Battle of the browsers : What Internet browser is right for you?
By Andrey Demiyanov, Jordan News
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Unlike moving between operating systems (OS) like macOS, Windows, or Chrome
OS, where options are incompatible, switching between web browsers is not as
radical.اضافة اعلان
Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari have become staples for the average person in today’s browsing world, with over 60 percent of all internet traffic coming from Chrome alone. But other, albeit less known, options are available and could potentially be better suited for your need.
Below we cover some more obscure browsers and highlight their uses to help you determine the one most suitable for you.
Opera : Innovation reimagined
The Opera browser has much of Chrome’s DNA and deserves to be considered one of the top online browsers. Both browsers are based on Google’s open-source Chromium engine, providing a fairly similar user experience. Both have a hybrid URL search bar and are lightweight and speedy.
However, when you look at the built-in features of Opera, you can see the differences. Chrome relies on an extension ecosystem to deliver functionality; meanwhile, Opera has a few extra functions built straight into the browser.
Opera also added predictive webpage preloading and an instant search function that isolates search results in their own window as the current page fades into the background, allowing users to focus more easily.
Similar to Chrome extensions, Opera extensions may be installed via the Opera add-ons shop. You will discover handy features like Giphy, Amazon Assistant, Avast Online Security, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and more available for download.
The most significant modifications occurred with the release of Opera 60 and Reborn 3, a full redesign that included a new borderless design, web 3 functionality, and a crypto wallet, allowing users to prepare for blockchain-based sites.
With version 60, Opera became the first browser to provide an integrated Twitter feature. Simply click the icon in the toolbar, log in to your account, then tweet from the slide-out menu.
Opera also includes a “stash” option for storing pages to read later, and you do not need to sign up for a Pocket or Evernote account to use it either. Similarly, Opera has a speed-dial menu that consolidates your regularly viewed pages into a single location. Google Chrome performs the same thing, but only on a fresh blank tab.
Finally, Opera includes an unlimited VPN service by default, which does not necessarily conceal your data all too well but is a handy tool for moments when you need to mask your location online.
Overall, Opera is a fantastic addition for those that love to multitask and maintain hundreds of tabs open at once — something that we are certain many of our readers may resonate with.
Brave : Earn while you browse
Brave is one of the most unique browsers available, or maybe Brave’s business strategy is the most peculiar.
Brave, by default, eliminates all advertising on all web pages, making it the quickest browser available. Adverts are a large part of how websites generate money; ban these ads, and the most essential web financial instrument is suddenly gone.
This is where the Brave Rewards program comes into play. When users watch Brave’s alternative adverts in their browser stream, they collect Basic Attention Tokens (BATs), which they can give publishers a percentage of. As of January 2021, around 70,000 websites, including Wikipedia, The Guardian, WikiHow, MacRumors, and others, enabled BAT-based purchases via the Brave browser.
What does it mean for users? Simply, if you are not waiting for advertisements to download alongside page content, your browsing experience will feel considerably faster.
Brave also does not monitor users, making it suitable for private web surfing.
While you will not exactly be raking in hundreds of dollars a month, the fact that you get paid to browse in a relatively secure environment is argument enough to consider this unique browser.
Vivaldi : Customization galore
The Vivaldi browser is genuinely one-of-a-kind. No two Vivaldi users will have the same configuration. When you launch it for the first time, you are directed through a setup procedure that configures your browser to your preferences.
You can specify where you want your tabs and address bar to appear and whether you want browser tabs to appear at the top of the page or in a distinct side panel.
This browser is designed from the bottom up to provide a distinct user experience, and it mostly succeeds, especially with Vivaldi 2.0.
In addition to the aforementioned user experience options, this browser shines at customization, allowing you to select from several stylish themes that do not appear antiquated or out of place on a modern PC.
Vivaldi also has several notable privacy-enhancing features, such as its collaboration with DuckDuckGo to make the non-tracking search tool the default option while in private mode, which essentially acts as an upgraded version of incognito mode.
Recent upgrades included more robust tab management and innovations like Web Panels for smarter surfing and even more powerful customization choices. Other new features include an ad blocker and tracker blocker integrated into the browser, a clock in the status bar, a new notes manager, and a “Break Mode” for suspending the internet while keeping the browser open.
If you love personalizing your every action while you browse, Vivaldi is not just a recommendation; it is a necessity that is bound to add value to your web browsing experience.
Microsoft Edge : Not as bad as most people think
At first impression, the new Edge browser resembles Google Chrome. It asks whether you want to import Chrome’s bookmarks toolbar and other settings. This is ideal if you disliked Microsoft’s previous Edge browser and want to give Microsoft’s new browser another go.
But while it supports Chrome extensions, for add-ons, the browser directs you to the Microsoft Store. To install anything not included in Microsoft’s repository, you must manually load the Chrome Web Store.
It is, however, not Chrome with a Windows 10 look. Microsoft purportedly blocked many functionalities, including Google’s Safe Browsing API, ad filtering, speech input, Google-centric services, and others. In exchange, Microsoft sought to improve Edge and minimize its footprint while continuing to introduce new Microsoft-centric features.
The option to create user-defined tab groups, better citations, and give administrators more control over the starting procedure will be available throughout 2022.
Microsoft Edge also has more user-friendly privacy settings and security upgrades. While Chrome only has distinct panels for safe browsing, “do not track” requests, and other features. Microsoft Edge has a more graphical interface that displays three security levels: Basic, Balanced, and Strict.
Overall, we believe Edge is well on its way to becoming one of the finest online browsers.
The takeaway
Whether you want to surf YouTube for kitten videos or undertake research that requires you to have hundreds of tabs open simultaneously, there is always a browser that will appeal to your web experience.
