# Which 'Net browser to use? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 15, 2015, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-net-browser-to-use/731414 "2015-09-15T21:44:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-net-browser-to-use/731414/1 "2015-09-15T21:44:39Z")
Following my upgrade to Windows 10\*, I got a copy of Microsoft Edge. Which is basically Google Chrome. However, I… don’t like Chrome. Everybody seems love Chrome and it has some good points, but I dislike the tendency of modern browsers to “help”. They’re always trying to help me do things I didn’t want them to do, and usually getting my way. At the same time, there’s far fewer options and security settings. I should admit I’m somewhat insane about security. I try to lock down everything, and restrict popups, internet files, and cookies as much as possible. My default is decidedly opt-in only. The problem is that IE10 is the only browser left I can find which supports this kind of restrictiveness, and it’s definitely aging and not as fast as desired. It might be the only option, but does anyone know what I might be able to use out there? \*Windows 10 is OK. Not bad and not great. Definitely faster, and the interface has good points. Unfortunately, Microsoft did what people asked it to do (always a dangerous plan), which is to take away as many of the “confusing” options as possible. Which is another way of saying they’re now trying to restrict choices as much as possible. This is one reason I’m not a fan of Apple of Google products, because while they do their thing pretty well, it’s also _their_ thing, not mine. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-net-browser-to-use/731414/2 "2015-09-15T21:48:50Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > However, I… don’t like Chrome. Everybody seems love Chrome and it has some good points, but I dislike the tendency of modern browsers to “help”. They’re always trying to help me do things I didn’t want them to do, and usually getting my way. Example? I’ve never had any problem like that with Chrome, which would definitely be my vote. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-net-browser-to-use/731414/3 "2015-09-15T23:26:48Z")
The other option is Firefox, or one of the more obscure ones like Opera. I prefer FF to Chrome. Most browsers and OSes have tons of customization, you just have to know where to look, for example about:config in Firefox. What specifically do you like or dislike in a browser? I don’t notice much “help” in any browser, and if you want to lock down things you should look into addons like NoScript. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-net-browser-to-use/731414/4 "2015-09-15T23:31:29Z")
I don’t quite understand what you are referring to with Chrome either. It has lots of security settings and you can set up a shortcut easily that runs it in Incognito mode all the time which adds a lot more. Can you give us an example of what you are talking about? I like Edge fine too but Chrome is more mature and still gets the most use from me. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-net-browser-to-use/731414/5 "2015-09-16T00:12:21Z")
Why not Firefox? Security settings are fairly granular. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-net-browser-to-use/731414/6 "2015-09-16T00:16:43Z")
I wouldn’t assume that more security settings means better security. Of the browser’s I’ve used and dealt with as a programmer, Chrome feels like it’s the most well-coded and well-maintained. If a big security hole was discovered, I’d expect Chrome to be the first one to have a fix out. So, in terms of protecting against flaws introduced by programmers, I’d go with Chrome. ---
**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:** [September 16, 2015, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-net-browser-to-use/731414/7 "2015-09-16T02:44:21Z")
Correction: Opera is just Chrome. Edge is Microsoft’s answer to Chrome. Heck, I took part in the Reddit AMA when they realized the next version of Internet Explorer needed a completely new engine. Everyone told them the name was tarnished, and that it needed a new one. But, yeah, Chrome and Firefox both have a ton of security settings, if you’re into that. ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-net-browser-to-use/731414/8 "2015-09-16T03:25:53Z")
When I ungraded to Win10, I kept Firefox as my default web browser. Only because it retained my user names and passwords. Edge appears to be more faster and efficient, but I cannot find my sticky notes with login details. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-net-browser-to-use/731414/9 "2015-09-16T03:35:35Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Correction: Opera is just Chrome. Pretty mean feat, ripping off a browser some 13 years before it was created. They use Chromium code, but that’s not the same as being basically identical. > [@](#): > > Heck, I took part in the Reddit AMA when they realized the next version of Internet Explorer needed a completely new engine. Everyone told them the name was tarnished, and that it needed a new one. Unless you mean “admitted” instead of “realized,” Microsoft needed to learn that from some pop culture website, and not their declining market share and plenty of discussion from elesewhere for many years before? :dubious: Reddit: claiming things that happened elsewhere since 2005. There are also plenty of “forks” of popular browsers which might have features the OP wants. For example, [here’s a page on Firefox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Web_browsers_based_on_Firefox). I don’t know enough about each of these to say what the differences are, but for example Pale Moon’s page says “Pale Moon is a fork of Firefox, retaining the fully customizable user interface as seen in the previous era (4–28) of the Firefox browser, and focusing on the core tasks of web browsing” which might be of interest??? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-net-browser-to-use/731414/10 "2015-09-16T04:10:46Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Correction: Opera is just Chrome. I’ve used Opera and…no. Maybe they use some part of it, but Opera is not Chrome. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-net-browser-to-use/731414/11 "2015-09-16T04:43:47Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Heck, I took part in the Reddit AMA when they realized the next version of Internet Explorer needed a completely new engine. Everyone told them the name was tarnished, and that it needed a new one. They forked Trident ? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Angry\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b38774/32.png) [@The\_Angry\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Angry_Badger)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-net-browser-to-use/731414/12 "2015-09-16T09:45:42Z")
> [@Cabin\_Fever](#): > > When I ungraded to Win10, I kept Firefox as my default web browser. Only because it retained my user names and passwords. > Edge appears to be more faster and efficient, but I cannot find my sticky notes with login details. 🆒 Tools\>Options\>Security\>Saved Passwords. 😉 Yes, FF will store all your user names and passwords in an easy to find, unsecure, plain text format. This is why I use lastpass instead. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-net-browser-to-use/731414/13 "2015-09-16T14:04:05Z")
Been using Chrome for years now. I should try Firefox again though, I haven’t given it a shot in awhile. I’ll try Edge when I get Win 10. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-net-browser-to-use/731414/14 "2015-09-16T14:10:57Z")
I prefer Chrome but I have used Edge a little and liked it and believe it or not IE 11 really isn’t that bad. Then again, I am weird; I never liked Firefox.