Quit Google Chrome For One Of These 3 Privacy-Friendly Alternatives

Forbes ^ | Sep 11, 2021 | Kate O'Flaherty Senior Contributor Cybersecurity

[T Ruth]

There has long been a movement to ditch Google Chrome, but many people end up going back to the browser, simply because it functions well and many apps are optimised for it. But recent moves by Google—such as the delayed but widely believed to be privacy-infringing FLoC update—are pushing people to say it: Enough is enough, it’s time to quit Chrome.

***

Firefox is the number one alternative if you want to ditch Chrome, and that’s because of its privacy ethos. Firefox is owned by Mozilla, a non-profit, so it doesn’t need to perform tracking to serve you ads. ***

The Brave browser is Chromium based so you get the Chrome-like experience but without the trackers—Brave blocks tracking by default. ***

[Angelino97]

Despite Firefox getting woke, is it not still a great privacy browser? It's what I use.

But I also use Tor when I really want to stay under the radar.

And I always use a VPN. I heard good things about Nord VPN. Best to pay for a VPN rather than use a free one..

[patriot torch]

Thanks, I appreciate that. I usually have to have my kids do that stuff.

[daniel1212]

"Firefox is the number one alternative if you want to ditch Chrome, and that’s because of its privacy ethos. Firefox is owned by Mozilla, a non-profit, so it doesn’t need to perform tracking to serve you ads. "

Along with up-to-date browsers like Vivaldi (you can hack it to get multiple tab rows) and 2 installations of Firefox Quantum portable (so I can also use legacy Firefox as well) and Waterfox classic (most FF legacy extns work) then I use two profiles of Firefox ESR 59.

For unlike legacy Firefox ESR 59.9 with Tab Mix Plus and a few other extensions. which enabled more key customization than the whole of Edge, which the below critique is aimed at, other browsers of the engines suffer from missing some or most of the following features that legacy Firefox with extensions provided, such as, :

1. You cannot make it show multiple tab rows (though besides Vivaldi you can with
   Quantum but it takes one [1]of the hacks. And unless the latter is a portable version, it cannot run concurrently with FF ESR since it will basically take it over).

2. You cannot adjust max or min tab width. And the more you open the thinner they get, and all look the same. (except the active tab has an close

3. You cannot close a non-active tab by just placing your cursor on it the top right
   to get a X to click on (so unless you activate it, you need to R. click on it and hit close tab).

4. You cannot enable different colored tabs as with the legacy Colorful Tabs extension (NOT the one in Quantum).
   

5. You cannot choose to open links in other installed browsers via right click.

6. You cannot toggle btwn the most recently accessed tabs using the Ctrl+Tab switch (and its Alt+Tab alternative messes up switching btwn applications).

7. Edge has a very poor spell checker and the dictionary is hard to find in the drive even if you could edit it (as you can with that of Firefox) [Edit: Grammar and Spell Checker is much better than the default Edge one. Also for Chrome and Vivaldi] .

8. You cannot create more than one profile (as far as i know).

9. I know no extension that saves your text box posts such as this, like the Lazarus legacy FF extension did/does. [Edit:Typio Form Recovery. Also for Chrome and Vivaldi

10. MS does not make it easy to set another browser as the default one for all html documents and links (details too long for here).

11. There is no option to keep the Find/Search bar open across tabs (handy in searches), meaning you need to do the search new for every tab.

12. There is no option via right click on a tab to choose “Copy link.”

Since MS writes the software for Windows, than it ought to be able to create a real "utility truck" browser - and which I am sure would become a classic for "power users" - rather than just another minimalist Chrome clone.

However, although using the same engine as Chrome Vivaldi has more options,

Along with up-to-date browsers like Vivaldi (you can hack it to get multiple tab rows) and 2 installations of Firefox Quantum portable (so I can also use legacy Firefox as well) and Waterfox classic (most FF legacy extns work) then I use two profiles of Firefox ESR 59.

For unlike legacy Firefox ESR 59.9 with Tab Mix Plus and a few other extensions. which enabled more key customization than the whole of Edge, which the below critique is aimed at, other browsers of the engines suffer from missing some or most of the following features that legacy Firefox with extensions provided, such as, :

1. You cannot make it show multiple tab rows (though besides Vivaldi you can with
   Quantum but it takes one [1]of the hacks. And unless the latter is a portable version, it cannot run concurrently with FF ESR since it will basically take it over).

