Best Web Browser

A while ago, when Firefox 6.0 was the newest version of that browser, I read an article that supposedly demonstrates a correlation between an individual’s IQ and the web browser they choose to use. According to the "Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Browser Usage" study, if you are running an old version of Windows Explorer there’s a good chance you have a lower IQ than someone who is using a newer version of Windows Explorer. The study indicated that those with the highest IQ use Opera, followed in descending order by Camino, Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and Windows Explorer.

I have been a Firefox user for many years, but I wanted to be numbered among the elite, so I promptly downloaded Opera, thereby raising my IQ score 20 points. Imagine my disappointment at finding the study was actually a hoax. Hoax or not it prompted me to test Internet Explorer 8, Firefox 6.0, Chrome 13.0 and Opera 11.5, to see which one I liked the best. (Incidentally, my Firefox adaptations still work for the current version, 8.0.)

Here are the key features that I went looking for:
· An uncluttered browser window
· Fast response time when searching and displaying pages
· Security from malware and phishing
· The ability to block advertisements
· A bookmark search-bar option
· Quick access to specialized search engines
· A “speed dial” option when opening a new tab
· An easily accessible “find” feature that lets you look for key words in a specific website and/or on the current webpage
· The ability to translate a webpage into English
· A large selection of “add-ons” and extensions

Common features
All 4 browsers have some features in common. Each is highly configurable when it comes to hiding or displaying toolbars. So it is fairly easy to achieve either a simple or complex look. Other common features include: bookmark search bars, add-ons that allow you to block advertisements, webpage translators, “word find” features, and versions of McAfee Site Advisor.

IE8
Internet Explorer 8 is the only browser that currently supports one of my favorite add-ons, the Google Toolbar, which has a very nice site search and word search feature. IE8 also includes a search engine bar, but adding new engines is not as intuitive as it is with Firefox and Opera. Also on the negative side, IE8 does not have a “speed dial” option, and its response time is slightly slower than the other browsers. In addition, Explorer has the reputation for being the most hacked browser. That fact alone sends it to the bottom of my list.

Chrome
Chrome has a nice clean look, it is fast, and is has the reputation for being the hardest browser to hack. But it lacks a separate search engine toolbar. That time saving feature is one that I just don’t want to live without.

Opera
Opera has it all; a clean modern look, great speed, ad blocking, and it is hard to hack. Plus it has 2 built in features that are just great. “Speed dial” lets you create up to nine thumbnails of your favorite sites that displays on a “new tab” page. Just click on the thumbnail you want and you’re off to one of your favorite web pages. Also Opera gives you the ability to easily make your own search engines. All you have to do is put your curser in a website’s search box, right click on your mouse and select “Create Search.” Immediately a search engine is created in your browser search box menu. Very nice! I was all ready to make Opera my new browser except for one fatal flaw. There are some web pages that it will not display correctly. So close!

Firefox
That left me with my old standby, Firefox. What originally prompted me to look at other browsers is that older versions of Firefox were starting to run slower while 6.0, the newest version, did not support Google Toolbar. But given the drawbacks of the other browsers it became clear that 6.0 was still the best one for my needs. If only Opera didn’t have that fatal flaw. But wait. Maybe Firefox 6.0 can emulate Opera.

Sure enough there are several ways to “Operafy” Firefox. First you can make it look very much like Opera by choosing the Theme FXOpera. Next you can recreate Speed Dial functionality by adding the Speed Dial or Super Start extension. Then you can duplicate the Create Search function with the Add to Search Bar extension.

My favorite new search, which I was able to create using Add to Search Bar, is a scripture passage lookup using Bible Gateway. First go to the Bible Gateway Passage Lookup page. Next click on the “Lookup passage(s) in multiple versions” Select your favorite versions. Now position your curser in the “Enter Passages” box. Right click and select the menu line “Add to Search Bar.” Modify the default text if you wish and click OK. You will now find a new search engine in the Search Engine Dropdown Menu for Bible Gateway that will look up multiple scriptural passages by both passage and keyword.

To duplicate Google Toolbar functionality, I've added the Wiktionary and Google Translate extension plus a Google Search engine to the Search Bar. Now I am in the process of training myself to use "Ctrl f " to pull up the Firefox Word Find toolbar. Response time seems to have improved with 6.0. So until Opera can finally display the Asbury catalog’s bibliographic screen, it looks like I’ll be running Operafied Firefox 6.0. And all these adaptations still work for Firefox 8.0.

--by Don Butterworth

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