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div class="rxbodyfield"p page="1" class="ArticleBody"When Microsoft, Mozilla, or a target="_blank"
href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/inform.do?command=searchamp;searchTerms=Apple+Inc."Apple/a
comes out with a new version of a target="_blank"
href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/inform.do?command=searchamp;searchTerms=Microsoft+Internet+Explorer"Internet
Explorer/a , a target="_blank"
href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/inform.do?command=searchamp;searchTerms=Mozilla+Firefox"Firefox/a,
or Safari, it makes news -- mainly because most of us use one or more of these three Web browsers.
In fact, with the exception of a target="_blank"
href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/inform.do?command=searchamp;searchTerms=Google+Chrome"Google#39;s
Chrome/a (which made a big splash, mostly because it came from Google), most of the alternative
browsers out there tend to get lost in the shuffle./pp align="right"a
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width="336" height="280" border="0" alt="" align="right"//a/pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"And
it#39;s too bad, because some of these relatively unknown browsers are good -- and could be better
for some users than the ones they#39;re using now. We asked three of our writers to take some
lesser-known browsers out for a spin and see how they do./pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"b[
Discover the top-rated IT products as rated by the a
href="http://www.infoworld.com/testcenter/?source=fssr"InfoWorld Test Center/a. ]/b/pp page="1"
class="ArticleBody"They chose six candidates: Camino (for the Mac), Maxthon (for the PC), OmniWeb
(for the Mac), Opera (both the Mac and the PC versions), and Shiira (for the Mac). Which is the
best? It all depends on what you need from a browser./pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"For example,
Camino is for those who want a simple, basic browser, while Maxthon is overflowing with every power
feature in the book. OmniWeb offers speed and an interesting approach to tabbing (but, at a base
price of US$14.95, is the only browser in this roundup that isn#39;t free), while Opera brings with
it a number of features it has pioneered over the years, along with a strong fan base. Finally,
Shiira has an interface that is more Mac than Apple#39;s own Safari./pp page="1"
class="ArticleBody"It#39;s possible that none of these will do what you need better than the
browser you#39;re already using. But as we all know, sometimes you have to step outside of the
tried and true in order to find something really great./pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"Check these
browsers out -- one of them may work for you./pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"strongCamino
1.6.4br//strongCamino, an open-source browser based on Mozilla#39;s Gecko rendering engine, is
clearly designed to be a simple, easy-to-use, yet fully functional browser. With a look and feel
very similar to Safari and Firefox, almost anyone will find it easy to work with in seconds; I
found myself completely at home with Camino from the second I launched it./pp page="1"
class="ArticleBody"One major difference between Camino and Firefox is that Camino was designed and
programmed specifically for the Mac instead of ported over as Firefox was (so it#39;s less likely
to a
href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasicamp;articleId=9099959"quot;feelquot;
like a Windows application/a ). In addition, one gets the impression that the developers of Camino
didn#39;t try to duplicate all the features of Firefox and focused on the core browsing
functionality, which probably results in leaner code overall and thereby increased performance and
stability./pp page="1" class="ArticleBody"Camino isn#39;t big on flashy features. It does have a
few that, while not unique, are nice to have. For example, Camino lets you save the URLs for all
pages currently opened in tabs as a set that re-opens all of them -- in the same positions. This is
a pretty nifty feature if you repeatedly open the same set of pages every morning when checking
sites (or if you use a number of Web-based applications every day)./pp page="1"
class="ArticleBody"Beyond that, the features and preferences options are pretty standard browser
fare, though I do have to commend Camino#39;s developers for including a Web features tab in the
browser#39;s preferences that includes the options to block Flash animations and advertising as
well as to prevent Web animations from repeating./pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"Given that many
Web browsers now try to implement too many features, some of which are better left to separate
