{"id":93,"date":"2009-12-30T14:12:04","date_gmt":"2009-12-30T19:12:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/geekitdown.com\/blog\/?p=93"},"modified":"2009-12-30T14:12:04","modified_gmt":"2009-12-30T19:12:04","slug":"browser-speed-war-benefits-us-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/geekitdown.com\/?p=93","title":{"rendered":"Browser Speed War Benefits Us All"},"content":{"rendered":"

Window to the Web<\/h3>\n
\n

Browsers are probably the most used application on any computer system regardless of operating system and hardware configuration.\u00a0 They are the visual window to the web and the number one tool for interacting online.<\/p>\n

Without drudging up the past and reliving the evolution of the browser we’re going to take a look at a more recent trend in browser development.\u00a0 Speed.\u00a0 Microsoft’s Internet Explorer<\/a> long controlled the browser market as they were the dominant operating system.\u00a0 Now users have many more choices available, in fact just listing them all would be a paragraph unto itself.\u00a0 Suffice to say, browsers have become very important to users and their online experience.\u00a0 Now with so many choices, some are trying to differentiate themselves as ‘the most this’ or ‘the most that’.\u00a0 The conversation has shifted towards speed with Google leading the way, or are they?<\/p>\n

Google Chrome Sets the Bar High<\/h3>\n
\n

Google’s offering has become a beacon for competing browsers.\u00a0 The Google Chrome<\/a> browser has been designed to be fast in all aspects of browsing.\u00a0 Google has identified the most important factor to users surfing the net.\u00a0 Speed.\u00a0 Users want information faster and they want online applications and in-browser games to run faster.\u00a0 The demand for quick access and fast browsing has propelled Chrome<\/a>as a major competitor in the browser race.<\/p>\n

Chrome<\/a> has been tested by various random speed tests and third party benchmark testing.\u00a0 While some are more thorough or detailed than others, the overall results show Chrome<\/a> to be a leader in browser speed.\u00a0 As a result, Chrome<\/a> has forced the hand of other browser developers to put more emphasis and focus towards browser speed.\u00a0 Even if speed is not the most important factor for you while online, the positive effects from browser development towards faster browsing will improve your overall experience.\u00a0 Browsers like Safari<\/a> and Opera<\/a> have already started making speed one of the most important factors in current and future development to remain competitive.<\/p>\n

\"Google
Google Chrome, one of the fastest loading web browsers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Competition<\/h3>\n
\n

Opera<\/a> development has rolled out a pre-alpha release of their web browser which shows incredible speed increase in javascript.\u00a0 If Opera<\/a> is able to maintain the speed increase shown in the pre-alpha version, users could see a very impressive alternative to Google’s Chrome<\/a>.\u00a0 At very least Opera<\/a> will be a close second in speed to Chrome<\/a> unless additional enhancements to the other browsers are added , Firefox<\/a> included.<\/p>\n

\"Opera
The Opera Web Browser.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As mentioned, without some more attention to speed from the Mozilla<\/a> team, Firefox<\/a> is likely to slip in market share as users become more informed about alternate browsers and seek faster and faster browsing experience.\u00a0 That’s not to say Firefox<\/a> isn’t making improvements to speed, in fact the 3.6 beta 1 shows some real progress in speed when opening multiple tabs.\u00a0 Additionally, memory consumption has been a real focal point and 3.6 beta 1 shows impressive results.\u00a0 While not directly speed related, memory consumption on older or slower machines is very important.\u00a0 It stands to reason that browsing speed will increase as memory usage decreases.\u00a0 While those improvements will benefit the user, there is still much to be done to make up ground on Chrome<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Firefox<\/a>
Firefox is one of the most popular web browsers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

For those wondering about Internet Explorer<\/a> advancements, there really isn’t much to say.\u00a0 IE is slower than all the browsers mentioned in this article but at the same time Microsoft does not make robust announcements about upcoming advancements in their browser technology.\u00a0 Does that mean they are not working on creating a faster browser?\u00a0 No, but it does mean we likely won’t know until they release an update.\u00a0 IE is still playing catchup in some areas and so we will have to wait and see if they have shifted focus to point towards speed and faster browsing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Internet<\/a>
Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h3>\n
\n

Bottom line is, whether you are a fan of Google or are scared to the bone, the Chrome<\/a> browser has elevated the development of browsers with regards to speed.\u00a0 In the end, it doesn’t matter who wins the award for fastest browser, what does matter is that all browsers will be competing for the title.\u00a0 When all browsers are pushing the limits of browser speed, we all win.\u00a0 Their competitive nature will benefit all users.\u00a0 We will search faster, gather information quicker and better utilize time online.<\/p>\n

If there is one prediction to make, it’s that browsers are sure to change over the next decade and likely become a far more integral part of our current desktop experience.<\/p>\n

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While it would be nearly impossible to cover all browsers, those listed in this article are regarded as top tier in terms of popularity and so we chose to focus our efforts towards them.<\/p>\n

Which browser do you think will excel in the area of speed?\u00a0 How do you think browsers will evolve over the next decade?\u00a0 Your opinions are welcome, so let us know!<\/p>\n

Thanks to our readers and visitors for the past year.\u00a0 Please let us know what you would like to see in the year to come and what topics we can further explore for you.\u00a0 We’ll do our best to improve as we move forward.\u00a0 From all of us at GeekITDown, Happy New Year!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Window to the Web Browsers are probably the most used application on any computer system regardless of operating system and hardware configuration.\u00a0 They are the visual window to the web and the number one tool for interacting online. Without drudging up the past and reliving the evolution of the browser we’re going to take a look at a more recent trend in browser development.\u00a0 Speed.\u00a0 Microsoft’s Internet Explorer long controlled the browser market as they […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,10,23],"tags":[456,463,575,1421,1424,1556,1854,2413,3620,4161,4583],"class_list":["post-93","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-browsers","category-internet","category-web","tag-browser","tag-browser-speed","tag-chrome","tag-fast-browsing","tag-fastest-browser","tag-firefox","tag-google","tag-internet-explorer","tag-opera","tag-safari","tag-speed"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t