Amiga.org
Operating System Specific Discussions => MorphOS => MorphOS -- Application questions and support => Topic started by: takemehomegrandma on January 21, 2012, 08:07:28 PM
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Just wanted to highlight the fact that the Webkit browsers (Webkit also being the engine used in the MorphOS web browser Odyssey) now seems to be more popular than Firefox.
Webkit is very popular, due to (among other things):
-Its good performance
-Its good HTML5/CSS3 support and new standards
-Its fast development pace
In many ways, Webkit is leading the way, pushing the envelope. It's a very young browser engine, only a few years old, but it has *quickly* gained ground and popularity. I guess it doesn't hurt having the two giants Apple and Google pushing it forward! ;)
But just how much ground has it gained in these few years?
Well, individual statistics may vary depending on source, but if you weight various sources together it seems that the Webkit based Chrome and Safari browsers beat Firefox in popularity some time during December 2011.
Here is statistics from W3Counter (http://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php?year=2011&month=12) (click to enlarge):
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7175/6736736115_0f1d548770_n.jpg) (http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7175/6736736115_0f1d548770_b.jpg)
This shows how the Webkit browsers positions themselves way ahead of Firefox, and actually just a mere 1.1% from Internet Explorer.
Here are some statistics from StatCounter Global Stats (http://gs.statcounter.com/) (click to enlarge):
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6737411931_2654fc1e86_n.jpg) (http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6737411931_2654fc1e86_b.jpg)
This graph shows how the Webkit Chrome browser *alone* is bigger than Firefox, also see news about it here (from 1st December, 2011):
http://gs.statcounter.com/press/chrome-overtakes-firefox-globally-for-first-time
If you add Safari on top of Chrome, the Webkit graph for December 2011 would rise to 33.35%, only a mere 5% below IE.
The graphs go back a full year, and you can clearly spot the trend for both Webkit and Firefox.
And according to this site, the Chrome browser version 15 even knocked Internet Explorer 8 off the throne as *THE* most popular web browser in the world, see news about it here (from 15th December, 2011):
http://gs.statcounter.com/press/chrome-15-becomes-worlds-most-popular-browser
These first two sources of statistics are examples of *mainstream* statistics, measuring all kinds of *general* users. But here is a graph I put together myself, based on the data found on Browser Statistics on W3Schools (http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp) (click to enlarge):
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6736536123_26ab2bed1c_n.jpg) (http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6736536123_26ab2bed1c_b.jpg)
This data comes from the world's biggest reference site for Web Developers, always top-ranked in Google searches for HTML/CSS/JS etc info. I would guess that this is probably why Internet Explorer scored relatively low; Web Developers and advanced users have traditionally avoided IE (because its reluctance to follow standards and doesn't keep up in current development) and they have preferred Firefox, much because of the flexible and useful developer tools you can use with this browser.
But in December 2011 the Webkit has taken over also in this population! And the trend, ranging back two whole years, speaks its clear language! :)
This is the engine used in Fabien Coeurjoly's *excellent* web browser Odyssey! :) It is extremely fun, coming from the Amiga heritage where you have been in the back-water of the computer industry since 1995, to see how a MorphOS browser displays CSS3 *better* than Internet Explorer 9, but in "the iBrowse style", with all the tools you need and with the native MUI GUI, the configuration possibilities, Arexx, etc.
*Extremely* satisfactory! :D
:pint:
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...huzzah? I dunno, I've never pledged my undying loyalty to a layout engine. Firefox does what I need, doesn't do anything else that would annoy me, and is available on every system I want it on short of my A1200. (I do wonder how things would stack up if you did Webkit browsers versus all Gecko browsers instead of just the most popular.)
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Yep, Firefox started playing on my nerves recently. Especially with the frequent updates that made previous plugins unworkable.
No wonder it's loosing popularity.
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Firefox does what I need, doesn't do anything else that would annoy me
While Firefox 9 indeed shows HTML5/CSS3 better than IE9, it's almost just as slow. It takes forever to start and feels incredibly bulky.
IMHO of course... ;)
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Seems just fine for me. Never had issues with latency or bulkiness except some earlier versions (5, or 6 iirc that had some issues with some NVidia drivers crashing at some cases).
Xmarks, Firebug, FlagFox and IE Tabs are just full of win plugins. Never bothered with heavy plugins installations or Personas.
