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Light and fast browsers in Russian. Browsers for Windows

Today, Internet technologies are developing at a breakneck pace. Not surprisingly, web content viewers are not far behind. But let's find out what browsers there are for the computer, and which of all this huge number to prefer for work.

What is a browser?

Let's start with the very definition of this type of program. What is a browser? The official interpretation says that this is not only a means of viewing the content of web pages with text, graphic, audio or video information, but also a tool for managing sites or web applications, creating search queries, using additional add-ons that increase the functionality of the program, downloading required content to a computer, etc.

Now we will look at what browsers there are for a computer, what are the differences between similar programs, what additional features they have, etc. Finally, let’s pay attention to the comparative characteristics of the most popular applications and give some tips on using a particular browser on your computer.

However, let’s make a reservation right away: here you need to clearly understand that the operation of programs of this type directly depends not only on the computer configuration, but also on many other factors, including the type of operating system, installed settings and plugins, quality and type of Internet connection and much more. So it’s simply not possible to answer unequivocally which is the fastest browser for a computer. In other words, the conclusion will be very conditional. But for convenience, we will consider Windows systems, which are most widespread among us.

History of the development of Internet technologies in browsers

Now we find out where it all began. It is believed that the first-born in the history of the development of applications of this type was the viewer, which was originally called WorldWideWeb and owed its birth in 1990 to Tim Burns-Lee, the founder of the Internet. As is already clear, the abbreviation WWW was then firmly entrenched in the World Wide Web itself. The browser itself was later named Nexus, but never became widespread.

The first software product of this type to gain immense popularity around the world was the NCSA Mosaic application. It was the technology implemented in this browser that later became the basis for the creation of such monsters as Netscape Navigator.

Unfortunately, Netscape Navigator did not last long, although it was considered a fairly convenient and fast program. This was only due to the fact that it was primarily aimed at UNIX-like operating systems and Mac OS. During the global offensive on the world market of Windows systems, it became unclaimed, since the “OSes” themselves already had a built-in Internet Explorer, and the need to install additional software simply disappeared. In addition, the “native” Windows browser at that time showed good performance results and was quite convenient in terms of not overloading the interface with unnecessary elements.

What browsers are there for the computer today? They can be counted not even in dozens, but in hundreds. Of course, among all this we can highlight several of the most popular programs, but for a complete understanding of the topic under consideration, we will try to provide at least an approximate list of everything that can be found on the Internet.

What browsers are there for computers? Review

So what about today's programs? Frankly speaking, sometimes it seems that every developer stubbornly sets himself the goal of creating a tool for Internet surfing, just to gain a user audience. In particular, this applies to most search or email sites, for example, Yandex with its “Yandex Browser” or Mail.Ru with its “Amigo”.

Alas, most of these applications are created in the image and likeness of more powerful systems. As a rule, technologies are borrowed from Google Chrome, in which some changes have been made, some elements have been removed or added. And the saddest thing is that almost all developers shout at the top of their voices that their browser is the fastest.

But they often contain so much advertising that it is simply unbearable to work. Therefore, the user asks the question: what browsers are there for a computer without advertising? Now let’s try to present just such programs. Let's take a look at the existing browsers for the computer. The list (by no means complete) is presented below:

  • Internet Explorer.
  • Google Chrome.
  • Mozilla Firefox.
  • Opera.
  • Safari.
  • Edge.
  • Yandex Browser.
  • Amigo.
  • Acoo Browser.
  • Arora.
  • Avant Browser.
  • Browzar.
  • Chromium.
  • 360 Safety Browser.
  • CoolNovo.
  • Citrio.
  • Coowon Browser.
  • Comodo Dragon.
  • Double.
  • DustyNet.
  • Epic Privacy Browser.
  • Goona Browser.
  • Green Browser.
  • Internet Surfboard.
  • K-Meleon.
  • Kylo.
  • Loonascape.
  • Maxthon.
  • Midori Browser.
  • Mozilla Flock and Mozilla SeaMonkey.
  • Netsurf.
  • Nuke.
  • Orbitum.
  • Orca.
  • Pale Moon.
  • Pirate Browser.
  • PlayFree Browser.
  • QIP Sirf Browser;
  • QtWeb Browser.
  • QupZilla.
  • RockMelt.
  • Slepnir Browser.
  • Slim Browser.
  • SRWare Iron.
  • Sundance Browser.
  • TheWorld.
  • Torch Browser.
  • Vivaldi.
  • Uran.
  • YRC Weblink.
  • Rambler Browser, etc.

