The OS X Browser War
Choosing a browser for the Mac platform is incredibly hard. It’s not like on Windows, where you have the good, the bad and the ugly. In the Mac world you have the great, the great, the great and the dead... And right now, I'm in the mode where I’m thinking which great to go for...
The factors
Ok, so what is it that I consider when choosing a browser? Here’s my list, in no particular order:
- Performance
- Design
- Rendering
- Features
- System integration
- User friendliness
Over the last couple of days, I’ve been using all browsers side by side, and there are some major differences.
One important one, I've found, is size. Take the top chunk of the window for instance:
Note: that’s Firefox without the Web Developer toolbar. With the toolbar, the top part of Firefox takes 130px! And that’s with one the smallest skins out there. The address bar in Firefox prevents it from getting any smaller...
Safari has a 2px smaller statusbar than the two others, so in effect, Safari is smaller than Camino, but it doesn't really seem that way, as your eyes are more level with the top of your screen than the bottom.
These size differences may not seem like much (we’re talking pixels here) - but I find this to be one of the most annoying things about some browsers, especially Firefox.
Safari
Solidly built into the system, and is thoroughly integrated with OS X. There’s an array of plugins that works with it. But it has some severe draw-backs
Pros:
- Integrated with the system
- RSS reader built in, and if you use an external one, it’ll redirect your subscriptions automatically.
- It’s the only browser that understands the
<input type=“Search”-tag - Nothing says ‘Mac’ quite like Safari
Cons:
- Sometimes hogs a lot of CPU for no apparent reason!
- Some rendering problems
- Brushed metal, not my thing...
- Google as only search-engine
- Cmd+shift+8/9 (on my keyboard at least) to navigate through tabs?!
- No built-in adblock
- Weird cache! Refuses to empty itself properly sometimes...
Firefox
The one browser for Windows - a great community, and fully skinnable, and adaptable with a lot of plugins! But it’s not a Mac app, now is it?
Pros:
- The extensions.
- Gecko-rendering
- Interchangeable search-engines
- Redirects RSS-feeds
- More-or-less frequent updates and bug-fixes
Cons:
- It takes up a lot of screen estate
- Butt ugly formfields
- Not that integrated with OS X
- Feels a bit bloated
- Not even close to lightweight
Camino
Been using Camino for a while now. Is it the golden middle ground between style and power, or is it simply too lightweight?
Pros:
- It’s sexxy! :P
- Gecko-rendering
- Doesn't take up much screen estate
- Extremely light-weight!
- Has all the basic features you need
Cons:
NoFew plugins- No skins (though you can change the buttons)
- No RSS
- No spellcheck in textareas
What to choose?!
I have no idea! I want to use Firefox because of it’s features, but it's too bulky and unsexy. I want to use Safari because of it’s sexiness and extra features, but it takes up too much CPU. And last but not least, I want to use Camino, because it’s just so relieving to use something so feathery light, but the cost in terms of features are simply too limiting!
The problem with mac browsers is that they are all great. Whatever browser you choose, you are always going to look at what the other browsers can do, which yours can’t. I hate that!
I’m a web designer, so it’s interesting reading this stuff, as I intend to get a Mac.
I’m not a huge RSS fan, and cosmetics aren’t very important to me, so Camino sounds like my future choice.
Of course, I may not be able to live without some of the Firefox plugins, but we’ll see.
I’m struggling with the same problem at the moment.
My solution:
Camino as main browser because it is light but I keep safari for reading rss and following links from those feeds.
I would use FF if there was a good rss solution like the one in Safari. In that case I needed only 1 browser for reading news and browsing.
It gets even harder for me now because at work I have to work with windows. So I’ll be using FF there but what for the rss-part.
Greetz
Indeed, exactly the same struggle over here. Camino is definitely the way to go at the moment (light, Mac look and feel, Mozilla) although it lacks some of FF flexibilities and a good (read Safari like) RSS feature. As a webdesigner you probably need all of them (hell, I even use Opera) but Camino is my default one for now.
Where is IE for Mac in your list? Oh, sorry, didn’t read the title, its all about browsers.
@ The Rambling Bull: you are a web designer but cosmetics aren’t important to you and you don’t like RSS feeds. Sounds like a strange choice for a web designer.
@ Cimm, I was referring to the cosmetics of the programs I use. I’m more concerned with their functionality.
As for RSS, I never really got used to it… I just like visiting the actual sites.
@The Rambling Bull: Welcome over to the path of enlightment, that is the Macworld… What Mac are you getting?
:P@Bunker: If you want to use your browser as your RSS reader (or want an RSS reader for your Wintel at work) Sage for Firefox would probably be the way to go… I can’t see why you wouldn’t want to give NetNewsWire Lite a go, though - or even Vienna?
@Cimm: IE/Mac is mentioned, though:
I wouldn’t say a webdesigner need to care about cosmetics of the software (why do you think BBEdit is so successful) - and hey; I wish I didn’t get so addicted to RSS… It takes up waay too much time…
@ arnor: Well, ever since my computers processor burned out, forcing me to use my Dads computer, I’ve had my eye on the 17 inch iMac. I would go for the 20 inch version, except that we travel quite a bit, so that might be just a tiny bit too much computer to drag onto an airplane.
I love Safari for web surfing. It’s my browser of choice. However, I use FireFox when writing on my wordpress blog just because Safari doesn’t display the quicktag buttons properly and FireFox does. FireFox, in my experience, sometimes have trouble on refreshing pages. Sometimes, I have to empty the cache. Cumbersome. Safari works very well on that aspect. FireFox also has the tab close buttons only on the right side. Safari has a close button on each tab. I like that. I also like the brushed metal look.
For RSS reader, I’m enjoying Vienna. It rocks!
If it were my blog I/E would have not been mentioned for two reasons:
1. It’s made by microsoft.
2. It’s ugly.
3. They actually stopped making new versions of it for mac.
i had not heard of Camino before this, so I guess I’m going to have to check it out.
@The Rambling Bull: But still… 20“ gives you so much more screen estate - I’d go for it anyways… You won’t get the 17” as hand luggage either, will you?
I have a 12“ iBook for my days of travel. If I’m going to be away for prolonged periods of time - the extra few centimeters of the 20” is well worth lugging around!
@Brendan: Not only did they stop making new models - they have stopped distributing it, stopped giving support for it, and MSN has even stopped designing for it…
However; the top two reasons are good reasons for disliking and not using it - but probably not so good reasons for not mentioning them, in my opinion…
I use Shiira
http://hmdt-web.net/shiira/en
Check it out my nordic friend.