2. You cannot adjust max or min tab width. And the more you open the thinner they get, and all look the same. (except the active tab has an close

3. You cannot close a non-active tab by just placing your cursor on it the top right
   to get a X to click on (so unless you activate it, you need to R. click on it and hit close tab).

4. You cannot enable different colored tabs as with the legacy Colorful Tabs extension (NOT the one in Quantum).
   

5. You cannot choose to open links in other installed browsers via right click.

6. You cannot toggle btwn the most recently accessed tabs using the Ctrl+Tab switch (and its Alt+Tab alternative messes up switching btwn applications).

7. Edge has a very poor spell checker and the dictionary is hard to find in the drive even if you could edit it (as you can with that of Firefox) [Edit: Grammar and Spell Checker is much better than the default Edge one. Also for Chrome and Vivaldi] .

8. You cannot create more than one profile (as far as i know).

9. I know no extension that saves your text box posts such as this, like the Lazarus legacy FF extension did/does. [Edit:Typio Form Recovery. Also for Chrome and Vivaldi

10. MS does not make it easy to set another browser as the default one for all html documents and links (details too long for here).

11. There is no option to keep the Find/Search bar open across tabs (handy in searches), meaning you need to do the search new for every tab.

12. There is no option via right click on a tab to choose “Copy link.”

Since MS writes the software for Windows, than it ought to be able to create a real "utility truck" browser - and which I am sure would become a classic for "power users" - rather than just another minimalist Chrome clone.

However, although using the same engine as Chrome Vivaldi has more options,

[Openurmind]

I have communicated directly with Brave techs too. It was a poor experience for me also. Their Linux download was broken, and they didn’t even want to discuss it. Apparently it took them a year to finally fix it.

I use Firefox, no account registered, all settings to strict, all requests blocked, “NoScript” addon, and “Ghostery” addon. The combination is about as secure as you can get. The NoScript is absolutely fantastic, it blocks EVERYTHING hidden.

[Angelino97]

Can anyone recommend a good web design program?

I had been using Dreamweaver 8 until a few years ago, when it developed a bug I couldn't fix. Since then I've been using Microsoft Expression Web 4.

I don't want a cloud based, or subscription based program. I prefer to own it. One with good WYSIWYG features, a split screen (Design and Code views), and a way to turn off CSS.

[Gene Eric]

>> Nope. Not since they fired Brendan Eich

Exactly.

[Openurmind]

Yes Firefox is, set everything to strict, block all requests and notifications, Get the “NoScript” addon, and the “Ghostery” addon, and NEVER let it save passwords for you.

[patriot torch]

Thanks Fai Mao

[Openurmind]

Are you Linux?

[Dutch Boy]

I never heard of that one. I’ll have to give it a try.

[Gene Eric]

Give Wappler a try. Apparently they’re the guys that wrote numerous DW plugins, but decided to take a new approach.

[Openurmind]

Formally QupZilla.

[Angelino97]

I'm Windows 7.

I've been thinking of a getting Mint Cinnamon dual boot for my next computer, so I won't have to use Windows 10.

Lenovo now sells Ubuntu laptops, but no dual boot from what I can tell.

[Don W]

I use Brave and Iridium. Both are based on the Chromium kernel as well.

[Pollard]

Pretty stripped down and any extensions are built in. You simply urn them on and off. Supposed to go easy on your RAM though.

[Openurmind]

You are on the absolute right track with the Mint Cinnamon. As a win 7 user you will be comfortable right away.

I just took a brand new Lenovo out of the box and installed Mint Cinnamon as dual boot.

The only thing I ran into was they wanted several BIOS settings in several places to allow it to install.

Works great! If you ever do it let me know and I will make note of those settings for you so that you can copy them to set up yours.

[Openurmind]

Important note... Once the BIOS is set right the Mint installer will make it dual boot for you slicker than snot... :)

[Real Cynic No More]

Samsung browser for my tablets and phone, Edge for my computer.

[ptsal]

Gmail is a bitch that cannot verify your identity.
Endless loop.

[Carpe Cerevisi]

DuckDuckGo has a browser for mobile phones.