applications (RSS being a common example, which Camino eschews), I found Camino#39;s
straightforward focus refreshing. The approach leads to a simple design that implements the core
features in an uncluttered fashion. Combined with the Web features options that put a user in
control of just how much distracting Web content he wants to see, I couldn#39;t help thinking that
this would be the perfect browser for people like my father -- you know, the type of person who
wants a cell phone that#39;s nothing more than a phone./pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"Since Camino
keeps its feature set small and targeted, I was not surprised to find it to be very stable; it
renders content both well and quickly. As with Shiira, Camino handled Flash, scripting and other
complex Web technologies very well. When I compared it to Safari, Firefox and Shiira on the Mac, it
outperformed those other browsers in rendering some pages. Sites heavy with Flash content and
animations, in particular, seemed to load, render and function faster when I used Camino./pp
page="2" class="ArticleBody"I should note that some a target="_blank"
href="http://pimpmycamino.com/"Camino add-ons/a are available. Like the add-ons available for
Firefox, these tools offers various capabilities, from backing up bookmarks to changing the look
using themes or skins, though the choices for Camino are more limited./pp page="2"
class="ArticleBody"All in all, Camino is probably not the perfect browser for everyone. If
you#39;re looking for a more full-featured browser, you may want to opt for Firefox, Safari, or
Shiira. But if you want a stable, simple and no-nonsense Web browser (or one that can easily limit
distracting content) Camino is a good choice./pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"em-- Ryan Faas/em/pp
page="2" class="ArticleBody"strongMaxthon 2.1.4br//strongIf you#39;re looking for a browser that
bristles with power features, and don#39;t mind a somewhat unattractive interface and some
confusing configuration, then Maxthon is the browser for you. It#39;s got just about every feature
built into competing browsers, and many that you won#39;t find anywhere else -- such as a quot;file
snifferquot; that makes it easy to download YouTube videos and a pop-up notepad for pasting or
dragging text you want to save. Power users will love it. Those who like sleek design will turn
away./pp page="2" class="ArticleBody"The interface is quite cluttered, with a file menu, Address
Bar, Favorites Bar and other toolbars, and stray icons near the top and bottom of the screen. Think
of it as the un- a target="_blank"
href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasicamp;articleId=9114048"Chrome/a
. But there#39;s a reason for the clutter: The browser has so many features, they need to fit
somewhere. And you can customize the interface, if you like, to cut down on the clutter./pp
page="2" class="ArticleBody"Maxthon has far too many features to cover in a short review, but among
my favorites is its great tab and window handling. You can, for example, create two side-by-side
browser instances, each with their own tabs; you can create tab groups; you can quot;tear offquot;
a tab into a separate browser instance and then recombine it; you can assign a shortcut key to any
URL and visit that URL just by pressing the key -- and that#39;s just for a start./pp page="3"
class="ArticleBody"The browser also uses quot;mouse gestures,quot; so that you can navigate
forward, backward and so on by moving your mouse in a certain way. It has a great tool for filling
out Web forms, a built-in screen capture tool, and an innovative search screen that lets you do a
search and then click on tabs in that screen to see the results from various search engines. And
there#39;s a CPU Saver mode that minimizes Maxthon#39;s processor use, freeing up your CPU for
other tasks./pp page="3" class="ArticleBody"All that is to the good, but there are some problems,
mostly because Maxthon uses the same Trident rendering engine used by Internet Explorer. For
example, click Tools --gt; Internet Options, and you#39;ll come to a familiar tabbed Internet
Options screen. In fact, it looks like the screen for changing Internet Explorer#39;s options --
because that#39;s exactly what it is./pp page="3" class="ArticleBody"There#39;s far more than all
this, and there are a target="_blank" href="http://addons.maxthon.com/en_US"plug-ins available as
well/a . You simply won#39;t find a browser with more features./pp page="3" class="ArticleBody"In
fact, when you make a change to the Maxthon Internet Options screen, you#39;ll also make changes to
Internet Explorer. And while this screen has an option for setting your home page, it won#39;t work