Enough? How do you think? If you look carefully even at the names given above, it becomes clear that only the first five are distinguished by originality and the technology originally embedded in the software. The rest are, so to speak, derivatives.

Here, in fact, we see what browsers are available for the computer. Of course, if you look hard enough, you can dig up more great amount relevant programs. The most famous ones are simply collected here. And it is possible to say very roughly which is the fastest browser for a computer. But in this matter you need to start exclusively from those programs and technologies that are used, so to speak, by the ancestors (the first five).

Now let's turn our attention to the main programs that are used by most users today for surfing. So let's try to choose the most popular browsers for the computer. The list, naturally, will not be so long. Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of each application.

Internet Explorer 11

This program, although it is a standard integral element of any Windows OS, nevertheless has serious problems (especially with regard to the security system). And if at the very beginning of its evolution the priority of the popularity of Internet Explorer was not in doubt, over time it fell to almost zero.

The browser itself received quite strong development only in last years and, I must say, showed quite serious and impressive results, beating its closest competitors - Google Chrome, Opera and Mozilla Firefox. On this moment he can brag enough high speed work on the Internet and user-friendly interface. So why are only a few using it? Yes, only because the old stereotype is still strong. In addition, users are often put off by the minimalist, even completely Russified interface, in which additional settings and the elements are not displayed on the main panel, but are hidden in different menus. However, these claims seem clearly unfounded to many experts.

Google Chrome

What other browsers are there for computers in Russian? Without a doubt, in this matter one cannot fail to mention Google Chrome, which not only became a legend itself, but also served as the progenitor for many other programs of this type.

Despite the same minimalism in design, from the point of view of convenience and speed of operation it looks quite impressive. Basically, what attracts users to this program is that it has a reliable security system. But many users call the main feature the built-in extension store, which allows you to install additional plugins (add-ons), as they say, “without leaving the checkout.” In addition, today you can find quite a lot of programmers who use this browser as a development tool. In addition, here you can quickly jump to search results directly from the query line.

Perhaps the most important disadvantage, as strange as it may sound, is its advantage. The fact is that it shows optimal speed results, so to speak, only in its “pure” form. When there is an overload of plugins and add-ons, unfortunately, the speed of opening pages drops very significantly. But even if some tab freezes, you can safely work with the rest as usual.

Chromium, Yandex Browser, Amigo and 360 Safety Browser

Now let's look at Chrome-like browsers for Windows. The list, of course, can be continued, but these four programs are perhaps the most prominent representatives of this family. In principle, they are made exclusively in the image and likeness of their progenitor; even the menus and plug-ins often have the same names.

Each application has its own interesting sides. Chromium, compared to the original, is indeed somewhat optimized in terms of page opening speed. Amigo offers the user an interface with direct access to the most popular social networks like Odnoklassniki or VKontakte and the ability to quickly access mailbox, registered on Mail.ru.

Yandex Browser is called the “rising star of the Runet”, although, to be honest, it is completely unclear why. What repels many users is the default search engine parameters, and in general the dominance of Yandex services, which every now and then install some additional panels, arrange unnecessary redirects. In general, it seems that the developers tried to promote their main service online in this way. But in terms of speed of work, you can’t deny him.

360 Safety Browser appeared relatively recently. This browser is the development of Chinese programmers and, unlike other Chinese fakes, the quality of which raises legitimate doubts, it works quite quickly (at least at first, that’s for sure). The speed of launching the application itself and opening pages immediately after installation cannot be compared with anything. Even the “old men,” as they say, simply “smoke nervously on the sidelines.” Unfortunately, this goes away over time (as with all other programs). Why this happens will be explained later. But overall, this program, despite its youth, looks quite attractive. By the way, this is perhaps one of the few browsers with a built-in AdBlock pop-up blocking system (in other applications the add-on must be installed additionally).

Opera

If we consider the best browsers for a computer, the list, naturally, cannot do without such a grandee as Opera, which has become, so to speak, a classic of the genre. It is not surprising that this browser has always occupied and occupies the top positions in usage statistics.

But here we need to make a small digression. The point is that Opera for a long time was unclaimed only because it was released as a shareware program, that is, you could work with it for 30 days, after which it was offered to buy the official full-featured version of this software.

