Depends what you want I think...
Security/privacy: Firefox and/or Opera
Usability and customization: Firefox
Speed: Google Chrome

Note that I don’t mention IE because it is part of the operating system and uses activeX function which makes it very unsafe to use… Only reason I don’t remove it is because it is needed to auto updates windows…

I have all browsers installed (ex Safari for personal reasons I will not discuss here) and like to use one for daily browsing and one for more sensitive operations…

Daily: Firefox with noscript, adblock, Wot, Webmailnotifier (also have spywareblaster to prevent 90% of spyware cookies without using any RAM or CPU) and it is set to delete all browsing data when I close it (exclude the cookies of my favorite websites)…next to that I have Flash, Shockwave, Quicktime alternative, Real alternative, WM pluggin and of course JRE (java)…Ho and I tweaked my Firefox to death following advises from this guide which I recommend to anyone: http://www.tweakguides.com/Firefox_1.html

Sensitive operations: Opera because they are almost always the fastest to react to security problems with very efficient patches ( I don't use it for anything else).

I am not a security freak, I like proper balance between security and user friendliness, but I know too much to do my Bank on a windows machine, for that I use something like puppy linux or any other quick linux distro I can boot with a live CD (strait from CDRom or from a virtual machine with an image when I am lazy).

For the irreducible IE users, there is one thing which has not been mentioned here, Check out Chrome Frame which is an open source plug-in that seamlessly brings Google Chrome's open web technologies and speedy JavaScript engine to Internet Explorer. http://code.google.com/chrome/chromeframe/

Edit: and always use the last version, this is very important for security!

B-B-B-B-Bump!
I found out a new browser, fast as lightning...
It's name is CometBird and it comes with BitComet (at least I found out about it that way and got it that way). It is faster than any of most popular browsers (MFF, IE, Opera, Google Chrome), and isn't very big either.
By design, it is a copy of FF, everything, even the downloads window.
I'm going to start to use this browser from now on.

Flash? Java? Octoshape? Ad blocking? Script blocking?

Quote from matijapkc :

It is faster than any of most popular browsers (MFF, IE, Opera, Google Chrome)

ORLY?

it is clearly based on firefox, not just design copied...so I don't even have to download it to know that its far from opera/chrome...

anyway, i switched from firefox to srware iron - I would like to suggest it to everyone who uses chrome...iron is basically chromium browser, but it has all communications with google servers removed...so its fast chrome without google tracking you...

im waiting for firefox 4 and probably switch back again

Firefox > *

In speed, reliability, themes, plug-ins, add-ons, you name it, firefox has it. Been using firefox since v2, I have been trying others in the meantime, but none of them seem to be configured the way I want, and firefox can be.

Some good add-ons :

Adblock plus + element hiding helper
FEBE (for backing up stuff, and later putting it back to FF)
Firefox Sync (awesome to sync all your stuff with for instance laptop and PC)
HistoryBlock (for those who want some sites not visible in history :shy
SmoothWheel (for smooth scrolling, can be adjusted in any way you want)
Tab preview (shows preview of other tabs)
Tab Progress bar (gives a little loading bar under the tab (fits well with theme twentyten))
TwentyTenbuddy (great to adjust the theme TwentyTen).

Quote from NotAnIllusion :

Flash? Java? Octoshape? Ad blocking? Script blocking?

Flash, yes, Java, yes, Octoshape, wtf is that, ad blocking, working well so far, didn't see any ads, script blocking, huh, what kind of scripts?

EDIT: And BitComet is a hell of a downloader, I have 512kb/s limit on my router, but with it I'm downloading on over 520kb/s. Fuuuu yeah!

Quote from NotAnIllusion :

Flash? Java? Octoshape? Ad blocking? Script blocking?

To be fair Prignels.. Octoshape can be implemented in a platform agnostic way to use Flash or Silverlight.. Octoshape will work as well just with Flash or Windows Media Player..

Quote from matijapkc :

Flash, yes, Java, yes, Octoshape, wtf is that, ad blocking, working well so far, didn't see any ads, script blocking, huh, what kind of scripts?

EDIT: And BitComet is a hell of a downloader, I have 512kb/s limit on my router, but with it I'm downloading on over 520kb/s. Fuuuu yeah!

