Battle of the Browsers

July 12th, 2018 by admin

The world wide web is a part of our everyday lives. Though you may be surfing the net multiple times a day, how many times do you think about your web browser? Are you using the right one for you? What are the differences between the browsers, and what features are you missing out on? We have the data to help you choose the best browser for your work load. As far as popularity goes, here’s how it shakes out. As of May 2018, Chrome has the majority of the browser market with 56.6%, Safari ranks second at 14.7%, and Internet Explorer/Edge comes in third with 7.1% of the market. Firefox and Opera are even further behind with a mere 6.5% and 3.5% of all browser users, respectfully. (Statistics found at W3 counter)   However, popularity alone does not a better browser make.  Let’s take a look at the top three browsers that experts around the web are raving about.   #1 - Mozilla Firefox Although Firefox makes up a small portion of the browser market, leading experts like PC Mag and Tech Radar rate this as the all-around best browser for its customizability and features, speed, and security. Unlike Google Chrome, Firefox is a non-profit, meaning it’s independent from large data mining vendors. Additionally, this browser has many developer tools, built in video and voice calling, and social network integration. The only major component lacking that Chrome offers is built in Flash support.   #2 - Google Chrome As mentioned, Chrome is by far the most popular browser, and for good reason.  It’s user friendly, fast, and attractive. It boasts of a built in Flash player as well as great syncing capabilities. However, Google Chrome causes the highest battery drain, which is important to keep in mind when working on a mobile device or laptop. The security isn’t as strong as Firefox’s and there’s no built in social media integration.   #3 - Opera Opera is a surprising underdog that can pack a big punch. It may not have as many plugins as its rivals, but does have an excellent feature called Opera Turbo that compresses web traffic to speed up browsing on slow connections. Alongside your main browser, it’s worth having on your device to use when your internet is moving at a snail’s pace.   All three of these browsers are reasonably fast and easy to use. They each have different strengths and weaknesses. Since these (and other mentioned browsers) are free to download and try, why not test out a couple to see what works best for you? Comment below and let us know which browser you prefer!     Hannah Webb

Posted in: Tech Tips, Productivity, Technology