Best Web Browser(s) for Windows XP in 2012

[helpdesk98]

I ask this because I have a few clients running systems with XP and Internet Explorer just cant keep up. I wanted to findout what browsers I good on XP it has been quite some time since I have used the old system to search the web.

[vinifera]

I'd say ANYTHING else except IE and its shell clones

so it would be or Opera or Firefox or Chrome based ones

[Guest]

Firefox or Chrome

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

I voted for Opera (obviously since there are only 2 votes so far, and they are both for Opera :-)

However, in my opinion there is no reason to choose one over any of the others exclusively, meaning the typical argument to replace xxx with yyy is pretty silly. I am looking at four icons in my quicklaunch: Opera, Firefox, Chrome, MSIE. They all co-exist quite happily. They even run simultaneously if you are so inclined. Having the free choice to use any of them is a good thing. Just be sure to install them with care, de-select any optional garbage like toolbars that are un-necessary. This means to click 'Custom' in the setup to see all the install options, which is necessary because I believe all four now pre-select themselves to become the default browser.

An added benefit to doing this is that you can you use different browsers for different things. Do your secure shopping in one. Log in to blogs and forums with another (I find that Opera is very good with remembering passwords, thread locations, sessions and similar things). When a site just does not work for some reason you can try a different one. In fact you can try the same site in all four of them at the same time. If you do any web developing (or just blogging) you can open up your page in all four browsers and ALT-TAB between them for quick comparison.

Obviously MSIE is required for manually using Windows Update, there is no getting around this. Also, there are sites that have secure contests using flash that I have only been able to use MSIE for.

One of these days I might just resurrect Mosaic as well. The original early 1990's browsers were always very fast and even with broadband access some of today's browsers chug away at the lousy coding, tangled CSS, Google metrics and insane scripting that make up today's internet.

P.S. the same multi-browser strategy works okay in Vista/7 also. Haven't tried it in Win8 CP.

[RJM]

Pale moon

Custom-built and optimized Firefox browsers for Windows Operating Systems.

http://www.palemoon.org/

[dencorso]

I'd say ANYTHING else except IE and its shell clones

What about Mosaic?

Now, seriously: Pale Moon.

[vinifera]

talking about up to date stuff

Edited March 23, 2012 by vinifera

[UltimateSilence]

As RJM mentioned, Pale Moon (preferably 9)!

I would vote for Opera but it isn't fun when you have to block items manually.

Edited March 23, 2012 by UltimateSilence

[nitroshift]

Comodo Dragon, a Chrome-based browser developped by the Comodo team. ALWAYS running it in incognito mode for facebook, as this so-called social network tends to keep track of your cookies even after you log out. For day-to-day browsing though, MSIE 9 is quite okay for me as I don't visit too many sites anyway.

nitroshift

PS. Although I'm on Win 7, I'm pretty sure Comodo runs on XP too.

[Joseph_sw]

also use proxomitron, it work with any browser that support proxy settings.

the more knowledge you have on how is regular expression works, proxomitrions capabilities, javascripts, css, html,

the happier your browsing experience will be as you'll no longer at mercy of sites developers.

[Killjoy]

My vote goes to Firefox.

I've had some issues with passing from Firefox to Chrome.

Anyway, when I was installing Chrome, he asks me to IMPORT Bookmarks, Passwords etc. from Firefox to Chrome. YES ofcourse.

I've imported only BOOKMARKS and PASSWORDS, nothing more.

Then........OMG! Chrome started to crashing every 5 seconds.

Startup was so slow......every time.

It seems that Chrome isn't optimized as well as Firefox. Firefox is fast as lighning without addons, plugins etc.

But even with all of them, he is pretty fast, maybe not fast as Chrome (clean CHROME (no bookmarks etc.)).

So, again, MY VOTE GOES to Firefox.

Edited April 20, 2012 by Killjoy

[tglasgow]

Does it really matter? The browsers are so narrowly different from each other nowadays. I use Firefox because it is what I have been using for years.

[banicassalam]

Firefox

[G8YMW]

Firefox for me, couldnt get into Chrome.

I thought IE9 wasnt compatable with XP?

[Guest]

It's not. If you want IE you're stuck with 6-8.

Edited May 8, 2012 by 5eraph