Only after Opera became free did it rise to the podium. But even here, not everything is so simple. The fact is that today you can find too many modifications of this browser, and it is not always clear which of them is official. For example, it is stated that the latest release was released under numbers 15 and 16. You can also find and download Opera 21, Opera Stable or Opera NI on the official website. What is the difference? Apparently, these releases are simply unfinished, and software developers are simply in a hurry to release new versions in order to keep up with their competitors. In addition, the latest versions of the browser clearly do not want to work on weak machines. The braking and freezing is such that you are simply amazed. However, there are reasons for this. Perhaps the creators of Opera are simply creating a browser for more powerful configurations, working, so to speak, ahead of the curve? Who knows…

Mozilla Firefox

Again, if we describe the most popular browsers for PCs, the list cannot do without the “fiery fox” - the Mozilla Firefox browser, which, if it does not claim to be the leading development in this area, is at least one of the most popular .

What's special about it? Almost everything. First of all, it is worth noting that many experts tend to blame Google programmers in unethical behavior and dishonesty, since Chrome after its debut turned out to be very similar to Firefox. Whether this is true or not, it is believed that it was the Mozilla browser that became the basis for Chrome.

As for the application itself, it is one of the most reliable and stable. Maybe the “fox” doesn’t show too high a speed of work; in principle, he doesn’t need it. First of all, this browser is aimed at web developers. Even the so-called “boxed” version already contains a lot additional tools, and in terms of the number of add-ons (which, by the way, are not even hundreds, but thousands), it will easily bypass the notorious Google Chrome. Webmasters rate this application quite highly, if only because it is very convenient for writing scripts and testing their operation, not to mention other, no less interesting features.

Safari

What other browsers are there for your computer? Have you seen compass-shaped icons on the Internet? Yes, this is an indispensable attribute Safari browser from Apple Corporation, originally developed for Macintosh systems, and a little later implemented in the form beautiful application for Windows.

Everything about it is extremely simple and beautiful. Distinctive feature this application can be called unique system font smoothing, as well as the ability comfortable viewing texts large sizes. Another innovation is a built-in password manager with an impenetrable security system. In general, security is considered one of the most strengths"Apple" software products. In general, this is a well-made program, optimized for the needs of the average user.

Edge

Finally, if you look at what browsers there are for a computer, you can’t help but say a few words about the new development Microsoft called Edge, which first appeared in the new Windows 10 OS.

Although Edge is based on Internet Explorer technologies, the developers have clearly revised their global concept and redesigned source application strong enough. As a result, the most powerful software, which in almost all respects today is ahead of similar programs.

True, there were some “jokes” here too. The fact is that by default, the start page loads a bunch of unnecessary information such as news or new software products, weather informers, popular sites and resources that are bookmarked, all sorts of unnecessary interesting things, etc. Moreover, it is on the start page that the address the line is not at the top, but slightly below and is presented in the form of a kind of search field. Then, when you click on the link, it returns to its rightful place. However, it's easy to get used to it.

On the other hand, the operating speed here is quite high, which cannot be said about similar applications, and the loading speed, if there are no restrictions, say, when downloading content from file-sharing networks, is comparable even to torrents. But the program itself has not yet been released as a separate version, so you can evaluate all its capabilities and advantages only if you install the tenth Windows versions(by the way, it has two browsers: Edge and the same Internet Explorer, presented in the form separate application). But by default, the system uses Edge.

PC browsers: list by performance tests

So, what browsers are there for the computer, we figured it out a little. When it comes to performance tests, they don't always look the same. It all depends on who exactly did what test. Quite often you can find results in favor of a particular browser, which can only indicate an attempt to promote this software on the market. In addition, any browser becomes more and more sluggish as it is used. And this is absolutely in no way related to cache or browsing history overflow. The only exception is Edge. On some systems, the Safari browser is not affected by this.

But it’s simply impossible to say exactly which is the best browser for a computer. And this depends not only on the programs themselves, but also on user preferences. In addition, each program of this type has its own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, in most cases the user has to decide on his own the question of which browser to choose for his computer. The given test diagram cannot show the objectivity of the assessment (the preferences of the experts who conducted the comparison also play a role here). This is, so to speak, a conditional result for an approximate understanding of the situation.

What's the result?

Now it’s probably a little clear what browsers are available for the computer and what features they have. Again, giving advice on installing this or that software product is a completely thankless task, because each person has his own preferences. In addition, the browsers themselves can be focused on solving quite specific tasks, sometimes not even related to Internet surfing. Yes, you also need to take into account what operating system is installed on the computer, what is the speed of Internet access, how much random access memory and many other equally important factors. But if you are objective and do not tip the scales in anyone’s favor, it is recommended to choose one of the first six browsers presented at the very beginning of the above list. The rest are possible in principle, since they are all derivatives of the main programs. However, here, as they say, everyone decides for himself what he likes and what is more convenient to work with.

