Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

Non-main stream PC browsers

Nov 4, 2015 10:42PM PST

Which PC browsers other than chrome, IE and Firefox would you recommend if you HAD to choose (no death option)?
Just wanna hear your opinion beforehand!Happy

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Answer
None, really
Nov 4, 2015 10:57PM PST

The 3 you mention are the ones I have on my system and they seem to be the most popular. Don't forget MS's new Edge.

I don't know where Opera stands nowadays but I have never used it.

I do have Vivaldi installed as well, a relative newcomer, and I tried it out for a short while, but it sits there unused now.

What about you, what are you looking for in a browser that you cannot find in the main contenders?

Mark

- Collapse -
Let me rephrase then
Nov 5, 2015 12:28AM PST

If you HAD to!

- Collapse -
Why would I "have" to?
Nov 5, 2015 1:19AM PST

In a free and open market I do not have to choose.

I am not being difficult here, your conditions just would not apply.

Mark

- Collapse -
Maybe you don't
Nov 5, 2015 10:59PM PST

but I must, and I'd rather not tell whyHappy

- Collapse -
Edge, Opera, Vivaldi
Nov 6, 2015 12:51AM PST

In that case Microsoft's Edge which replaces IE in Win 10, and Opera.

You could try Vivaldi if you wanted something less mainstream.

Good luck.

- Collapse -
There's always
Nov 6, 2015 1:20AM PST

Tor Browser .
Look it up as it's all over the net as are the one's already mentioned by others

- Collapse -
Re: Tor browser
Nov 6, 2015 1:38AM PST

That's true. But would you recommend it?

After all, Silvertiger can run https://www.google.com/search?q=alternative+browsers as well as I do. The top 3 posts give 6, 10 or even 20 other to choose from. But he's asking for a recommendation.
That's difficult to give if you don't know the circumstances that might influence the choice, and he doesnt' tell those, since he writes " I'd rather not tell why:)",

Kees

- Collapse -
Sure , why not ?
Nov 6, 2015 2:12AM PST

The OP was for " Non-main stream PC browsers " .
I use it at times along with Tails .
It's another Mozilla based browser and doesn't seem to be the on the hit list like Trident based browsers

- Collapse -
Answer
Re: browser
Nov 5, 2015 12:38AM PST

The only other one I know of by head are Edge and Opera. So one of those would be my answer. Not that i ever used them or want to use them, so it's not a recommendation at all. But it's an answer and it saves my live.

Kees

- Collapse -
eh
Nov 5, 2015 12:56AM PST

Opera mini is an app, the PC version isn't available yet (or ever).

- Collapse -
Re: Opera
Nov 5, 2015 1:11AM PST
- Collapse -
Opera browser
Nov 5, 2015 1:12AM PST

for Windows OSes, PC, Laptop.

http://www.opera.com/

It has been out for the Windows PC market well over a decade.

Mark

- Collapse -
Answer
Pale Moon
Nov 6, 2015 10:57PM PST

All the previous suggestions could work for you, depending why you need to switch. Tor is a somewhat more secure browser but has been known to attract the attention of the "Powers that be".

I'm a long term Firefox user, from the Phoenix beta before it was renamed Firebird and then Firefox (isn't copyright wonderful? Not!). But I'm on the verge of giving up on it. I hated the Australis GUI they forced upon us and worked through the settings to restore the look and feel of the GUI I preferred. This is much easier now with the ClassicThemeResorer add-on. But at version 42, which has just become the stable release, it is no longer possible to get back the pop-up options window - the InContent flag is no longer honoured and the substitute New Tab is terrible. And I didn't bother with more than a quick look at Developer Edition 44 - yeuk!

But what I am looking at is Pale Moon, which is a fork of Firefox immediately before the Australis mess. It has the classic Firefox look and feel and the developer applies all the Firefox patches (except Australis, obviously) from the base code. It is stable, slick (like Firefox used to be) and runs on Windows, Linux and Mac. It's open source, so free, though the developer is open to voluntary donations if you wish. From what I've seen so far, I think I might go that way.

- Collapse -
We use Pale Moon
Nov 6, 2015 11:48PM PST

on the comps at my American Legion post that I maintain. Been using it since 64 bit Windows Vista was released
I wanted to see if a 64 bit browser was faster since we had new 64 bit comps.
I really never did notice the difference there . Always seemed stable though
We have Win 7 / 4 GB. of Ram on those comps.

At home my everyday comps have FF installed , one With Win 7 / 8 GB Ram and one with
Win 7 / 16 GB RAM . Maybe I'll install PM on one of these and see if I notice a difference .

- Collapse -
Just remembered
Nov 7, 2015 1:08AM PST

why I don't use 64 bit PM at home.
Certain things just don't work right like AdBlock plus so that alone stops me.
Curiosity over with
I'll just stick with 32 bit FF

- Collapse -
pale moon
Nov 7, 2015 7:47PM PST

Upon reading this I downloaded pale Moon . Did not have the time to test it properly but so far i like it. Cool

- Collapse -
Answer
Opera Browser
Nov 7, 2015 6:04AM PST

Been using this since 1998. Back then you had to pay for it. It has been the leader for tabbed browsing, and many, many others. Also, for a small, fast browser, one can checkout "Midori".

- Collapse -
SeaMonkey
Nov 7, 2015 3:37PM PST

SeaMonkey, made by the Mozilla folks, works very well for me. I've used it for years. It just works faster, it resembles the old Netscape browser.

- Collapse -
Midori
Nov 8, 2015 11:43AM PST

In my experience, insecure. Would stay away from it.

- Collapse -
Answer
Have chosen already
Nov 8, 2015 11:54AM PST

Comodo versions of Chrome and FF; Pale Moon, too.
If you actually wanted to READ stuff, Links 2 text browser - on Linux; not sure it works under Windows. Just try loading CNET in it, which nowadays seems to connect surreptitiously to half the universe, and breathe a sigh of relief. Instantaneous, no clutter.

- Collapse -
I cheated. Uses READING MODE.
Nov 8, 2015 12:00PM PST