for Maxthon -- you need to select Tools --gt; Maxthon Setup Center and make your changes there. I
contacted Maxthon, and a rep told me that the Options screen is used to control the Trident
rendering engine only, and doesn#39;t affect other Maxthon options such as setting the home
page./pp page="3" class="ArticleBody"Still, if you#39;re a power user, you can get used to those
eccentricities. If you#39;re looking for the most features in a browser, live with Maxthon a while,
and you may learn to love it./pp page="3" class="ArticleBody"em-- Preston Gralla/em/pp page="3"
class="ArticleBody"strongOmniWeb 5.8br//strongOmniWeb has been around longer than Mac OS X, dating
back to the NeXT platform of the 1990s. Throughout its history, OmniWeb has always been an
excellent citizen of technologies specific to the NeXT -- and later, OS X -- platform, and the
polish shows through in even minor details./pp page="3" class="ArticleBody"Even though OmniWeb was
one of the first native browsers to grace OS X, with an interface that has remained top-notch, it
has faced rivals such as Firefox and Camino that are powered by speedy Gecko-based rendering
engines -- not to mention Apple#39;s own Safari browser, which has been integrated with OS X since
2003. That#39;s kept OmniWeb#39;s browser share limited to a fairly small audience. However, the
advances seen in OmniWeb since its rendering engine revamp in 2004 may mean it#39;s time for
surfers to give this browser another serious look./pp page="3" class="ArticleBody"OmniWeb, now at
Version 5.8, is easily one of the best examples of a properly implemented interface on the Mac
today. The Omni Group has always taken care to make sure that its products feel like native Mac
applications instead of ports from other platforms, and the attention to detail makes using OmniWeb
a joy./pp page="3" class="ArticleBody"Some of OmniWeb#39;s best features include extensive (if not
zealous) ad-blocking, auto-saved Web browsing sessions and site-specific preferences. From the
unique tab drawer -- more on this later -- to support for browsing Web pages using OS X#39;s
built-in Speech Recognition, OmniWeb#39;s embrace of Mac-specific technologies wrapped in a clean
and uncluttered interface makes the product a delightful browser alternative./pp page="4"
class="ArticleBody"It renders Web pages quickly, easily on par with the fastest of the competition,
right up there with Safari and Firefox. That#39;s significant because rendering speeds used to be a
major source of disappointment, something that changed with Omni Group#39;s embrace of Apple#39;s
own open-source a target="_blank" href="http://webkit.org/"WebKit/a frameworks. WebKit is used by
Apple itself in several of its software packages -- Mail, Safari and Dashboard, to name a few --
and the Omni Group#39;s adoption of this technology allowed it to focus on designing an elegant
user interface instead of worrying about updating its rendering engine with every new Web
standard./pp page="4" class="ArticleBody"Among the interface niceties is the aforementioned tab
drawer. Instead of offering up a layout like its competitors -- with small tabs displayed
horizontally near the address field -- OmniWeb shows a resizable window pane attached to the
browser. The pane, which can be displayed on the right or left side of the main browser window,
previews tabs as mini-Web pages rendered in real time. The real-time page rendering allows you to
skip on to other sites when one is loading slowly, while still keeping an eye on the site#39;s
progress./pp page="4" class="ArticleBody"OmniWeb#39;s user experience is top-notch and Mac-like --
something that can#39;t be said about competitors like Firefox -- but that experience comes at a
price. At a time when most Web browsers are free, a license for OmniWeb 5.8 costs $14.95, while an
upgrade license from earlier versions costs $4.95./pp page="4" class="ArticleBody"Even if you
don#39;t want to pay for a browser, I still recommend downloading the software and taking it for a
free 30-day test run. The thought of paying for a browser probably won#39;t sit well with those
accustomed to free alternatives -- especially since the alternatives themselves are good -- but
after using OmniWeb for a few days, you might decide it#39;s worth the price./pp page="4"
class="ArticleBody"em-- Mike DeAgonia/em/pp page="4" class="ArticleBody"strongOpera
9.6br//strongOpera is a Windows-based browser that has been ported to many different platforms,
including most Unix variants such as Mac OS X and Linux/FreeBSD/Solaris; cell phone operating
systems, including Windows Mobile, PalmOS, BlackBerry OS, and even the popular Wii gaming station.
But despite its ubiquitous nature, Opera has so far only captured 2% of the browser market.
