which browser to pick?

hi,

I use Opera for a long time now and I think of changing the browser just to see something new.

I got used to the comfort of Opera like mouse gestures, startpage with your favorites as buttons, search on the top right, email client on the left as well as controling java script and only allow it for specific sites...

So I just bowed to the hype and downloaded chromium. Good thing was I didn't have to install it. I launched it and thought that it was way too simple to be honest.

No search, no startpage nothing...Just a white background and an address bar on top. I believe you can't even set your startpage like the one of Opera with all your favorites as big buttons. I think you can just set a specific domain as your startpage like google or something.

So at first I couldn't see whats so good about that browser can anyone tell me?

And if I go with chromium, is there a way to add mouse gestures and email client that doesn't require you to register and create a gmail account??

I use different email providers...

Also there are many other browsers out there, the new maxthon looks interesting as well, anyone tried?

Although I like Opera after all this time I might just go with something new but it has to offer some tools that Opera brings right from the getgo...(don't want IE or FF)

Any recommendations for browsers/chrome addons that are pretty much a must have?? ( Don't have a clue about addons cause I didn't need any of those with Opera)

 

Nothing even comes close to Firefox and its awesome Add-ons

Make sure to get the Ad-Block Plus add on first thing and perhaps XMARKs to synchronize bookmarks and automatically have them backed up to your free XMARKS account and LastPass which is the best password manager which is free and saves you lots of time logging on to sites

 

@Arcanez

I'm pretty sure Chrome has a speed dial not unlike Opera's. Open the tab to see 'Most Visited'. SRWare Iron has even more 'most visited pages'. I think these can be set as your homepage. Chrome's extensions are as good as, if not better than Opera's & ABP really does block ads well in Chrome now. Plus, Opera 64 bit's soon to be released (maybe). I'd like to check the 64 bit Opera out. I have used Maxthon & I really liked it. I couldn't figure the adblocking on it though. I think it has WebKit as its rendering engine now (I've tried that version as well).

Failing that, there is always one of my old favourites: SeaMonkey 2.9

 

I have used Safari since the first BETA was released for Windows.

Though I switched to Chrome same day as Beta 1 was released because I saw that it was going to uses the Webkit engine (wich I love) but I ended up back with Safari after couple of weeks again. But I tried Chrome around 5 months ago one more time, but since it didn't run under LUA when it was installed under the Admin account (I did find the silly answer afterwards) it didn't last long this time either.

And I tried Firefox probaby around 1 years ago but didn't like it at all.

So I always end up with Safari, and yes there are add-ons available for Safari as well if one wants to use any, but personally I use Zero add-ons. I keep my browser as clean as possible.

 

Hmm... so Maxthon is maybe using the Webkit engine interesting. Good engine choice btw

Edit: According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_web_browsers
It seems that Maxthon uses both Trident, and Webkit. Btw there are many browsers on that list!

 

You can just type to an address bar to search or you can install addons for it, I prefer "Universal Search & IE8 Accelerators" for a selected search (screen). If you login to Google account it will synchronize everything and you can use www.google.com/ig as a start page or you can use 3rd party like http://www.startskins.com

 

Yes, I remember now, it uses both Trident & WebKit. I liked Maxthon but I had difficulty with the adblocker. I may give the portable another fling one day. BTW Safari has some really good extensions.

 

is there something that can sync opera-firefox-chrome?

thanks