While choosing the appropriate browser may not necessarily change your life, it will increase the overall efficiency with which you surf the web because in the digital world, time is everything.
Read more Technology
Jordan News
Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari have become staples for the average person in today’s browsing world, with over 60 percent of all internet traffic coming from Chrome alone. But other, albeit less known, options are available and could potentially be better suited for your need.
Below we cover some more obscure browsers and highlight their uses to help you determine the one most suitable for you.
Opera : Innovation reimagined
The Opera browser has much of Chrome’s DNA and deserves to be considered one of the top online browsers. Both browsers are based on Google’s open-source Chromium engine, providing a fairly similar user experience. Both have a hybrid URL search bar and are lightweight and speedy.
However, when you look at the built-in features of Opera, you can see the differences. Chrome relies on an extension ecosystem to deliver functionality; meanwhile, Opera has a few extra functions built straight into the browser.
Opera also added predictive webpage preloading and an instant search function that isolates search results in their own window as the current page fades into the background, allowing users to focus more easily.
Similar to Chrome extensions, Opera extensions may be installed via the Opera add-ons shop. You will discover handy features like Giphy, Amazon Assistant, Avast Online Security, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and more available for download.
The most significant modifications occurred with the release of Opera 60 and Reborn 3, a full redesign that included a new borderless design, web 3 functionality, and a crypto wallet, allowing users to prepare for blockchain-based sites.
With version 60, Opera became the first browser to provide an integrated Twitter feature. Simply click the icon in the toolbar, log in to your account, then tweet from the slide-out menu.
Opera also includes a “stash” option for storing pages to read later, and you do not need to sign up for a Pocket or Evernote account to use it either. Similarly, Opera has a speed-dial menu that consolidates your regularly viewed pages into a single location. Google Chrome performs the same thing, but only on a fresh blank tab.
Finally, Opera includes an unlimited VPN service by default, which does not necessarily conceal your data all too well but is a handy tool for moments when you need to mask your location online.
Overall, Opera is a fantastic addition for those that love to multitask and maintain hundreds of tabs open at once — something that we are certain many of our readers may resonate with.
Brave : Earn while you browse
Brave is one of the most unique browsers available, or maybe Brave’s business strategy is the most peculiar.
Brave, by default, eliminates all advertising on all web pages, making it the quickest browser available. Adverts are a large part of how websites generate money; ban these ads, and the most essential web financial instrument is suddenly gone.
This is where the Brave Rewards program comes into play. When users watch Brave’s alternative adverts in their browser stream, they collect Basic Attention Tokens (BATs), which they can give publishers a percentage of. As of January 2021, around 70,000 websites, including Wikipedia, The Guardian, WikiHow, MacRumors, and others, enabled BAT-based purchases via the Brave browser.
What does it mean for users? Simply, if you are not waiting for advertisements to download alongside page content, your browsing experience will feel considerably faster.
Brave also does not monitor users, making it suitable for private web surfing.
While you will not exactly be raking in hundreds of dollars a month, the fact that you get paid to browse in a relatively secure environment is argument enough to consider this unique browser.
Vivaldi : Customization galore
The Vivaldi browser is genuinely one-of-a-kind. No two Vivaldi users will have the same configuration. When you launch it for the first time, you are directed through a setup procedure that configures your browser to your preferences.
You can specify where you want your tabs and address bar to appear and whether you want browser tabs to appear at the top of the page or in a distinct side panel.
This browser is designed from the bottom up to provide a distinct user experience, and it mostly succeeds, especially with Vivaldi 2.0.
In addition to the aforementioned user experience options, this browser shines at customization, allowing you to select from several stylish themes that do not appear antiquated or out of place on a modern PC.
Vivaldi also has several notable privacy-enhancing features, such as its collaboration with DuckDuckGo to make the non-tracking search tool the default option while in private mode, which essentially acts as an upgraded version of incognito mode.
Recent upgrades included more robust tab management and innovations like Web Panels for smarter surfing and even more powerful customization choices. Other new features include an ad blocker and tracker blocker integrated into the browser, a clock in the status bar, a new notes manager, and a “Break Mode” for suspending the internet while keeping the browser open.
If you love personalizing your every action while you browse, Vivaldi is not just a recommendation; it is a necessity that is bound to add value to your web browsing experience.
Microsoft Edge : Not as bad as most people think
At first impression, the new Edge browser resembles Google Chrome. It asks whether you want to import Chrome’s bookmarks toolbar and other settings. This is ideal if you disliked Microsoft’s previous Edge browser and want to give Microsoft’s new browser another go.
But while it supports Chrome extensions, for add-ons, the browser directs you to the Microsoft Store. To install anything not included in Microsoft’s repository, you must manually load the Chrome Web Store.
It is, however, not Chrome with a Windows 10 look. Microsoft purportedly blocked many functionalities, including Google’s Safe Browsing API, ad filtering, speech input, Google-centric services, and others. In exchange, Microsoft sought to improve Edge and minimize its footprint while continuing to introduce new Microsoft-centric features.
The option to create user-defined tab groups, better citations, and give administrators more control over the starting procedure will be available throughout 2022.
Microsoft Edge also has more user-friendly privacy settings and security upgrades. While Chrome only has distinct panels for safe browsing, “do not track” requests, and other features. Microsoft Edge has a more graphical interface that displays three security levels: Basic, Balanced, and Strict.
Overall, we believe Edge is well on its way to becoming one of the finest online browsers.
The takeaway
Whether you want to surf YouTube for kitten videos or undertake research that requires you to have hundreds of tabs open simultaneously, there is always a browser that will appeal to your web experience.
While choosing the appropriate browser may not necessarily change your life, it will increase the overall efficiency with which you surf the web because in the digital world, time is everything.
Read more Technology
Jordan News