That#39;s something of a surprise, because it isn#39;t as though this browser lacks ability or
features./pp page="4" class="ArticleBody"Version 9.6 for Macintosh is a fast, option-laden browser
that represents a formidable entry in an extremely competitive product category. Opera uses its own
proprietary rendering engine called Presto to display Web content; this engine is almost as capable
at rendering code as the Gecko engine used by Firefox and Camino, and nearly as fast as Safari and
OmniWeb#39;s WebKit engine. In fact, there were some sites that Gecko had trouble rendering
accurately, but Opera displayed most sites properly./pp page="4" class="ArticleBody"There are many
things to like about Opera, including customizable skins, live preview of Web pages when you mouse
over tabs and a welcome full-screen mode -- especially useful for recent Windows converts who are
accustomed to viewing Web pages using every bit of screen real estate possible./pp page="5"
class="ArticleBody"One of Opera#39;s standout features is the Speed Dial startup page. Speed Dial
lets you customize a page with up to nine different sites, with each site#39;s content displayed in
miniaturized format. Clicking on the mini-page brings up the site in a full browser window./pp
page="5" class="ArticleBody"Another Opera plus is the extensive search engine support built into
the browser. As well as the usual suspects like Google and Yahoo, Opera also supports Ask,
Wikipedia, eBay, and Yahoo Shopping. Interestingly enough, Opera also supports Bit Torrent
searching and downloads, as this browser doubles as a Bit Torrent client./pp page="5"
class="ArticleBody"Opera also offers support for widgets. Although similar in function to those
found in Mac OS X, Opera#39;s widgets are freed from the restraints of the Dashboard, instead
floating on the desktop like any application window./pp page="5" class="ArticleBody"The Opera
interface is a little more cluttered than some of the other browsers I#39;ve looked at, but skin
support in concert with the ability to alter interface details means you can customize to your
heart#39;s content. With the addition of Mouse Gestures, it#39;s entirely possible to browse pages
without using any of the interface elements at all, relying instead on mouse or trackpad swipes to
navigate pages./pp page="5" class="ArticleBody"The bottom line is that Opera is a good example of
healthy competition in the browser market, and the price of admission -- free! -- is certainly
worth giving this program a once-over./pp page="5" class="ArticleBody"em-- Mike DeAgonia/em/pp
page="5" class="ArticleBody"strongOpera 9.6br//strongThere was a time, years ago, when Opera seemed
to be giving Internet Explorer and Netscape a run for their money. Now it#39;s the great forgotten
browser, rarely mentioned or used./pp page="5" class="ArticleBody"And that#39;s a shame. Opera
sports a clean interface with easy access to its innovative capabilities, and is a model of
simplicity and elegance, with attractive icons and tabs, and plenty of features within easy reach.
If you#39;re looking for a powerful alternative to your existing browser, you won#39;t go wrong
with Opera./pp page="5" class="ArticleBody"Much has been made of browser Address Bar tools such as
Chrome#39;s Omnibox and Firefox#39;s Awesome Bar. But no one bothers to mention that Opera has
already been there and done that. As with those browsers, type parts of a URL into Opera#39;s
address bar, and you#39;ll get a list of likely matches. Better yet, type in search terms, and
Opera will do a Google search for them./pp page="5" class="ArticleBody"That#39;s just one of the
innovative features you#39;ll find in Opera; there are too many to mention them all. What Opera
calls quot;Speed Dialquot; is also useful. When you open a new tab, Opera opens a page with space
for multiple thumbnails of Web pages. Click on any blank thumbnail and enter a URL, and from then
on, when you open a new tab, it will open to a page with those thumbnails. To visit any page, click
it./pp page="5" class="ArticleBody"Opera also features an excellent download manager that lets you
pause and resume downloads, and then open any files you#39;ve downloaded. For each download,
you#39;re also shown information such as where it was downloaded from, where you downloaded it to,
file size and so on. There#39;s also a progress indicator showing you current download speed./pp
page="6" class="ArticleBody"Useful for anyone who fills out Web forms (which pretty much means all
of us), is the Wand, which not only remembers passwords and fills them in, but also fills in other
information, such as name, address, e-mail address and so on./pp page="6" class="ArticleBody"Opera
