Internet Browser, which do you use and why?

[need_my_wedge]

I think the most well known browser is likely to be Google Chrome. I know a lot of people abandoned Internet Explorer for Chrome as it was much better at the time, but that Edge has done a lot to compete with that. I tend to use Chrome for the main, largely because it was just the done thing and I haven't looked into it before. I have been wondering if there is a better option for Windows users. There are others available e.g. Firefox, Edge, Opera etc. If you use something different to Chrome, what is it, and why did you choose it?

 

[Dan2501]

I mainly use Chrome. Speed, layout, extensions, prefer the web console for debugging, but also have Safari (I'm a MacOS user), Firefox and Edge installed. The latest version of Edge is basically just Chrome with different branding, it's built on the Chromium engine and a couple of guys at my work have switched to it and have been impressed. I used to be a Firefox user but not a fan of the more recent versions, always feels like a chore to use whenever I do any testing on it. I'd like to switch to Safari, mainly for the Apple Pay integration and to get a bit more use out of my Touchbar, but just can't be bothered to make the switch Chrome or Edge are decent options though, but only if it's one of the most recent versions of Edge built on Chromium.

 

[Crazyface]

Opera....was on Firefox but well I've forgotten why I changed.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

I use Firefox at home and I have to use Chrome at work.

Both are fine
dislike edge with a passion and Interweb Explorator is just past it

I was under the opinion that opera was full of tracking cookies

This from a recent review
“
In 2016, Opera was sold to a group of Chinese companies and investors. Given the scandals involving the Chinese government’s willingness to force tech companies to provide backdoors into their software, that was a big blow to the browser’s privacy.

According to its privacy policy, Opera collects data on its users, including names, IP addresses and search terms. It also reserves the right to share that data with third-party applications but doesn’t give specifics.”

I wouldn’t touch it with Crazyface’s

 

[Hacker Khan]

I use the new Edge based on Chromium. https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/4501095/download-the-new-microsoft-edge-based-on-chromium It's kind of Microsoft Edge but works like Chrome so you can use google for searches. Been using it for a few weeks now and it's fine.

But I read an interesting article in Wired about DuckDuckGo. As you probably know Google and Facebook essentially make money from learning all about you every time you use their search engine or app. And the adverts you then see are based on all they know about you and this follows you around the web. Where as DuckDuckGo do not track your details. They still use adverts but they are more generic. So if you search for golf clubs on DuckDuckGo you will get adverts for golf clubs but they will be general ones for golf clubs. If you do the same on Chrome using Google search it will trawl everythinng it knows about you from previous searches, google maps etc etc and target the adds more precisely. But to do that they are collecting so much info about you.

 

[Dan2501]

Might explain why Crazyface is getting hacked every week

Have you tried the latest version of Edge @PhilTheFragger? I hated the old version but since they switched to Chromium it's actually quite a nice browser to use.

I've started the process of switching to Safari. Not really liking it so far, feels a bit slow and not a fan of the 1Password integration, but we'll see how we get on, might end up switching back to Chrome.

 

[Hacker Khan]

I use Firefox at home and I have to use Chrome at work.

Both are fine
dislike edge with a passion and Interweb Explorator is just past it

I was under the opinion that opera was full of tracking cookies

This from a recent review
“
In 2016, Opera was sold to a group of Chinese companies and investors. Given the scandals involving the Chinese government’s willingness to force tech companies to provide backdoors into their software, that was a big blow to the browser’s privacy.

According to its privacy policy, Opera collects data on its users, including names, IP addresses and search terms. It also reserves the right to share that data with third-party applications but doesn’t give specifics.”

I wouldn’t touch it with Crazyface’s

We are long past that point with Google, Microsoft and Facebook. They all collect everything about you, even if you try and enable the 'do not track' function.

 

[spongebob59]

Firefox , have now also uninstalled opera ?

 

[Jimaroid]

I've been using Brave across Mac/Windows/iOS for over a year and it's made web browsing a much more enjoyable experience again with privacy / ad / data tracking & management a main development focus.

It's basically Chrome with a tin-foil-hat.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Firefox. Moved to it years ago and am just comfortable with it now. It doesn't cause me any issues so I have not seen any reason to change.

 

[SocketRocket]

I don't like the way most browsers harvest information and target you with adds. I started using Duckduckgo around a year ago as it doesn't do that. It does have some nice features.

 

[Robster59]

Firefox. I changed to it years ago before Chrome was even around. I do have Chrome on my phone but I've installed Firefox for that as well. As above, the new Edge is pretty good and is a great improvement over the old Edge or IE. I now have DuckDuckGo set as my default search engine and I'm suddenly seeing things I'd never seen before on my searches (e.g. search for videos on Chrome and they're all youtube, search on DuckDuckGo and you get other video sites as well).

 

[YandaB]

I've just moved from IOS (Safari) to Android and struggled to find an adblocker that worked with Chrome, it looks like Chrome has been written to prevent this and so now I am using a specific Ad Block browser on the mobile. Elsewhere, Chrome for personal stuff, Edge for Work stuff (and unfortunatley IE for some really old internal sites!).

 

[Orikoru]

I use Chrome. My phone is Android, I have Google email which I log in on various devices, it makes sense to use Chrome because that syncs everything up nicely.

 

[bobmac]

For those using EDGE, can you use your voice on the search function like you can on Chrome please ?

 

[Robster59]

I've just moved from IOS (Safari) to Android and struggled to find an adblocker that worked with Chrome, it looks like Chrome has been written to prevent this and so now I am using a specific Ad Block browser on the mobile. Elsewhere, Chrome for personal stuff, Edge for Work stuff (and unfortunatley IE for some really old internal sites!).

You can download the DuckDuckGo browser which blocks the adds for you, or at least blocks the tracking.

 

[jim8flog]

I use Chrome, Firefox and Edge.

Firefox and Chrome I like ad blockers and use them for general browsing

Edge and IE I like because they make it easy to block cookies.

I do most browsing on a desktop.

 

[Rooter]

Chrome across all devices. It just works and does what I expect it to do, remembers passwords and details for me.

Yes i understand my positives for it are other peoples negatives!!

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Firefox for me. Just prefer it.

 

[Hacker Khan]

For those using EDGE, can you use your voice on the search function like you can on Chrome please ?

I'm using the new Edge Chromium and it has the microphone icon as can be seen. So that's a yes.