With the development of web technologies, the content displayed using a browser becomes more and more “heavy”. The video bitrate is increasing, caching and storing data requires more and more space, and scripts running on user machines consume a lot of CPU time. Browser developers keep up with trends and try to include support for all new trends in their products. This leads to the fact that the latest versions of popular browsers place increased demands on the system on which they are running. In this article we will talk about which browser to choose for a computer that does not have enough power to use browsers from " big three"and the like.

As part of the article, we will conduct a kind of testing of four browsers - Maxthon Nitro, Pale Moon, Otter Browser, K-Meleon - and compare their behavior with, as the most voracious browser at the time of writing. During the process, we'll look at startup and running speeds, RAM and CPU utilization, and whether there are enough resources left to complete other tasks. Since Chrome provides extensions, we will test both with and without them.

It is worth noting that some results may differ from those you get from such testing. This applies to those parameters that depend on Internet speed, in particular, page loading.

Test configuration

To carry out the test, we actually took weak computer. The initial parameters are:


About browsers

Let's talk briefly about the browsers participating in today's testing - about the engines, features, and so on.

Maxthon Nitro

This browser was created by the Chinese company Maxthon International Limited based on the Blink engine - a reworked WebKit for . Supports all operating systems, including mobile ones.

Pale Moon

This participant is a brother with some modifications, and one of them is optimization for Windows systems and only for them. This, according to the developers, makes it possible to significantly increase the speed of work.

Otter Browser

"Otter" was created using the Qt5 engine, which is used by the developers. The data on the official website is very scarce, so there is nothing more to say about the browser.

K-Meleon

This is another browser on Firefox base, but with the most reduced functionality. This move by the creators made it possible to minimize resource consumption and increase speed.

Startup speed

Let's start from the beginning - let's measure the time it takes for the browser to fully launch, that is, you can already open pages, make settings, etc. The goal is to determine which patient comes to a state of combat readiness faster. As home page We will use google.com. We will take measurements until it is possible to enter text into the search bar.

  • Maxthon Nitro – from 10 to 6 seconds;
  • Pale Moon – from 6 to 3 seconds;
  • Otter Browser – from 9 to 6 seconds;
  • K-Meleon – from 4 to 2 seconds;
  • Google Chrome (extensions disabled) – from 5 to 3 seconds. With extensions ( , Browsec, ePN CashBack) – 11 seconds.

As we can see, all browsers quite quickly open their window on the desktop and show readiness for work.

Memory consumption

Since we are very limited in the amount of RAM, this indicator is one of the most important. Let's look into "Task Manager" and calculate the total consumption of each experimental subject, having previously opened three identical pages– Yandex ( home page), YouTube and website. Measurements will be taken after some waiting.


Let's launch a video on YouTube with a resolution of 480p and see how much the situation changes.


Now let's complicate the task by simulating a real work situation. To do this, we will open 10 tabs in each browser and look at the overall responsiveness of the system, that is, we will check whether it is comfortable to work with the browser and other programs in this mode. As mentioned above, we have Word, Notepad, a calculator running, and we will also try to open Paint. We will also measure page loading speed. The results will be recorded based on subjective feelings.

  • Maxthon Nitro experiences slight delays when switching between browser tabs and when opening programs that are already running. The same thing happens when viewing the contents of folders. In general, the OS behaves quite well with minor lags. The page loading speed is not annoying.
  • Pale Moon beats Nitro in terms of tab switching and page loading speed, but the rest of the system is somewhat slower, with long delays when starting programs and opening folders.
  • When using Otter Browser, page rendering speed is quite slow, especially after opening several tabs. The overall responsiveness of the browser also leaves much to be desired. After launching Paint Otter, for some time it stopped responding to our actions, and running applications were very slow to open.
  • Another thing about K-Meleon is that the loading of pages and the speed of switching between tabs is very high. “Drawing” starts instantly, other programs also respond quite quickly. The system overall responds well.
  • Even though Google Chrome tries to unload the contents of unused tabs from memory (they are reloaded when activated), active use paging file makes the work completely uncomfortable. This is expressed in constant reboot pages, and in some cases in the demo empty field instead of content. Other programs also “don’t like” the proximity to Chrome, as there are high delays and refusals to respond to user actions.

The latest measurements showed real situation of things. If under gentle conditions all products produce similar results, then when the load on the system increases, some are left behind.