µTorrent > BitComet

About script blocking, think of javascript and maybe other unwanted shit you don't want on some websites.
Take a look here : https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/722/ (another reason to go FF)

Quote from DavidTiger :

Loading the same page chrome will be first to finish loading it

Not if 80% of page's content (in bytes, not pixels) is a(i)ds. Chrome's adblock only hides ads, Firefox's adblock prevents them from loading.

Quote from Bose321 :

µTorrent > BitComet

About script blocking, think of javascript and maybe other unwanted shit you don't want on some websites.
Take a look here : https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/722/ (another reason to go FF)

I had speed of 80-100kb/s in Q...
I can install that script here too, and it is faster than FF, so this IS better.

haven't tried it myself, but as much as i googled it it seems to be a copy (almost fully based) of FF and all firefox addons work on cometbird.

Quote from E.Reiljans :

Not if 80% of page's content (in bytes, not pixels) is a(i)ds. Chrome's adblock only hides ads, Firefox's adblock prevents them from loading.

Yes indeed.

I've also read that in a test with all browsers, FF uses the least power to show adds (all browsers without add-ons), with about 50% less power, and even 60% less power with plugin-ins for browsers that have them. Also IBM is switching to FF in their company, they must sure have a legit reason for that eh?

As if Firefox just took 40 minutes to load. LOL.

cometbird even copied ff's name.

fire-fox
comet (a ball of fire)- bird (an animal)

Quote from J@tko :

As if Firefox just took 40 minutes to load. LOL.

If you're talking about my post, its about power, not time.

If you're not, yeah indeed, the difference is negligible, and I only got positive speed compared to other Browsers.

Quote from logitekg25 :

cometbird even copied ff's name.

fire-fox
comet (a ball of fire)- bird (an animal)

comet comes from brand bitcomet and as a bird...i'm not sure if it is correct to call bird to an animal
but yeh, name choise seems similiar though.

Quote from Bose321 :

If you're talking about my post, its about power, not time.

If you're not, yeah indeed, the difference is negligible, and I only got positive speed compared to other Browsers.

Ah no I wasn't talking about your post at all haha - it wasn't even there when I pressed reply

well, ill write something that probably noone will read, because truth is hard to accept :-)

that silly cometchick browser is only ordinary firefox with bunch of addons within, what makes it even much slower than the original firefox
"CometBird is developed from the source codes of Mozilla FireFox and also follow the source code license of Mozilla."

it is nothing that you can't make by yourself - just install firefox and put those addons there - there it is!!! you've got cometbird!! magic...

only firefox-based browser, that really makes difference is palemoon (maybe flock), which is firefox compiled for newest cpu architecture that makes it a bit faster than original version

for people who can't notice the browser speed difference - connect your PC to at least 20mbit connection (I have 70) and browse the web...if you're surfing on some kind of 1mbit DSL or wifi 20m from you that is connected to GPRS somewhere in a desert, you will not notice the difference even with the mosaic browser...
the greatest difference is when connection speed>>computer speed. when your computer is fast enough and you have slow connection -it's all the same...

this is where i was clearly able to notice that firefox 3.6.* is slower (noticeably) than opera 10.6 or chrome 5...and that is why i switched from firefox to iron (iron has adblock that stops DOWNLOADING ads, not just hiding them (most of them) - it is problem of strict support of chrome for addons; also there's developer tool like firebug built in, that's all i need); iron is clearly faster than my previous browser...i can say my computer is fast enough and my connection is as well, that's why i can compare it

another proof is running some benchmark, for example peackeeper (iron 2x fast as firefox) or dromaeo for javascript (iron 2,7x fast as firefox without addons, i had to disable them (adblock, fxif, firebug) to get more speed)

well, im not saying what browser is the best, im saying just that there really is difference and if youre building web or spending much time on web, you will welcome fast and good browser; and when you install different browser without really comparing it, its only a placebo effect that makes you think "yeah new browser, its super fast!! yes its faster than others!!!" and you refuse to accept that there are faster(im talking ONLY about speed)

i was using firefox since around 0.8 and i feel there like at home, but 3.6 is just "too old" and will be something like IE6 few years ago, so i switched to another, much faster browser for time till firefox 4 is released

Quote from majod :

only firefox-based browser, that really makes difference is palemoon (maybe flock), which is firefox compiled for newest cpu architecture that makes it a bit faster than original version

Fastest publically available Firefox builds are tete009's SSE2-optimized builds.

