Monday, September 8, 2008

Best Browsers for Entrecard Users

Although Entrecard users want to save time dropping, it comes with a cost when it comes to the main purpose of the system — to garner new visitors, readers, and ultimately comments and a more successful blog in the end.

All browsers are not created equal.  You need to be aware that there are other alternatives than Internet Explorer and Firefox, which can save you time when it comes to dropping, especially when time is the most valuable object.

This is a short overview of browser alternatives, in respect to the features that matter for bloggers and Entrecard droppers alike.  Main areas that will be addressed include speed (opening multiple tabs simultaneously), reliability (how often does it crash), flexibility (plugins, extensions, compatibility), and user interface (how it looks, navigation, and shortcuts).

While each of these browsers may not have been used for a long enough period of time (due to lack of features/compatibility/etc.).  Again, I want to reiterate that this isn't an official guide, as you may have your own personal opinion of each. In a few of these, I had mixed opinions of, as no one browser suits all.
A few of these I feel should be placed in similar categories, so this should be looked at more of as a collection, rather than ranking.

September 2-8, 2008 Browser Stats
Total Visitors: 789
Firefox - 658; 83.40%
Internet Explorer - 79; 10.01%
Chrome - 17; 2.15%
Safari - 17; 2.15%
Opera - 16; 2.03%
Mozilla - 2; 0.25%

From these stats, you can obviously see that Firefox (all variations) is the clear winner in respect to other browsers.

1. Flock - Includes all features of Firefox 3, with social media/bookmarking, and other built-in extensions.
Flock Browser

This browser is receiving my top pick due to the fact that it was built for bloggers and people who have created an "online life." However, you must be aware that all extensions are not available on this version. A second reason that I like it is for the fact that it is just as fast as the regular version of Firefox, plus there are no annoying popups saying that the page cannot load, instead it uses a "404-type" page, displayed within the browser.

2. Firefox 3 and Shiretoko (Firefox 3.1 Beta) - Because you can use the Entrecard toolbar (not with Firefox 3.1 that I am aware of), this is still a high rated browser despite the fact that it has dozens of annoyances.

Firefox 3 Browser

Firefox 3 is rather fast and is good with tabs (new tabs open after last tab, which isn't ideal for dropping cards, however). It is fairly secure and is stable, plus has the ability to add thousands of extensions and plugins.

3. Safari - The clean-appearing and fast browser designed for the ideal web browsing experience.

Safari 3 Browser

Safari isn't the best browser when dealing with opening dozens of tabs, although it does tend to render pages faster than many other browsers currently on the market. It also loads JavaScript/Flash faster than other browsers.

4. Opera - Opera has proven to be a fast and powerful browser employed on mobile devices and personal computers alike.

Opera Browser

The Opera browser is a proven client for browsing Entrecards, although shortcuts are different from other browsers, resulting in closed tabs when trying to become used to the switch. It does open tabs rather fast, includes Speed Dial tabs for browsing recently opened and popular pages. In my use of this browser, it is the most reliable, only crashing on a few occasions.

5. Google Chrome - The new browser on the block, there are still some major hurdles that it has to get over before it can "challenge" Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer.

Google Chrome Browser

Google Chrome has tabbed browsing, a minimalist look, and some flexibility when it comes to the color scheme that some were opposed to when the browser first launched on September 2nd. One of the major problems that I have had so far is the fact that if a plugin (QuickTime, Shockwave Flash, etc.) initializes, it slows everything down to a crawl and makes the browser inoperable. In addition, scrolling is absolutely horrible, so once this browser comes closer to version 1.0 (currently in 0.2), it may be used for everyday use (such as browsing multiple tabs at once). However, it is off to a strong start.

6. Browser Avant - A variation of IE, this browser has several advanced features that no other browsers have, including mouse gestures, pop-up blocking, and privacy protection.

Avant Browser

Like Opera, it doesn't have the simple tab control, but is fairly stable and fast. It has won several awards although it isn't taken as seriously in the "browser war" as it should be.

7. SeaMonkey Project - The continuation of the Netscape family, it is a full package, with email and news client, plus an HTML editor.

SeaMonkey Browser

It has some of the features of the Netscape browser, plus several new features, although it doesn't have the features that more recent additions include.

Why Internet Explorer isn't included: My view of Internet Explorer isn't positive, as it is a pathetic attempt at a browser and has had little innovation compared to other browsers over the years, failing to conform to web standards on nearly every level.

The reason that Firefox and Safari, along with IE, have rose to popularity is simply because large corporations were able to promote them by setting them as the default browser, allowing them to be installed on more computers. However, the options that many people are "forced" to use are not the best.

What browser do you prefer to use, and why — specifically pertaining to Entrecard card dropping?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I love Avant Browser. It has a lot of options, my fave is the option to 'tile the windows'. Doing this helps me to see X number of windows at the same time.