Since in different situations CPU load may vary, we will look at the behavior of browsers in idle mode. The same tabs shown above will be opened.


All patients show good results, that is, they do not load the “stone” during the absence of actions within the program.

Watch video

In this step we will enable the video card by setting NVIDIA driver. We will measure the number of frames per second using the program in full screen mode and 720p resolution with 50 FPS. The video will be included on YouTube.


As you can see, not all browsers are capable of fully playing video in HD quality. When using them, you will have to reduce the resolution to 480p or even 360p.

Conclusion

During testing, we identified some important features our current test subjects. Based on the results obtained, we can draw the following conclusions: K-Meleon is the fastest in operation. It saves maximum resources for other tasks, but is not entirely suitable for watching videos high quality. Nitro, Pale Moon and Otter are approximately equal in memory consumption, but the latter lags far behind in overall responsiveness under increased load. As for Google Chrome, its use on computers similar in configuration to our test one is completely unacceptable. This is expressed in slowdowns and freezes due to the high load on the paging file, and therefore on the hard drive.

Nowadays, no one can be surprised by the statement about the importance of the Internet both for entertainment and for serious work. It should be noted that the productivity of the work process in to a large extent depends not so much on the connection speed as on the convenience and thoughtfulness of the browser used.

If you don’t know what browsers are and how they differ from each other, this article is especially for you. So let's get started! What kind of browsers are there? The list can be very long, but let’s list the main “players” in this market:

  • Internet Explorer.
  • Opera.
  • Firefox.
  • Google Chrome and all its derivatives.

We will now talk about all these “characters” in more detail.

Internet Explorer

This is a real legend. Whether it’s deserved or not, everyone decides for themselves, but no one will dispute the fact that the overwhelming majority of experienced users started with it. In 2001, when the Internet in our country was almost in its infancy, and even in large cities Dial Up ruled, the sixth “donkey” was the only association with the word “browser”.

Of course, someone knew about the Opera project, very rare geeks in the vastness of our country used Netscape, but the palm definitely belonged to IE, since worthy alternatives there simply wasn’t any at that time. For information - Firefox history began only in 2004, and the word “chrome” was perceived only as the name of a chemical element until 2008! Yes, yes, the Google Chrome browser appeared relatively recently!

It must be admitted that Internet Explorer was good for those years, and many of its features were completely unique. Thus, IE 6 became the first browser in the world that had “on board” the tools of the P3P platform, which provided an advanced (in those years) level user security when working on the network.

It is not surprising that due to its widespread use and its presence by default in the OS Windows family it was the “donkey” that became the de facto standard for almost all government agencies in our country. And to this day normal operation with the websites of government agencies, Sberbank, and all similar structures is possible only from this browser. This is largely due to the use of ActiveX structures in it, which greatly simplifies the creation software components for this kind of resource.

Disadvantages of a “living legend”

It is no coincidence that we constantly used the phrase “at that time.” In 2001, IE was rightfully the leader, but... Its creators completely forgot that the browser should be updated from time to time. Until 2006, when Vista and IE7 appeared on the scene, there were basically no updates.

Competitors were not asleep; by that time they had already appeared: the legendary Opera 9, which is still revered by many as the best browser, Firefox 2, as well as several add-on browsers that used the IE engine (Maxthon, Avant Browser). They were all more convenient, more functional and much safer outdated Internet Explorer. The appearance of the seventh version did not save the situation, since IE7 was in many ways the same sixth “donkey”. From visible changes One could only notice a slightly “refreshed” interface, and support for tabs, which Opera had had since the seventh version (2005).

Add to this terrible compatibility with HTML standards, disgusting page rendering and appalling slow speed their downloads. It is not surprising that only IE 9 finally “became like a browser,” as many publications wrote about it. Currently the latest is the eleventh version, which is really quite good.

The problem is that there are a huge number of old releases (IE6 somehow got rid of), errors (!) from which had to be ported to new explorer. This was done so that old versions of sites created specifically for the “donkey” would be adequately displayed in Internet Explorer 11. This approach does not add either popularity or trust to the Microsoft product.

Alas, when working with state and municipal websites, you will not have any special alternatives. However, there are exceptions: several years ago, the German government officially encouraged municipal workers to use Firefox, since IE “does not meet modern security requirements.” So what other browsers are there?

Opera

Since we have mentioned this product several times, we will continue the story about it. It all started in Norway in 1994. Until 2005, versions were produced that were not particularly popular. Everything changed in 2006, when Opera 9 was released. At that time, it was ideal. Judge for yourself:

  • excellent work with tabs;
  • built-in email client;
  • bit-torrent client, also built into the browser;
  • work with most HTML standards;
  • mouse gesture support;
  • the widest possibilities for customization;
  • the ability to block ads without using third-party utilities.

