Another "Which PC browser should I go with?" post

Self

[CatOwner]

I've been a user of Firefox since a SysAdmin at work recommended it back in 2004 when they were at version 0.8. Over the years, some of the features I like disappeared from Firefox in their updated versions, most of which were added back in via extensions. At this point, I have 10 extensions installed, half of which deal exclusively with look and feel.

With the latest warning about losing most/all of these legacy extensions with the release of Firefox 57, I decided to look at other browsers. When you add in the SJW nonsense the Mozilla people have associated themselves with, I would like to move away from Firefox. But moving to a less secure browser is not necessarily a good compromise.

One of the issues I have is some web sites require specific browsers. My work's Employee and Retiree Service Center indicates they are compatible with Firefox, Chrome, or IE 11. I find it funny the latter is acceptable when it is considered one of the weakest browsers on the market.

I am currently testing Opera 48, and for the most part, I like it. I am not an "app" person, so the whole "start page/speed dial" layout is not my cup of tea. I have been able to work around most of it, but the lack of adjustments to the look and feel of the menus, tabs, etc. is a little frustrating. Opera 48 has a very good built-in ad blocker, and I find ScriptSafe to be easier to monitor scripts than with Firefox/NoScript. The latter combination has had an increasing number of failings.

But then I go and read about Opera being sold to the Chinese last year, and I wonder if I would be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. One of the features being touted as a huge plus for Opera, its built-in (and free) VPN, seems less secure knowing the Chinese are monitoring it.

Chrome seems to be popular with many, but I also read about it being very memory and CPU hungry. I have been dealing with memory leak issues with Firefox for years now, and I have no interest moving to a browser that mismanages memory via bloated software. I also can't shake the nagging feeling that Google uses Chrome to build up its database on personal habits even more than it does in general.

I've tried Brave, but so far, I am not a fan of its interface or how it handles script control. It certainly is not as flexible as Firefox/NoScript or Opera/ScirptSafe. I want to like this browse for political reasons, but that in of itself is not a good reason to switch.

There are other browsers for PC, but we're really getting into the bit players or new ones with little history. At a minimum, I likely will need to keep Firefox (or Chrome) around to deal with my former company's service center site, assuming any other browse I select ends up not being completely compatible with that site.

Feedback is most welcomed.

[CatOwner]

Sorry about the rant. When you've been using the same product for over a decade, moving off to something else starts to become paralysis by analysis.

[upchuck]

As a former Firefox and Opera and Chrome user, I like Slimjet. Compact, fast, based on Chrome. It's become my fav. Even has a built-in ad blocker.

[NewJerseyJoe]

For all of these same reasons, I just switched to Waterfox. Based on the same open source as FF. Practically identical — and the Legacy addons work with it. It’s faster, too.

[ClearCase_guy]

I suggest Mosaic. They’re up to version 3.0 now and it’s awesome!

[Vigilanteman]

I like both Opera and Safari for these reasons:

1. Bare bones basic browsing.
   
2. They don't send you tracking cookies or try to direct you to websites which will put money in their pockets.
   
3. Market share is so tiny that most hackers ignore them.
   
4. Ditto for distributors of adware, malware and the like.
   
5. There is little they can't do that the big players like IE, Chrome and Firefox can.

[DennisR]

Microsoft Edge is the worst browser in the universe, so no need to even try it.

[UB355]

Read up on firefox upcoming version 57 it is a complete redesign will make all current add-ons incompatible.

[catnipman]

just stick with an older version so FF, like v 49 for example and turn off all updates. btw, a really useful FF extension is checkcompatibility that lets you add back disabling compatibility checking so you can use old extensions.

[Bullish]

Just use AOL they have their own browser...

Just kidding, Got ya’.

I’ve been happy with Firefox for a long time now. It’s what I use.

[markomalley]

You could try Mosaic. I hear that was a good browser. Or, alternatively, there's Netscape.

Seriously, take a look at the reviews others do: PC Magazine, ZDNet, Tech Advisor, The High Tech Society, etc.

Or you could feature compare via Wikipedia.

[Zeneta]

Nice.

[SoFloFreeper]

Try Brave.

[CatOwner]

just stick with an older version so FF, like v 49 for example and turn off all updates. btw, a really useful FF extension is checkcompatibility that lets you add back disabling compatibility checking so you can use old extensions.

Isn't there a concern about the lack of security fixes sticking with an older version of a browser that isn't updated? Even if that wasn't a problem, I don't know how far back I would want to go. I can't remember when I started having memory leaks/usage issues with Firefox.

[CatOwner]

Nice table in the Wikipedia article. Thanks.

[nevadapatriot]

>just stick with an older version so FF, like v 49 for >example and turn off all updates. btw, a really useful >FF extension is checkcompatibility that lets you add >back disabling compatibility checking so you can use old >extensions.

>Isn’t there a concern about the lack of security fixes >sticking with an older version of a browser that isn’t >updated? Even if that wasn’t a problem, I don’t know how >far back I would want to go. I can’t remember when I >started having memory leaks/usage issues with Firefox.

Just download (while you still can) an extended support release like firefox-52.3.0esr to have on hand and install after you give up and remove the worthless latest upgrade.

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/52.3.0/releasenotes/

[ducttape45]

Try Palemoon. It’s a Mozilla browser but it’s not Firefox.

[Chode]

IceDragon FF clone... loaded it up after the last thread, works with almost all the old addons

[ptsal]

Ookmark browser wars

[Pollard]

palemoon browser is based on a slightly older version of ff but it’s up to date otherwise and it’s speedy. It’s what I’m using now, ever since mozilla announces they’d be fighting ‘fake news’. Somehow, I don’t think they’re talking about the same fake news that the President talks about.

“Pale Moon supports NPAPI plug-ins. Unlike Firefox, we will not be deprecating or removing support for these kinds of plug-ins.”

“The User Interface in Pale Moon is stable, based on the Firefox 4-28 browser era UI and will not be changed in any major way as far as how the UI operates. “Australis”, the UI rework done by Mozilla in Firefox 29 and later which completely removed many customization features, will not be adopted. This also means full and ongoing support for total restyling (complete themes)”

https://www.palemoon.org/roadmap.shtml

[sauropod]

Been moving down the same path. Gonna check out brave.