Comments on: Why I switched from Firefox to Chrome

I didn't set out to switch. But while using Chrome, it felt as if some friction had been removed from the Web. Now it's my default, despite its shortcomings.

[dwinks]

@Hunnter2k3

Using a hosts file is NOT anywhere near as good as adblock. The thing that makes adblock so good is not only does it block ads, but it blocks the whole element on the page, so 99.9% of the time, you can't even tell where an ad used to be. If you like seeing a bunch of nasty boxes with a little red "x" in the corner, more power to you, but I don't. I've used host files, and in fact, I DO use them, but only WITH adblock. That way every webpage I see doesn't look like crap.

[Chocobito]

If you want speed use Opera for crist sake. You are so obvious buyed for google don't you? I test Chrome and its awfull, huge memory leak, no customizations, and no so fast, yeah, its true. You want navegate fast? use Opera, period.

[loose_screw]

Um, no. Opera doesn't work with many sites I use, and it's slower than Chrome in my experience.

[manodud]

#1 reason - add-ons/extensions

#2 I sometimes open an xml directly on the browser sometimes (when I'm lazy to open an editor) and I'd like it if chrome doesn't crap out the xml content. IE outputs it well but takes 2 and a half years to open a 3M xml. Firefox handles it pretty well.

#3 better flash support. I have noticed that IE and Chrome behaved the same way in handling one of my Flex hacks. However, firefox handles it well.

heck, at the very least. just give me adblock plus and I'll probably make a switch switch right away

[robertdreich]

The closing keynote of Add-on-Con will feature representatives from Google, Microsoft and Mozilla. The three companies will take the stage together and discuss the future of the web browser platform.

The event will be held on December 11 2008 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Ca. if you want more details you can visit http://www.add-on-con.com

[Foggy]

I tried Chrome, but didn't like big brother looking over my shoulder. Since my default email program is still Netscape Messenger 7.2, I still use the Netscape browser 7.2 since they are automatically linked. For anything else I use the other Netscape spin off of sorts FLOCK. Firefox is slower than molasses as is Flock at times, but Netscape continues to blow any other browser off the mat for speed, why is that?

[Pax666]

I´d say Firefox is the machine. The one that stores my bookmarks my RSS - Feeds. In fact I need it. But sometimes I just need fast info. Thats what I use Chrome for. Firefox is my infocenter. Chrome is my "infoscout". At least both are better than IE ;)

[mildew33]

Another BIASED article from CrapNET. How much did GOOGLE pay CNET for this farce?

[Shankland]

Google didn't pay me anything. I wrote it because I was surprised that I ended up switching and I thought others might find it interesting to read about why.

It's my opinion about what I like. You're entitled to your own opinion, of course. What browser do you use and why?

[the_redistributor]

Chrome and Firefox are both bug ridden crappy browsers. I'll stick to Internet Explorer thank you very much.

[loose_screw]

Riiiiight, like IE is so much better in those departments.

*rolls eyes*

[johngml]

There is no way I could ever rely on Chrome. Apart from my distrut with Google, it is just stripped out to get the speed and nothing else. I have tried IE8, what a piece of crap that was as was Opera. Both of them were so unstable that they were impossible to use. So Firefox it is. There is nothing that comes close. I like the browser to work for me and not me fit to it and Firefox definitely works for me.
Regarding Adblock Plus, I have tried it numerous times but have removed it every time for a couple of reasons. On many occassions it does nothing at all, don't know why but it is like it is not there but the biggest problem with it is it just kills the computer by sucking up all the memory. Firefox with 5-6 tabs open using Adblock Plus = 600+mb of ram, same without Adblock Plus = 110-130mb of ram. When you consider that I never buy from adverts and only click on some adsense ones to make the advertiser pay if I have had a duff product from them then it is useless for me to use it.

Firefox is most certainly number 1 but there isn't a suitable number 2 at present.

[kei 9]

chrome? Who cares Firefox still for the win.

[loose_screw]

Not for a growing number of fans.

[sumerianhaze]

GOOGLE CHROME RUUUUULES =D

[ejeon1989]

My major gripe with Chrome is that it is still quite buggy (I've had several of the tabs crash on me for no apparent reason) and that it does send private information back to Google. A Mac OS X version would help too (although I use a Boot Camp partition to use Chrome a little). Until stable releases are actually released, I think I'll stick to old, reliable Firefox.

[Mozillarama]

this same exact experience happened with me, i was an avid firefox user, in fact... my tag is mozillarama... i fight for firefox every day of my life, but then chrome came along... and i don't know, like i still love firefox, but seeing how my computer runs slow as it is, i always just wanted to open a web browser quick so i could get something done quick, so i found myself constantly clicking on chrome. and then one day i realized... i think it should be my default browser, when chrome does screw up because of bugs or whatever i still love to have firefox there at my side to use whenever i need consistency though.