And all this in a 2006 browser! In addition, we forgot to mention one more “killer feature” of Opera. It's about about the "Turbo" mode. What is the essence of this option? It's simple. When activated, all traffic to the user’s computer passed through Opera Software’s servers and was compressed several times along the way. In some cases, it was possible to save up to 80% of all traffic!

Taking into account the fact that in those years of normal high-speed and unlimited internet was not even in large cities, this technology was a royal gift for users of our country and the entire former CIS. Not surprisingly, in some regions the actual market share of this browser confidently approached 50%, while in the world this figure rarely exceeded 3-4%.

In addition, Opera Mini appeared in 2009, which made normal Internet surfing possible even for owners of old phones. By the way, the phrase “free browsers” can only make modern users smile, while Opera for smartphones was paid for a long time, and for desktops (up to Opera 5) this browser was distributed on a fee basis.

Sunset

After the release of version 10.6, strange things began to happen to the company: constant reorganizations forced most of the old developers to leave, and users began to complain about the poor performance of their favorite browser. In 2013, a rather ridiculous event happened. The new management of the company announced a complete transition to the Blink engine, which is a product developed by Google, as well as the linking of Opera to the Chromium project.

It’s not hard to guess what emotions all this evoked among users. They said that almost all new browsers are already clones of Chrome, so the appearance of another player from the same series did not inspire anyone. In addition, the enormous dissatisfaction of both ordinary users and professionals was caused by the simple fact that, in fact, only the name remained from the old “Opera”.

No mouse gestures, no usual customization options... and there weren’t even bookmarks in the new version! The developers swear that everything will be fixed “in the near future,” but this has been going on for two years now, and there has been no particular progress. The company lost a huge number of users, some of whom switched to Chrome, while others started using Firefox.

Almost everyone agrees that the Opera project no longer exists: even if the developers return some of the old functionality to the browser (it won’t be possible to “screw in” everything due to the features of the new engine), the entire cycle of creating the program will be tied to Chromium and Google itself. By the way, what browsers are there based on the Google product? We'll talk about this below.

Google Chrome and its derivatives

The history of this browser, as we have already mentioned, began in 2008. The very news that Google is going to create its own browser has caused a lot of controversy on the Internet. Some rejoiced, some experts were more cautious in their forecasts, but the fact remains that the event was clearly extraordinary. Today, the Chrome browser claims to be the “number 1 browser”, displacing not only IE, but even Firefox in this position. How did this happen?

When the new Internet browser first came out, everyone loved it enormous speed work. Many people liked the ascetic and simple interface, which did not distract from work. However, the “first approximation” was not very successful, since almost all experienced users noted complete absence useful plugins, due to which the browser could not resist advertising, and poor integration with third party applications(antiviruses, download managers, etc.).

The beginning of success

For someone else, this might be a failure, but not for Google! The company’s incredible capabilities and aggressive marketing policy did their job: first, when using the company’s search engine, the offer was given to “try new browser", and today Chrome checkboxes are available in almost every second shareware application (included in the installation kit).

Soon this particular browser was on the computer of almost every second user, and professionals increasingly began to use it. The proactive policy of Google again played a role, which very soon achieved full integration of its product. In addition, using a Google account, users gained access to Google projects such as Drive, Mail, Documents and many others.

To be fair, it is worth noting that Google (the browser) is a very safe product: the process separation policy bears fruit. Malicious code it is difficult to penetrate from the virtual sandbox into working system. Among other things, Chrome now has plugins for blocking ads and Flash content, integration systems with the most popular downloaders, and so on. In 2014, the official x64 version appeared, which became even safer and faster.

Flaws

Alas, there are enough of them. Firstly, those same fans of the old Opera really miss the ability to change the browser “to suit themselves”. The maximum that the WebKit engine gives is to apply a color scheme. All. More to a simple user nothing is allowed. Of course, you can use the Flag argument and “surf” the browser from the inside, but you can’t do anything special even from there.

Secondly, there are serious concerns about the privacy of user information. In general, Google has never hidden the fact that all your data can be viewed for the presence of child pornography and information that could be classified as a “terrorist threat,” but this does not make it any easier for suspicious individuals. The browser extensively collects information about your search preferences and frequently visited pages, generating targeted advertising based on this data. However, all modern free browsers often suffer from this.

