The definitive browser tests..?

FF v Safari v IE7 & 8, v Opera
http://www.zdnet.com.au/reviews/sof...-Opera-vs-Safari/0,139023437,339289417,00.htm

 

Pitty they tested such an old Opera beta build: 4758
I am running 9.5 build 10024.

Gerard

 

They are testing an old version of Fx also instead of Fx v3 RC 1.

Edit* I am not a big fan of speed tests relying more on what I actually perceive to be faster.
A browser can be the fastest but still fail because it can not render pages correctly or playing media fails in my opinion.

 

Based on this review, I downloaded and I am trying out Safari 3.1.1

So far, so good. It really does fell noticeably snappier than IE7.

 

When I tried safari for windows, popups always opened a new window even if the setting was to use another tab!

 

Holding down the control key while clicking a link is successfully creating new Tabs for me.
I like it so far.

 

Odd behavior:
Although the "browser test" fairly conclusively showed that safari was generally the fastest;
and although I subjectively feel that it is "snappier" at loading & displaying websites;
When I visit www.speedtest.net I get consistently about 10% higher upload and download speed readings with IE7 than with Safari.
What causes that ? Any ideas ?

In fact. I noticed this phenomenon under Vista HP, and I just repeated it under XP Pro on a different computer. In multiple runs, Safari averaged 25% slower ?!?!?!?!?!

 

For those planing to run the winner of this test please take a look at this.


http://blog.washingtonpost.com/secu...soft_safari_flaw_a_danger_1.html?nav=rss_blog

Microsoft warned on Friday that Apple's Safari Web browser for Windows exposes PCs to a security hole that permits potentially malicious files to be downloaded to a user's machine and run without prompting the user.

 

that was fixed ages ago, and QUICKLY.

do you just search for bad things to post, to create disagreements?

once in 1999, trend micro had a big flaw too.

Safari may not have some features that some do, but it is... without doubt, the fastest browser out-there.

i use it sometimes on my Vista, and all the time on my iphone.

 

i know Microsoft keep mentioning Safari has bugs, but.......

i believe Apple can safely say the same about IE7. lol

 

Further testing reveals more irritating things about Safari:

Periodically, and probably at least twice per internet surfing session, Safari reports that the 'site is unavailable", yet if I just click the link again it comes up. IE7 has those sorts of glitches only extremely rarely on my system.
In a couple cases now, safari just froze, so I immediately fired up IE7, which loaded the page fine whhile safari was still stuck.

This is getting itrritating because it doesn't take many failed loads to completely negate any "superior speed" when it is working correctly.

Experimentation continues...

By the way:

It is dated 5/31/08

 

I haven't found a good method to adblock with. I used a css file from a google search that was meant to be used with Safari on windows, but it just causes a lot of sites to freeze up.

I'll stick to FF and Opera until an efficient and working adblock is available for the Win version.

 

I have every right to post a counter opinion and do check the date of the flaw before you start huffing. Disagreements is what this forum is about but with logic and facts. Are you now trying to impose communism/fascism and bar my rights to post a viable point?

If Safari gives me speed at the cost of security and then declare that they are not bothered about patching it yet, I would take the slower secure browser over the faster one. Furthermore, IE7 is not being peddled by MS for Apple platform but Safari is being touted as the fastest browser for MS. In lieu of that, its Apple's responsibility to provide a secure browser. By telling people they are not bothered about patching the browser tantamount to irresponsible behavior.

 

I uninstalled safari:

1. Maybe slightly faster on some sites; but definitely slower on my DSL upload/download tests.

2. Fonts not as readable, No Cleartype. The safari equivalent, built into the browser, just doesn't do it as well.

3. Reasonably frequent site gitches.

4. Security holes, as noted above.

Beware that when I tried to uninstall, it is one of those that leaves quite a few remnants all over your hard drive that must be searched out and deleted by hand. Some are set to "hidden". Even though I already had Adobe Flash working smoothly with IE7, I had to donload and install it again for safari, leaving me with two installs. When I uninstalled the Safari one (distinguished by install date) it buggerred the prior one. So I had to uninstal and reinstall it too.

All in all, an experience that seemed promising, but left me feeling like there is still no reason to switch from IE7. safari, though touted as the fastest, is not really THAT much faster, even under the best of comparisons.

 

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/10/apple_safari_carpet_bombing_demo/

More bad news for those on MS OS using Apple.