By the way, according to Microsoft, Firefox 4.0 betas are 8 times faster than Chrome's dev versions in rendering SVG without GPU acceleration (and approximately 60 times faster with it, but turning it on in Firefox would be unfair, because it is Windows 7-exclusive feature).

Quote from aoun :

As there are alot of intelligent people here reguarding computers and the internet, i pretty much have a straight forward question.

Whats the best browser to use, or what browser do you tend to use?

I fixed up my computer and just using IE at the moment but it gives me the shits.

Im not sure whats good about what broswer, which is why im here.

Opera
Firefox
Chrome
Internet Explorer

Whats the best guys?

Firefox 4. Well the beta is good. Its firefox with some features of chrome. Chrome is too lightweight to be honest.

Quote from master_lfs.5101 :

Firefox 4. Well the beta is good. Its firefox with some features of chrome. Chrome is too lightweight to be honest.

Functionality wise it is, size wise it isn't - Chrome's installer is 60 MB (dev version), and Firefox 4 beta 2 (not public, available here) installer is only 8.5 MB.

Firefox 4 has copied Opera 10.5 design (released 5 months ago) almost in its entirety. They just didn't use the "Opera" logo. I'd say every other aspect from the design has been copied. Just look at Opera (design implemented 5 months ago) [picture 2] and the new and not-yet-released Firefox 4 (design still to be implemented) [picture 2].

I use Opera on my PC and Opera Mobile on my Nokia N95. It syncs all of my bookmarks, speed dial pages, add-ons (you can have Opera Widgets on the PC and on the phone too, and they are just about the same), and makes my life a lot easier. I can browse a website on the phone and then when I get home quickly resume browsing it on my PC using Opera, and vice-versa.



I have already used the following web browsers: Internet Explorer (from 5 to 8), Firefox (from 2 to 4), Safari (latest only), Chrome (from first launch until latest version) and opera (from 8.x to latest 10.6 version).
Opera in my opinion is the best web browser. Not only the one that looks better, but also the fastest, easier to use and most user friendly. It is incredibly stable and allows you to use as many tabs as you want without any problems (I tried doing this with Firefox 3 and it crashes too often). Its design is also very comfortable.


The built-in mouse gestures (and Mobile gestures) make browsing the web faster and easier and requires no skills to use.

Opera is a browser but it actually allows you to do a lot more. The following features make Opera different from the other browsers (although these are not all of its features). It has built-in e-mail reader, built-in torrent manager (download torrents within the browser), built-in spell check in many (if not all) languages, Opera Unite (multiple uses: ability to use your pc as a host/server for your own website, for sharing files, pictures, songs or whatever you want directly from your pc to your friends without having to upload it anywhere, etc), allows add-ons and widgets, etc.

Anyway... in the end of the day, it's up to each person to decide which browser they should use. This is a personal opinion and every person may will find different features useful or useless according to their needs and their routine, so you should check out each browser's features and see which fits you best!

Quote from Velociround :

Firefox 4 has copied Opera 10.5 design (released 5 months ago) almost in its entirety. They just didn't use the "Opera" logo. I'd say every other aspect from the design has been copied. Just look at Opera (design implemented 5 months ago) [picture 2] and the new and not-yet-released Firefox 4 (design still to be implemented) [picture 2].

https://wiki.mozilla.org/User: ... 4.0_Windows_Theme_Mockups

These mock-ups were released 6 months ago.

Quote from E.Reiljans :

https://wiki.mozilla.org/User: ... 4.0_Windows_Theme_Mockups

These mock-ups were released 6 months ago.

Well if you want to consider the time they were first seen instead of when they were actually released, the Opera 10.5 pre-alpha that already had this design was released for public to download on Wednesday, 16. December 2009, at 07:30:22. These were not just mock-ups, this was the full design released to download.

We're in July 16th, and "6 months ago" means January, making the Opera browser design have in fact come before the Mozilla one.

Quote from Velociround :

Well if you want to consider the time they were first seen instead of when they were actually released, the Opera 10.5 pre-alpha that already had this design was released for public to download on Wednesday, 16. December 2009, at 07:30:22. These were not just mock-ups, this was the full design released to download.

We're in July 16th, and "6 months ago" means January, making the Opera browser design have in fact come before the Mozilla one.

Firefox 4.0 Design Mockups First Look - July 29, 2009.