Best Web Browser(s) for Windows XP in 2012

[rilef]

Users of Chrome, Iron, and other Chromium browsers should consider using Comodo Dragon instead. Comodo Dragon is a Chromium technology-based browser that offers all of Chrome's features plus an added level of security and privacy from Comodo. Also, unlike Iron and CoolNovo, Comodo Dragon appears to be updated as frequently as Chrome. An optional feature of Dragon, which I like, is the ability to run new website access requests through Comodo's servers, to identify malevolent or suspicious internet sites. This feature can be applied to just Dragon, or to all of your browsers. Download is available from http://filehippo.com/download_comodo_dragon/ or http://www.comodo.com/ or several other websites.

[HarryTri]

I may sound like the devil's defender but I think that IE8 isn't bad at all. It has a lot of options about security, privacy (deleting cookies e.t.c.) and does a good job for me.

[vinifera]

until you get thingy like "security sphere 2012"

then you will cry

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

There is no good reason to pick one exclusively and it makes sense to have all of them installed and available. Too many times you need more than one and very often one works while another will not ( often due to 'programmers' that insist on browser sniffing rather than writing neutral code ). They exist just fine together and can all work simultaneously. In order of personal preference I use them like they appear here left to right ...

Although lately, MSIE is getting more use than Chrome since it is becoming less useful and more dumbed down IMHO ( and should maybe be renamed 'Chromeless' now ).

[tomasz86]

@CharlotteTheHarlot

Looks familiar

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

@CharlotteTheHarlot

Looks familiar

double height taskbar too.

[dencorso]

Looks familiar

double height taskbar too.

Wow! Here, too!

[Guest]

Taskbar on top rules.

[HarryTri]

"security sphere 2012"

It is a virus or something?

[bphlpt]

Yes - Google would have answered your question with pages full of links with exactly that search term that you pasted above. Please do some very basic searches on your own. We are more than happy to help you learn, but if we always have to do it for you, you will very quickly find yourself ignored.

Cheers and Regards

[Win2k3EE]

Firefox rules for me on WinXP Pro SP3.

[MaximRecoil]

I hate them all.

Firefox is slow, and as far as I know, you can't get rid of tabs (I hate "tabbed browsing" with a passion).

Chrome is fast, but ugly (no option to just use a normal Windows skin on it), and it natively lacks simple history and favorites/bookmarks dropdown menus. This is a deal killer for me, and I don't think you can exorcise tabs in it either.

I don't like Opera either, it just isn't what I want.

What I want is IE6 (or 5.5, or 5, or 4); fix/update it under the hood but give me the same interface. I reluctantly get by these days with IE8, and Firefox for the ever-increasing amount of sites that IE8 chokes on (which is why I now hate IE8 rather than just sort of disliking it like I used to; I just hate it a little less than the other options). With IE8 I can at least disable tabs, making the "tab" portion of the GUI completely disappear, and a registry edit puts the menu bar back on top where it belongs. I'd still rather have the IE6 GUI though.

Using a PC and the internet 10 years ago was a better experience than it is now, in my opinion. Win2K wasn't bloated relative to the mid-level hardware of the day, and XP could easily be configured to run as light as 2K. IE6 was fairly new, it was a basic and fast web browser, and due to its ~90% or so market share at the time, pretty much all sites were compatible with it. Everything now is a pie-sliced-too-many-ways mess, and bloat (in both websites and locally-installed software) has gotten out of control.

[Guest]

I too prefer the IE6 GUI and that's the way I have Firefox setup. Just right click a toolbar and click customize.

[CharlotteTheHarlot]

( this is more a WinXP article than MSIE )

Exploit found in Internet Explorer 8; IE9 and 10 not affected [update] ( NeoWin 2012-12-29 )

In summary, MSIE has another zero-day hole. MSIE8 on WinXP. So just don't use it for day-to-day browsing obviously. But wait! They cannot let this opportunity pass to push the agenda to kill WinXP ...

If you still use Windows XP and Internet Explorer 8, you might want to consider upgrading to a new OS and a new version of Microsoft's web browser. A cyber attack has apparently revealed that there is an exploit that affects IE8.

No thank you. Isn't that convenient though, an exploit that promotes downgrading from Windows XP to Windows 8. Change operating system to fix MSIE flaws? Ha! How about stop using MSIE.

Update: Microsoft has now issued an official security advisory on this exploit, which affects IE6, 7 and 8. Microsoft has some workarounds for people who might be affected by the issue and adds that it is " ... also actively working to package an easy, one-click Fix it solution that will help protect your computer." It should be released "in the next few days."

The comments naturally degenerate into a WinXP hate-fest because Generation ReTard cannot tolerate an Operating System designed for use by administrators rather than children.

Update 2013-01-03: in case anyone is not aware, the solution is out for that MSIE exploit: KB 2794220

Edited January 3, 2013 by CharlotteTheHarlot

[vinifera]

I'm even surprised they do fixes for IE 8

it is in their interest to kill win XP already