How to Choose the Best Web Browser

The recent launch of Firefox 3.5 was just the latest in a crescendo of activity on the browser front over the past few months. We've seen Google tout speed with its bare-bones Chrome 2. We've seen Apple's Safari 4 bring on both the speed and all the interface eye candy we've come to expect. Opera has come in with not only a beta of its feature-packed version 10, but also an alpha of an app called Opera Unite that makes the browser a server as well as a consumer. Starting it all was that juggernaut Microsoft, coming out with Internet Explorer 8, which the company claimed was more compliant with open Web standards.

But it turns out that standards are a far murkier issue than they may first seem. Firefox's promoters will brand IE as a completely behind-the-times, non-standards-supporting browser, but the standards Firefox supports haven't yet been ratified by the organization that's been the official keeper of the standards, the W3C. Firefox's support for the Rendering speed is another issue to consider when choosing a browser. Though all browsers today are much faster than they were a few years ago, the clear winner—at least as far as JavaScript rendering—is Chrome. JavaScript rendering is important for modern sites, which are behaving increasingly like applications rather than static pages. Chrome performed best in my tests using the SunSpider JavaScript Benchmark, finishing in just 1,503 ms. But Safari isn't far behind, at 1,707 ms, and Firefox is right in the mix, at 2,413 ms. The once-snappiest Opera trails at 7,974 ms, and IE8 is left in the dust with a 10,281-ms time.

In terms of features and customizability, Firefox, IE, Opera, and Safari all outshine the stripped-down Chrome. But no browser can come close to Firefox in both its extensions and theming capabilities. Mozilla's "Fashion My Firefox" and "Personas" tools make it simple for novice users to customize the browser to their hearts' content. IE also has an add-on capability, but there's nowhere near the ecosystem for it as there is for Firefox. True, only IE offers WebSlices and Accelerators, which deliver up-to-date data to you with little fuss, right inside the browser, but few sites currently support WebSlices.

One thing's for sure: There's no lack of choice in today's market, with speed, site compatibility, and convenience features abounding in free browsers both from the large software companies and open source projects. And if the big players aren't to your taste, there are interesting lesser-known browsers, such as the recent Japanese import, Lunascape 5, which actually c

ombines the rendering engines of Firefox, IE, and Safari. Whichever you choose, your browsing is bound to be smoother than it was even two years ago. Here are our takes and links to reviews of the top recent entries to help you make your choice.

Firefox 3.5

With version 3.5 of its browser, Firefox shows its willingness to champion emerging Web standards and continue to improve speed. Add the new private browsing mode, improved tab handling, and incredible customizability, and you have a winning combination.

Google Chrome 2.0

This version of the speediest browser gets even faster and adds a few features its more mature competitors already offer. But Chrome still trails in convenience and custo

mizability.

Internet Explorer 8

The latest version of the world's leading browser delive

rs category-leading security and adds some pretty slick browsing

aids, such as WebSlices and Accelerators. It defaults to a more standards-compliant mode,

but still offers a backward compatibility button. A predictive ad

dress bar brings it closer to Firefox, but the lack of a download manager and robust

extension ecosystem hold the

browser back.

Opera 9.5

This version of Opera is faster, has better standards support and includes lots of unique browsing helpers. But som

e sites still don't play well on the Opera stage. Version 10 is available in beta form, but you can already read our Opera 10 beta hands-on. Another remarkable Opera project is Unite, which turns the browser into a peer-to-peer server,

although this feature is still in alpha.

Safari 4

Safari offers plenty of eye candy, with its Cover Flow history display. Some clever interface innovations, near-Chrome speed, and site compatibility make it a good choice overall. For Mac users, the Safari 4 upgrade is a no-brainer, but Windows users will probably prefer Firefox or Chrome as IE alternatives.

Windows, Mac, or Linux: It's Not the OS, It's the User

Who's got the safest operating system? Apple, Google, Microsoft? According to one security expert, what really matters is who's using the OS.

"Microsoft doesn't have a monopoly on all the technical vulnerabilities that are out there," Zulfikar Ramzan, technical director of Symantec Security Response, said Tuesday in a phone interview with PCWorld.

Today's online criminals are far more likely to target user behavior rather than a technical flaw in the OS. "It's a lot easier to do that," said Zulfikar. "You don't need as many technical skills to find one person who might be willing, in a moment of weakness, to open up an attachment that contains malicious content."

This trend has been rising rapidly over the past two years. Currently, only about 3 percent of the malicious software that Symantec encounters exploits a technical vulnerability. The other 97 percent of malware is either "piggybacking on that 3 percent," or more likely trying to trick a user through some type of "social engineering" scheme, according to Zulfikar.

Tricking the User

In other words, most attackers now target human, not technical, vulnerabilities. The key is to trick someone, usually via psychological manipulation, into compromising their own security by installing malware, for instance.

One such attack is when an organization's chief financial officer (CFO) receives an email claiming to be from the IRS. "It says you haven't paid your taxes, and if don't open up this attachment and fill out this form, we're going to fine you," Zulfiker said.

A similar scheme involves a bogus inquiry from the "Better Business Bureau." The attacker(s), claiming to be the BBB, email a company's CEO and say they've opened a complaint file against the firm. The email then instructs the CEO to open the attachment to find out more about the complaint.

Of course, in each case, the attachment propagates malicious software onto the recipient's system.

So what's a business to do? First, treat any inbound inquiry with a healthy degree of skepticism. "That should apply through all forms of communication--not just email, but even phone calls and things of that nature," said Zulfiker. And make sure that all of your employees are aware of these risks. "It's important to educate people, even on the front lines, to be careful what you divulge to the outside world about the company," he added.

Microsoft: Still the Biggest Target

No computer or operating system is 100-percent secure, of course, and different types of systems are vulnerable to different exploits.

"Microsoft, being the biggest company in the software space, has attracted the most attention," Zulfiker said. "People have tried to attack Microsoft's products because of the (huge) market share. If I'm an attacker, and I want to make the most profit from my attacks, I'm better off going for the company with the most machines out there. That tends to be Microsoft."

And if Google's upcoming Chrome OS takes off in the business and consumer market, it'll have a big target on its back too.

Apple Releases iPhone OS 4 Beta 4 and SDK to Developers

Apple is keeping its developers busy today: Alongside a new build of Mac OS X 10.6.4, Apple has also released the fourth beta version of iPhone OS 4 and the associated software development kit (SDK). The release is not much of a surprise given that Apple has taken to biweekly releases of its iPhone development tools and today marks two weeks since the release of the third beta version.

Available to registered developers via the iPhone Dev Center, the fourth beta is a refinement of the operating system and developer tools initially released in early April alongside a media event to introduce the next-generation software for Apple's iPhone OS devices. No details on changes in the new version have yet been documented beyond new wallpaper options, but those with access to the beta are undoubtedly already digging for information.

Apple is expected to publicly release iPhone OS 4 to iPhone and iPod touch users "this summer", although early models of those devices will not be compatible with the new OS and even some newer models will not be able to take advantage of all of the features. iPhone OS 4 will come to the iPad "in the fall".