like the features and look of it. Tried Firefox for a while, didn’t care for it. When a website just won’t work well in IE8, which usually involves video streaming, I switch to Chrome, which to me has speed in its favor, but little else. . ---
**Author:** ![Blut\_Aus\_Nord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Blut\_Aus\_Nord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blut_Aus_Nord)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463/15 "2010-06-25T18:16:22Z")
What’s with all the people saying Firefox is “clunky” and “ugly”? It’s very simple to emulate the appearance of any other browser, from IE8 to Opera to Safari (mine looks almost exactly like Chrome). Also, the security add-ons make it like a browsing tank - no viruses or anything will get through unless you’re completely clueless. In terms of speed, it beats IE8 and even Chrome if the site is loaded with flash and java content, at least for me. For the record, these are my add-ons: Adblock Plus Adblock Plus: Element Hiding Helper Better Privacy Chromifox Companion (I use the Chromifox Extreme theme) Cookie Monster Download Helper Download Statusbar Flashblock FoxyProxy (with tor/vidalia/polipo software bundle) Gmail Notifier NoScript Smooth Wheel (AMO) Text-to-Image Never had any problems. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463/16 "2010-06-25T18:21:47Z")
I use Firefox, still. I’ve complained about it here and finally figured out that the problem was the Google toolbar. It had been slow, hanging, laggy, and frustrating to use. I disabled the toolbar and so far, so good. I’d love to use Chrome, but it is for Mac OS X 10.5 or later, and I’m on 10.4. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463/17 "2010-06-25T18:32:06Z")
Chrome user here. I was bombarded by ads and thought “fuck it, I’m bored so I’ll download it and try it out” and wound up being impressed by how streamlined and _clean_ it seemed. I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with it but it’s all I use now. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463/18 "2010-06-25T19:14:46Z")
I use Firefox and also Iron (a hardened version of Chrome), it works well. Only thing that bugs me is the lack of a standard title bar. Some websites put useful information in the page title and you can’t see it on a tab. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463/19 "2010-06-25T19:20:51Z")
Could I create user accounts on XP Pro and install different browsers on each of them to experiment? ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463/20 "2010-06-25T19:30:32Z")
You can install as many browsers as you want in a single user account. User accounts are only important if you want more than one profile per browser as far as bookmarks etc. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-your-preferred-browser/544463.md?page=2)