Your Web Browser

[cpd2009]

What program do you use to surf the internet?

For me, It's Firefox. I used Google Chrome for about two or three months after the Firefox 4 Beta kept freezing up on me for no reason, but I attribute that to Chrysanthemum's graphics processor issues. After I got Wendell, I went back to Firefox 4.

If you used Firefox before, you will notice that the toolbars have all changed in version 4. I do like the new all-in-one menu button, but I did move the tabs from the top of the screen to below the address bar.

On Jasper, I use Opera since Firefox 4 and Chrome run too slowly for his old Pentium III 1ghz processor. Opera may not render web pages correctly, but it still manages to be very fast.

Even though I hardly ever use Internet Explorer, I still updated it to version 9.

[RAMChYLD]

On Edison, Violette and Helen, I primarily use Seamonkey, with Firefox 4 as a fallback for those stubborn sites, and IE9 for those really stubborn sites.

On Sally, the setup is similar, but due to the inability to install IE9 on Sally, she's stuck with IE8.

On BingoBeaver, I only use Seamonkey, with Safari for the stubborn pages.

On Clementine and Dongwa, again Seamonkey is primary, and Firefox as fallback, but with a console-based browser called Links as backup in case XWindows won't start.

On Cleo, since there is no Seamonkey available for the platform (Mac OS 9 has long been discontinued, but I can't upgrade to Mac OS X because I need the video capture function which is unsupported in Mac OS X), I use a Mozilla fork called Classila, with IE5 as fallback.

On Kiki, I primarily use Opera 3, with Netscape Communicator 4, IE5 and Arachne as fallback.

On Maxwell, I use only Seamonkey, but with Links again as backup.

[Stella Grapes]

On my home computer, Amelia by name, I usually use Mozilla Firefox. Opera is my backup, and Safari is my backup for my backup. I suppose AOL is my backup for my backup for my backup. I've hardly ever used AOL's browser. There are no working desktop computers in my house. Every adult in the house has at least one laptop. Most of us use Firefox. Dee's iPad defaults to Safari.

When using public computers, I use their default browsers. These are usually Internet Explorer. Sometimes Firefox is also installed in public computers. I tend to use Internet Explorer anyway, since the computers are not used to people using Firefox.

On Cleo, since there is no Seamonkey available for the platform (Mac OS 9 has long been discontinued, but I can't upgrade to Mac OS X because I need the video capture function which is unsupported in Mac OS X), I use a Mozilla fork called Classila, with IE5 as fallback.

You have a Mac with the name of my niece! I'm guessing you named your Mac for the Clifford character - who is purple. Is her full name Cleopatra?

[huckleberrypie]

I use Firefox most of the time, although I do have a bunch of other browsers in my PC just in case (either as a fallback or for debugging my website). On my cellphone, I use Opera Mini since it's fast and light on resources, albeit less capable as it neither doesn't run Flash applets nor support javascript.

[RAMChYLD]

You have a Mac with the name of my niece! I'm guessing you named your Mac for the Clifford character - who is purple. Is her full name Cleopatra?

Well, spot on. She is named after said Clifford character (mainly inspired by a scan of a magazine showing Clifford and Emily communicating using those old-fashioned colorful CRT iMacs. I'm guessing Clifford's iMac is made out of a combination of a JumboTron and that huge keyboard from $1,000,000 Chance Of A Lifetime housed in a huge custom-made shell). Her full name, well, just Cleo. That's how it shows up on the networks list.

[Blackberry Bun]

Chrome and Firefox.

[RAMChYLD]

Hmmm, on the topic of iPad, I have a few on Eva. Each of them has their strengths and weaknesses:

Safari: Fast, easily accessible, but no Flash support.

Opera mini: Great for when I'm stuck somewhere with EDGE or worse connection thanks to Opera's extremely compact compression which works wonders when I'm in a backwater town with only oldschool GSM 56k speeds (which has happened a few times), but it's resolution is ultra low (480x320) because there's only an iPhone version and for some tardy reason I can't have Retina resolution (960x640) on the iPad even though it technically has a resolution way higher than the Retina display (1024x768). Selecting 2x zoom just makes things blocky instead of triggering Retina mode.

Skyfire: I mistakenly download this. It's only advantage is that it's hard-linked to Facebook and Twitter and can work around some otherwise unplayable-on-the-iPad Youtube videos. Apart from that no good reasons to have.

Puffin: It combines the interface of a web browser with a Remote Desktop Session in the clouds to work around Apple's Flash ban and bring Flash onto the iPad: The Flash application gets sent to the iPad as an audio and video stream, and any interaction like touches and keypresses gets sent back to the server for processing. The downside: you need a really fast internet connection (and we're talking blazing fast here, like a good 3G connection at least. Heck, even on my new 20mbps FIOS link at home and over 20mbps Mobile WiMax(*1) there's delays and audio sync issues). And the biggest problem of all is that keyboard input is still kludgey- getting it working is a hit-or-miss affair. The only thing better than this is if you use a iPad RDP or VNC client to remote in to your home desktop and use a desktop browser from within the iPad! Plus, it has been recently found out that it assigns all devices that has it with a secondary US IP address, since it's processing servers are in the US. I'll leave it up to you, dear readers, to imagine the possibilities!

(*1) Yeah, 20mbps WiMax. A little on the expensive side (30 dollars for a gigabyte of data!), and the actual speed I've been seeing varies madly between 3mbps and 15mbps depending on area (whether I'm at my office or at home), time of day and what server I'm accessing, and never really hitting 20mbps, but hey, they never claimed it can do 20mbps, it was only listed as the modem's maximum speed specs in fine print. And I'm fine with the speeds provided. I regularly hit 8-15mbps at home or on business trips, and hit 3-8mbps at work, which is, imo, awesome.

[RAMChYLD]

Ok, On Android:
Chrome: Labelled Internet, is the default browser on Android. And as you'd expect, it does Flash and is pretty much sufficient for all cases. Except, you know, specialty uses.

Opera Mobile: This one's down to preference as usual. It supposedly supports Chrome's Flash plugins (though I was unable to get it working). The only reason you'd want this is out of preference.

Opera Mini: Ah, now this is different. Like the iPad version, it's great for the times where you're stuck with a crappy 56k speed oldskool internet connection in a backwater town.

Puffin: You'd probably be thinking to yourself, "I understand the need of this on an iOS device due to the Jobsian Flash ban, but why Android?". Well, not all Android devices handle Flash. Plus, it has been recently found out that it assigns all devices that has it with a secondary US IP address, since it's processing servers are in the US. I'll leave it to you, dear readers, to imagine the possibilities.

[Stella Grapes]

Amelia died and was resurrected. She mostly likes Opera now.

[Evalana]

I use Chrome primarily these days, though I use Safari on my iPod Touch, but mostly because that's the default.