Windows 7: What is the best browser..??

what is the best windows browser if there is one..??

down loads are really slow.. how do i set up the browser conections my optomozer keeps telling me to limit..??

i am using Beta9.. dont they even run these OS systems to see if they work before they sell them for an arm and a leg..!!

Hello there.

1st, there's no "BEST" browser, because what i could find amazing, another user could find it dull and boring and not good.

I'm personally using Firefox 3.6.13 (latest version) but there are users here who have Chrome or Opera or even IE9 (RC)

2nd, about your downloads, that could be an ISP issue, it doesn't mean that the browser is slowing things down.

Try http://www.speedtest.net and posts your results, try it with different browsers. If the download speed is the same, then it's an ISP issue.

I completely agree - there is no such thing as "the best" browser anymore. Some years ago people would claim that IE6 was "the worst" browser, but those times are gone now, IE9 (from which I am typing this post) is as good as any other browser on the market.

To be honest, the differences between browsers are rather small, at least from the viewpoint of an average user. Security is a tough one to judge precisely, one has to rely on various "labs" or tech magazine reviews and those currently claim that IE9 is as secure (some claim even more secure) than the latest Firefox or Chrome.

Personally, I use IE9 and Firefox 4 beta, both 64 bit. There is a tiny difference between them - Firefox has a slightly simpler and at the same time more advanced treatment of cookies -- one can white list those one wants to keep. Otherwise the two are pretty similar (I am not using many add-ons or extensions, Firefox is generally superior in this respect, but for the 64-bit version most add-ons don't work anyway) and competely satisfy my browsing needs. I don't see a reason to try others apart from curiosity.

Speed is another issue, but with modern fast computers almost all browsers are approaching the limit where further advances in speed are imperceptible for most sites. The download speed has more to do with the general network set-up, rather than with the actual browser - for me both IE9 and Firefox download larger files at comparable speeds. Speed would be different every time since it also depends on the server bandwidth, workload, the current network situation, etc.

As Punkster suggest, try some speed tests. There are many, your ISP most probably has one as well. Try several tests, run them in several browsers. Most likely the results will be similar and basically determined by your connection (i.e. your ISP) and your hardware. That is assuming that everything is set up correctly. If there is a huge gap between the advertised ISP speed and your actual results, then post back with details or call your ISP tech support.

Once of the nice surprises Windows 7 has brought is the perfection of Internet Explorer. In the past I tried to use any other browser besides IE.

Now the others seem amateurish compared to the rock-solid stability, flawless features like dicing your history five different ways or searching a single word in Start box to get back to any IE page.

I love the rightclick Accelerators that let me highlight any words to define, search, map, shop, translate.

With IE8 I can browse with greater efficiency and no bugs. I'll migrate to IE9 once I'm convinced it can compare to the best browser ever.

Download Opera , Firefox & Chrome & decide for yourself what is the best browser. you can have them all installed at the same time.
Your Internet Service Provider might /probably is slow looking up your DNS requests.
You do not have to use the DNS servers provided by your ISP , Try an alternative provider try
Secure DNS or
https://store.opendns.com/get/basic
It can really speed up your surfing.

to optimize your internet connection go to
SpeedGuide.net :: TCP Optimizer / Downloads

I've switched between many different browsers, based on my current needs/wants. For instance, I'm using Chrome right now because I have limited system resources and Chrome is the most lightweight of the major browsers.

Each browser has its strong/weakpoints. You just have to find the one that suits your needs best.

Never heard Chrome described as being light on system resources.
For limited System resources try Opera if you have dial up or slow broadband you can use Opera Turbo to speed up your connection works the same as Opera Mini on mobile phones.

"Best browser" as most here have echoed is quite subjective. I could tell you that browser X is the best thing since sliced bread and someone else can come along say "Damn it, you're crazy, browser Y is the best, everyone knows that!"

Personally I like Internet Explorer. I used Chrome for some time and thought it was okay but its performance wore me down as it did not perform all that quickly for me. I've tried Firefox and find it way too slow on start-up and in use it hogs memory like there's no tomorrow. I also like Opera as it's a relatively lightweight browser and works well although some pages have trouble with it but that's more coding issues on the pages than Opera issues.

I currently use IE 9 RC as it performs well and has a UI that I like. I also use Opera occassinally when a website has trouble in IE as it is speedy and has a nice UI as well. If I were to select a best browser it would be Internet Explorer as version 8 although being slower than other modern browsers loaded most websites without issues and all around was rather stable. Opera would be second for me.

Well said! I fully agree. Couldn't have said it better!

This is a subjective topic and the best browser is what the user feels most comfortable with using. I myself prefer IE (although I must admit that I haven't tried any of the others, save for FF in Ubuntu). Each browser has its plus and minus points, its advantages and disadvantages, when compared to its rivals. In some cases, these are merely cosmetic. With others, it might be a slight change in functionality. Whatever the differences between browsers, it still boils down to user preference. Whichever browser you choose to use, make sure that you keep it up to date. Is it worth putting the security of your system (and potentially others) at risk just because you don't like the changes implemented in the updated version of your chosen browser?