What browser do you prefer, and why do you prefer it? I have been using IE at work

[raccoon]

but at home I think I'll try something else. I would think there would be less virus risk using a browser other
than IE. (yes, I have anti-virus protection.

[seabeyond]

1. i like internet explorer mostly, but after an update a while ago, it effected du

so i use chrome and it seems to be handling the issue i had with du. if i want to keep something i go to my internet explorer

edit... like i ened up in the computer place, like i know anything about anything. hubby will get a good chuckle. what happens when using latest thread.

[woodsprite]

2. I prefer Firefox and Opera

I like FF because of all the plugins for screen cap and
web development and Opera because of the slider resize
bar. I only use IE when someone makes me or I need to
download Sims3 paks for my game.

[ChromeFoundry]

3. I normally use Firefox

mostly because I didn't make the jump to Chrome when it was birthed. I have the add-ons I need already installed and am too lazy to look for Chrome's counterparts. FireBug's Javascript debugger is way better than the IE Developer Tool.

I have IE installed for compatibility testing of my web apps and for the strange instances where a site requires IE or a recent FF update broke functionality (happens a lot). If my apps work under FF and IE, chances are they will work under Safari, Opera and Chrome.

[HopeHoops]

4. I'm strictly Firefox on both Win and Mac, but I do use others for testing.

Fuck Chrome, it doesn't count. I test my sites on both Mac & Win Firefox, and then Mac Opera and Safari. IE is a pain in the ass to test because every damn version fucks up something different than the one before/after, so as long as the content displays it is at least most of the way there. You probably won't run into problems unless the site uses CSS. M$ still hasn't brought IE up to compliance, but all of the other browsers are.

[pokerfan]

5. Firefox

Mozilla/5.0
Ubuntu
X11
Linux
x86_64
rv
9.0.1
Gecko/20100101
Firefox/9.0.1

[hobbit709]

6. You couldn't pay me to use Internet ExploDer.

Been using Mozilla for years.

[teach1st]

7. IE has improved

I used to be a "never IE" person, but it's gotten better. Actually, I'm in the different browsers for different sites camp. I usually have three or four browsers open at a time. For some reason (which I'm too lazy to fix), IE is the only browser that can upload video to Facebook for me. I only use IE on certain sites, all of which I know and trust.

[Mnpaul]

8. I use Maxthon

and have done so for years. Never had a problem. Maxthon 3 has a dual mode. It uses the Trident engine when it needs IE compatability and the Webkit engine when IE compatability isn't needed for faster surfing. It easily imports favorites from other browsers and backs them up online so you can access them on any computer with Maxthon installed. Just log in and they are there.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. Not a Windows user anymore, so no IE

and have used FireFox even when I had Windows.
Using Ubuntu for past couple years, with FF 9 and also use Opera, I like certain functionalities about it.
Some sites are happier with Opera, I find.

FWIW..Windows eats so much memory and IE seemed to require security patches every day or 2....(shudder)

[RC]

10. I have this at the bottom of my web site home page

I prefer Firefox because of the web tools.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

11. Take a wild guess.

Reason: Extensions, Add ons & scripts work to my satisfaction.

[ElboRuum]

12. Firefox...

...because the security add-ons you can get for it really do take the fangs out of most internet hazards.

[got root]

13. Chrome: Browsing and Debugging - I used to use FF strictly for debuggin but now the tools in chrome

are on par or in some cases better than FF, and getting better all the time, so I recently made the switch.

It took me a while because I was so used to firebug, but now I use it less and less.

Speed + Debug Tools eventually won me over.

Firefox is so irritating in how long it takes to open any new page, even a blank one, in comparison to chrome.

More and more of my friends are making the switch too... it really goes to show that speed is such an important factor in our daily web lives these days.

[ohheckyeah]

14. I like Firefox.

I haven't used IE in years except when I have to for a particular website.

[MarkCharles]

15. Surprised there are so many Firefox users and so few Chrome ...

users reporting here.

Chrome is faster, simpler layout, allows for AdBlockPlus to be installed to block any ads on most sites.

It also has a voluminous history file and quickly finds stuff from history even if you misspell it.

I gave up of Firefox years ago, just too slow and cumbersome.

[mythology]

16. I don't use Chrome because I give enough data to Google

Personally I use Opera, Firefox and IE.

[Brian12]

17. best browser

Firefox = fast browsing, good security, powerful extensions and customizations
Downside: loads slow, takes more memory, unstable at times

IE = good performance, good features, excellent malware filter
Downside: slowest patches/bug fixes, poor java and html support

Chrome = fastest browsing speed, good performance, strong security, easy to use
Downside: lacks customization

Overall, Chrome is the best browser in my opinion.

[Renew Deal]

18. IE and Chrome

I have used IE since Windows 95 and really don't have a gripe with it. Chrome is my backup when things don't work in IE. I used to use Firefox, but I feel like it's irrelevant now.

[bathroommonkey76]

19. I use Firefox and Opera

Google doesn't exist in my life.

[TreasonousBastard]

20. I don't buy into any risk factors...

browsers and sites are so complex now that I doubt anything can be properly dealt with at the user level. Besides, every month or so a bunch of places who claim to know what they're doing test browsers for security and they're all within a point or two of each other. Main thing with security is not to do stupid stuff and keep everything updated.

I've been using Opera since v3-something, and for years it's been ahead of the game on features and came with stuff built in that you needed extensions for in Firefox, but now everyone's loading so much stuff in a browser you can't keep up with it all so I still use Opera mainly because I'm used to it and don't want to deal with new quirks in another one.

I keep IE around for a few sites that require it and the newer versions are impressive, with no special security holes if you kill Active-X. I also keep Chrome around because some sites just refuse to come close to standards and while Opera insists on some, Chrome doesn't care about standards at all and lets any crap code work. IE is that way, but loads really fast with versions 8&9 so I'm about to dump Chrome before Google takes over the world. I got 8 on the XP box and 9 on the W7 laptop-- both work just fine.

I used Firefox as my backup browser for a while during the dark years of IE and before Chrome, but the constant hassles upgrading and the resulting bloated mess made it more of a PITA than the two or three extensions I actually found useful were worth.

So, if you're used to IE, keep it around and maybe flirt with something else you might like, but don't feel exposed or think you're losing nerd points for using it-- it'll work just fine.