sports many other features as well, such as a quick way to turn off all images on a Web site with
the single click of a button, and a way to view every single link on a Web page./pp page="6"
class="ArticleBody"Opera#39;s main drawback is that it doesn#39;t have add-ins as Firefox does, so
you won#39;t be able to extend the browser#39;s features. You can download Opera widgets, but they
aren#39;t really add-ins -- they#39;re instead gadgets that live on your desktop./pp page="6"
class="ArticleBody"Apart from the lack of add-ins, though, you#39;ll find Opera an excellent
browser. If you#39;re looking for a great blend of simplicity and features, it#39;s well worth the
download./pp page="6" class="ArticleBody"em-- Preston Gralla/em/pp page="6"
class="ArticleBody"strongShiira 2.2br//strongShiira is a relatively new entrant to the Mac Web
browser market. Like Apple#39;s Safari and Google#39;s Chrome, Shiira is based on WebKit./pp
page="6" class="ArticleBody"One of the first unique interface elements that I noticed was
Shiira#39;s PageDock. The PageDock provides the same functionality as tabbed browsing, but with
complete thumbnails of every page that is opened./pp page="6" class="ArticleBody"At first, I saw
this as something that took up valuable screen real estate, but after a little use, I found it to
be an invaluable addition to the browser experience -- making it easy to see not only what each
quot;tabquot; was (beyond just a name), but also what was happening on each page, which proved
particularly nice with any page that sported dynamic content (from Facebook chats to sites
featuring animation elements). For those who prefer traditional tabbed browsing, the PageDock can
be turned off./pp page="6" class="ArticleBody"As I explored Shiira, I noticed that many of its
features and interfaces took cues from Apple#39;s Mac OS X interface. There#39;s a button that
displays all open pages next to each other like Apple#39;s Expos? feature, making it easy to pick
one page to work with. Bookmarks, history and RSS feeds can also be browsed from floating
translucent pallets reminiscent of Apple#39;s iLife and iWork applications./pp page="6"
class="ArticleBody"The preferences dialog borrows heavily from the look of the Mac#39;s System
Preferences application. Even the bookmarking tool that Shiira refers to as the Shelf offers column
and list views patterned after the Mac#39;s Finder window (as is the customizable window
toolbar)./pp page="6" class="ArticleBody"All of these made Shiira seem more Mac-like to me than
Apple#39;s own Safari browser. What I found particularly nice was that, much like the PageDock,
these features all served useful functions rather than just being eye candy./pp page="6"
class="ArticleBody"I also found a couple of unusual features that seemed so intuitive that I
couldn#39;t believe they weren#39;t more common in other browsers. These include menu items for
automatically e-mailing the URL or entire contents of a page with a single click, and a very
effective full-screen-mode option that would be perfect for presentations or watching video./pp
page="7" class="ArticleBody"As far as performance, I found Shiira to be very solid. It loaded pages
of all kinds, rendered Flash animation with no problems, and even beat out Safari and Firefox in
terms of rendering speed on a couple of pages (albeit not by a particularly noteworthy margin). The
browser was also very stable. All of this is important because, bells and whistles aside, the most
important piece of a browser to me is that it can actually surf the Web painlessly and quickly./pp
page="7" class="ArticleBody"Unfortunately, I did see some unfinished aspects of this open-source
browser. Some of Shiira#39;s preference options seemed unfinished. For example, the RSS feed
preferences pane refused to open at all (even so, the built-in RSS reader functioned fairly well --
though being used to full featured stand-alone RSS readers, I#39;m not sure it would be my first
choice). In addition, the pane in the preferences dialog called Key Mappings, which should allow
users to assign keyboard shortcuts to menu items, does not seem to be implemented yet (though I was
able to open the pane itself)./pp page="7" class="ArticleBody"Even so, the combination of good
features, Apple-inspired interface and overall performance left me convinced that, with a little
more development, Shiira could easily give other Mac browsers a run for their money. Without a
doubt, Shiira is definitely worth a look, but be prepared to spend a little time getting used to
its interface./pp page="7" class="ArticleBody"em-- Ryan Faas/em/pp page="7" class="ArticleBody"a
target="_blank" href="http://www.computerworld.com/index.jsp"emComputerworld/em/a emis an InfoWorld
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