[CydeSwype]

I like the fact that Chrome is pushing the need for speed in web browsing and to that end I see the project as a necessary evil. I do view it as a necessary evil, however, because there is no way in hell that we (web developers) need to be designing for so many different web clients / rendering engines. Yes, WebKit is used by others than chrome (Safari and many open source browsers) but bringing more people into the WebKit camp gives greater parity to three wholly different rendering engines. If there were no Internet Explorer then I would say yes, by all means, WebKit and Gecko all the way. Two is a reasonable number to develop for an both are rather standards compliant. However, we developers have to hack a bit to accommodate IE and so we're rather sensitive to any need to program for a third, even if it is rather standards compliant.

Rather than develop on WebKit, I would much rather see Google (and others) throw their weight behind Mozilla and Gecko. Despite what I consider to be a vastly superior product to IE, IE still maintains dominance on the web. We need all the help we can get evangelizing Firefox. What's worst of all is that though Microsoft has made strides with IE8 in becoming more standards compliant, a large number of people STILL use IE 6 and IE 5! I'm getting off on a tangent, but the point is this...we do not need yet another browser.

[fungie5]

If speed is ALL you need then Chrome will likely satisfy that.

I use Chrome occasionally for quick news checks - if i plan to spend more than 10 minutes browsing i use my default - FF3. I also use Opera, mainly when i do extensive searches on Google - the ease at which you can navigate Google's results using Opera is second to none. I have Safari, Flock and IE8 beta2 as well.

But the reason's why i use FF will never be surmounted by Google. For me it's extensions that are key. My FF browser is now of my own design because of my extension choices. My webmail notifier extension tells me when there is new mail in my inbox and opens all my inboxes with a single click. My no-script extension gives me full control of all website scripts and lets me block everything from ads to flash to potentially harmful javascript. My foxmarks extension synchronizes my bookmarks to my online foxmarks account - all my PCs use a dual-boot configuration and FF is on all of them and are synchronized thanks to foxmarks (that's a total of 10 firefox installations on five machines). Then there are the extensions like Downloadhelper, Fast dial, Cooliris, Forecastfox, Foxytunes, that i refuse to go without. There's also one that has changed the way i use the browser - Grab and Drag - it lets you scroll webpages by dragging them just as you can do with PDF files...and i shouldn't need to mention the browser themes.

Making Chrome my default browser would be a joke, because my FF browser is more than a browser - it's a totally customizable workstation. I'd gain a second of page load time and lose a way of life. And to top it all off, Chrome isn't supported by my bank's website and it's the only browser i have that still crashes at flash-heavy websites. Besides, FF3 actually looks better than Chrome in Chrome's own skin! (Chromifox 2). How crazy is that?

[LifeIsJustABowlOfCherries]

I liked Chrome.
BUT I found that it would not support RoboForm, my password manager.
I spoke to RoboForm and they told me that the blah blah blah was incompatible with them and there would be no version forthcoming that was compatible with Chrome.
I Looooovvvve me password manager.
So, No Chrome for business.
SEM.

[icyborg]

what i hate about chrome is that it cannot save sessions like opera...

[Dani210]

or firefox

[loose_screw]

Of course it can. Look at options.

[DarkHawke]

What do you mean, "What's keeping you from switching to Chrome?" As if that's the preferred choice or something? Sure, it's a speedy S.O.B., but speed alone means nothing if the damn thing doesn't work like you want it to. My problem with Chrome? In a word: configurability. Okay, it's not a *real* word, but it still sums is up well. Where are the add-ons? Can you get NoScript for it? Ad Block? Effin' Roboform? I can't browse anywhere NEAR as effectively, let alone as securely, without AT LEAST those add-ons.

And what about themes? Sure I can tolerate that boring-ass blue for a while, but don't you get tired of it? 'Bout every 3 months I have to change the look and feel of pretty much everything on my desktop or go nuts. Sure, I'll peel off about half a day (or more) perusing various sites and starting and restarting Firefox and/or Thunderbird to get a new, pleasing gleam on things, but it's my time and in this day and age, why shouldn't I have that option?

One other big bugaboo: no tab unclose. Yes, I understand that's a part of the alleged efficiency of the app's architecture, but I'm constantly right-clicking to get an inadvertently closed tab back, or one I wanted to look at again because I forgot something or needed more information from that page. It's a ton easier to do that than have to re-browse to that page or go through the History. It may be good enough for you, Rafe, but let's not perpetrate the myth that Chrome is really ready for prime-time in a Firefox/IE world. It isn't.

[Dani210]

i think configurability really is a word tho... ;)

[firefly-18]

Chrome is amazing. I tried it out when it first came out, but it wasn't too great then. Now this article has made me reconsider, so I downloaded it again and am playing around with it now. It is unbelievable quicker than Firefox - loading YouTube videos, Web Apps, and just generally snappy, not to mention it launches 100x faster than my Firefox with plugins. The only annoyance I have with it is the lack of customization of appearance- that blue color really gets on my nerves... If only I could have a choice of color, then it would be perfect.

[Bobgarrett]

I started using Chrome within hours of its release and haven't looked back. I was an early user of Firefox and am missing a lot of the addon features however.

Cheers