It is shown not only on the pages themselves, but even in GMail mail. The latter, by the way, is extremely disliked in large companies, sometimes they directly prohibit employees from using it. Of course, there is not a single proven fact of leakage of any corporate data, but this measure is not superfluous...

As for the “exorbitant” speed, today we can name Google browser Chrome won't be fast anymore. WITH installed plugins and a connected user account, the application (especially on older machines) does not launch quickly.

Chromium

After the scandal with the Chrome license agreement, in which the developers allowed themselves to have rather frivolous clauses about user privacy (they were subsequently removed or changed), the Chromium project appeared. Unlike its “big brother,” this browser is based on open source software that anyone can change at their own discretion. In terms of capabilities, it is not much different from parent application, except for the ease of creating your own plugins.

It was on its basis that a huge mass of “chrome-like” programs appeared, which we will now talk about. In general, almost all new browsers that appear recently are just that in 90% of cases. This is due to the ease of adapting the code to your needs, and you don’t have to worry about updating “your” product, since all the work will fall on the shoulders of Google programmers.

"Yandex browser)

Today it is the most successful fork (branch). The creator is the “domestic-Dutch” search engine Yandex. First Yandex versions(browser) differed from Chrome only in a different search engine and a slightly changed design, but today the situation has changed radically. Thus, there appeared: support for mouse gestures, intelligent search menus and other “goodies”, which gave many users reason to call this browser “the successor of the old Opera”. This fact in itself is surprising, especially considering the biased attitude of professionals towards any Chrome fork. Thus, free browser Yandex has very good prospects.

"Amigo"

This is the exact opposite of the project discussed above. Also a product of a domestic company, but this time the authorship belongs to the Mail.ru corporation. Alas, there are no “breakthrough” opportunities. Among the features is only close integration with all existing social networks, but it is quite difficult to consider this circumstance as a special advantage. In addition, Amigo (browser) also collects a bunch of advertising information, which is then shown in abundance to the user.

There's nothing special about it anymore. In addition, there are also such varieties of “Chrome”:

  • “Internet” (from the same Mail.ru, somewhat similar to “Yandex”).
  • "Uranus" (from Ucoz).
  • Dragon (from Comodo).
  • "Nichrome" (from Rambler).
  • Iron (German development, originally created to profit from the developers' blog).

And many, many similar products. What browsers are there besides this “variegated” family?

Firefox

Appeared in 2004 (as mentioned above). It was developed on the basis of the mortal “ashes” of Netscape. The first versions were simply terrible, they constantly hung and were terribly slow. Of course, the collapse of the program was the most common occurrence. Time passed. In 2006, there was already Firefox 2, which had good qualities, and the third version was among the Guinness record holders (several million people downloaded it in the first 24 hours).

Why is this browser so attractive to users from all over the world? First of all, its “omnivorousness”. While some developers relied on functionality (Opera), others on beauty (Safari), and Microsoft did nothing at all, the Mozilla Foundation team collected all HTML standards, at least theoretically found on the Internet. As a result, their browser is a kind of “standard”. If a site does not open normally in Fox, then it is unlikely to open anywhere else.

In addition, numerous plugins were the reason for its success. With their help, you can turn your browser into a multifunctional “harvester”, with capabilities almost superior to operating system! In particular, the Tor browser, created on its basis, largely uses the capabilities of various extensions designed to improve the level of user anonymity on the Internet.

In addition, even with a dozen or two extensions, Mozilla starts very quickly even on older machines, which is not what you can expect from Chrome.

Finally, this browser, unlike almost all existing solutions on the market, can be flexibly customized to suit your needs, and the available themes will help you bring the interface closer to the old versions of Opera, Chrome or even the old IE6. It is precisely because of the latter circumstance that Firefox browser Experienced users often strive.

Flaws

These include the not very high security of the native (without installed extensions) applications. However, without installed Firefox extensions In general, it is a very average browser without any special features. Beginners do not always know which plugin to install and for what purpose. In addition, such add-ons are not always good in terms of software, and therefore often cause memory leaks and even crashes of the browser itself.

These are the main browsers. This list is far from complete, but in the article we present the most common types of programs of this kind. Of course, we haven't talked about Safari (which is used in Apple's OS), as well as many other browsers, many of which occupy leading positions in Asian markets, but these products are quite specific. In any case, they are used quite rarely; in our country you are unlikely to find a user on whose computer they would be installed.

The top rankings in terms of functionality, security and speed are occupied by Yandex.Browser, Google Chrome, Opera and Mozilla Firefox. Only you can tell which browser you choose, so let's take a quick look at the features of each browser again.

If we talk about the simplicity of the interface and innovation in total, Yandex Browser will win. The developers have proven that it is possible to create a product that is equally respected by both “dummies” and professionals without strict restrictions for users. The browser is cross-platform, fast, stable, synchronized with Google and Yandex services equally. In fact, it is a combination best qualities competitors with two significant additions: a unique search bar with hints and a functional bookmarks panel codenamed “scoreboard”. Recommended for download if you are tired of template solutions and glitches. In addition, this secure browser on a Windows computer is memory-friendly. Other Internet browsers are much more demanding on the resources of computers and laptops.

Orbitum is considered a relatively young web browser that can compete with any well-known browser, both in terms of performance when working with Internet resources, and in terms of quantity available settings and tools. Its main feature is an interactive chat that allows you to be on any page and at the same time correspond with friends from social networks. networks. Try Orbitum and you will be pleased with the high speed of launching web pages, the benefits of using the built-in loader and the useful omnibox. This is a good choice of browser for your computer at home.

Not so common: Amigo and K-Meleon. The latter is a serious competitor to its progenitor Mozilla Firefox. However, while it excels in security, the K-Meleon browser loses in the frequency of updates. Amigo's close connection to social networks may be perceived as an advantage for regular visitors to VK, OK, FB and other social networks. But thanks to many extensions, plugins and minimal CPU load, the browser runs smoothly and without glitches. The program will be appreciated by all categories of users.

Unfortunately, our review did not include such products as the cross-platform Comodo iceDragon, good solutions Pale Moon and Srware Iron, and the only browser with advanced anonymity - Tor browser, the once famous Netscape Navigator, Torch Browser, designed for true fans Rambler Rambler Browser. Each of them deserves special attention, which we will definitely pay in following publications. I would also like to separately mention good browser UC Browser. Its creators relatively recently began expanding around the world, and are constantly adding useful features to their brainchild, such as integration with video hosting sites. Already now in the competition “advantages - disadvantages” the balance is positive, but we doubt that UC can be called secure browser. It is often installed on smartphones without the user's consent.

Category contains free programs for surfing the World Wide Web and browsing web pages. Free browsers are an important part of any Internet user's arsenal. And this is where you can find and download a web browser that you like.

Chromium is free and open source software guaranteeing light, comfortable and fast access on the Internet and is a favorable platform for web applications. Download Chromium latest version for Windows 7 and 8 you can follow the link below. It is worth noting that this software product served as the basis for the creation of well-known browsers, such as Google Chrome or...

Opera is one of the most popular Internet browsers. Opera in Russian is being developed for personal computers and mobile devices. Features of this browser: page scaling, mouse gestures and an integrated download manager. Opera's security features include built-in phishing and malware protection and the ability to remove HTTP cookies, clean...

Tor Browser Bundle is a program that ensures the privacy of its owners. Full package The program, thanks to volunteers on every continent, encrypts traffic and routing, allowing individual users to maintain anonymity of their online movements. So Tor allows you to hide the real location of the user and blocks monitoring of his Internet connection...

Maxthon Cloud Browser is a modern universal multifunctional web browser aimed at a wide range of users. Provides a huge package of tools for fast and comfortable Internet surfing and contains a built-in cloud service in its arsenal. Thanks to the use of two engines in Maxton 4, activation cloud services, high quality...

Google Chrome is the most popular modern web browser. It is distinguished by reliability, speed, simplicity and stability. Minimalism is a feature user interface, which is not typical for modern web browsers. One of the strengths of Russian Google Chrome is the performance of its applications and speed JavaScript processing, which positions it as the most...

Comodo Dragon is a free internet browser developed with Chromium-based. Its main task is to ensure maximum security and confidentiality of all user data. For this purpose, the application contains additional checks the authenticity of SSL certificates, as well as the sites to which the transition is made. In addition, the Komodo Dragon browser does not render...

Vivaldi is a modern, advanced, free browser that was developed based on Chromium, and at the same time absorbed many of the characteristics of Opera, becoming one of the most innovative developments in recent times. Having included all the best basic functions, the creators spared no effort on such additions as Notes, Quick Commands, Speed ​​Dials and others. Download free browser V...

Pale Moon is an Internet browser whose name translates as “ pale moon", was developed based on the well-known Mozilla Firefox. The program is widely popular both among Windows OS users and among Linux fans. There are also versions developed for Android and OS X. The main task that the Pal Moon developers have set themselves is to create...