For me Firefox it's just fine, and matured much over the years. Opinions ofc differ but it's true that many peepz are turning to Chrome these days.
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While Firefox 9 indeed shows HTML5/CSS3 better than IE9, it's almost just as slow. It takes forever to start and feels incredibly bulky.
Huh. As TenFourFox 9 it seems fairly snappy even on a 2x800MHz G4, and I never had any problems with it as IceWeasel, either. I use FF1.5 on my Eee, because 9 definitely is too much for a 1.6GHz Atom and a crappy Intel GMA chipset, but then that's true of any versions from 2 on up. On newer Windows systems I've never noticed any performance problems with it.
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Whereas Chrome has the tendency to freeze for a sec when opening more than one tab on my Eee (just like Firefox), I've never had any problems with the Norwegian underdog, so I almost exclusively run Opera on it.
I've never trusted the Klingons, and I never will. Therefore Chrome is for me almost as untouchable as IE. But then, I am just a silly user without deeper knowledge. Fashion comes and goes, and we Amigans know that not always the most popular is simultaneously the best.
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I am proud to be enjoying the number one browser in the world! Woo!
I only use Firefox when I happen to be running Linux, like on my newly modded McDonald's cash register.
(http://cbmvax.com/register.jpg)
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I've never trusted the Klingons, and I never will. Therefore Chrome is for me almost as untouchable as IE. But then, I am just a silly user without deeper knowledge. Fashion comes and goes, and we Amigans know that not always the most popular is simultaneously the best.
I'm with you there. By all accounts Chrome is a solid piece of software, but I'm not going to do my bit in contributing to Google's ever-growing dominance of the Internet...
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While Firefox 9 indeed shows HTML5/CSS3 better than IE9, it's almost just as slow. It takes forever to start and feels incredibly bulky.
IMHO of course... ;)
I'm right there with you. My favorite FF only plugin, Downthemall, was the only reason I haven't thrown FF completely to the curb. Even still, I'm more apt these days to just download without it.
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... Therefore Chrome is for me almost as untouchable as IE. But then, I am just a silly user without deeper knowledge. Fashion comes and goes, and we Amigans know that not always the most popular is simultaneously the best.
Agree with everything here.
Chrome may be a very good browser but AFAIK it is also a very good piece of spyware, don't people see this?
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Hmm, once again "Market Share" and "Popularity" merge.
Whether its market share or browser usage statistics, this category, and that category equalise the figures. Marketing magic makes any product popular.
In my view a good browser is one you are comfortable with and does what you want all of the time. Consistency is the key.
Signed // on the y-axis.
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Yep, dumped Firefox a year ago, it's slow and buggy compared to Chrome. All our installs across the university now include only the default browser (IE on MS Windows, Safari on Mac) and Chrome, with the recommendation to use Chrome.
Times change, the world moves on, Firefox is yesterday's browser...
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Chrome is great if you don't mind Google eyeballing all of your information. Obviously too many people don't read the fine print any more.....
Firefox runs very fast on my machines, and it has much better security.
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don't give a rats arse about popularity contests but in my house Firefox rules on my PC's period so it's no surprise that I'm very excited about Timberwolf coming to my miggy:afro:
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Yep, Firefox started playing on my nerves recently. Especially with the frequent updates that made previous plugins unworkable.
No wonder it's loosing popularity.
Completely agreed. I'm still on Firefox 3.6.x because of all this rapid upgrade nonsense ever since 4.x. The Firefox developers turned their browser into a bloated, clumsy knockoff of Chrome. They burned the soul of their product - no wonder they've lost ground. I don't know what I'll switch to on my Mac/PC once 3.6.x becomes too old to be usable online, but it won't be a newer Firefox (though it certainly won't be Chrome, either). Maybe I'll VNC to OWB on my MorphOS machine...
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I've been happy enough with Chromium. I wish Rekonq for KDE was more stable and I'd be using that.
Epiphany is great for Gnome users.
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Webkit is not more popular than Firefox here in Turkey. In fact people don't know what Webkit is.
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I only use Firefox when I happen to be running Linux, like on my newly modded McDonald's cash register.
[img]
So that's why our orders take so long, you're busy surfing Amiga.org on your till :D
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Completely agreed. I'm still on Firefox 3.6.x because of all this rapid upgrade nonsense ever since 4.x. The Firefox developers turned their browser into a bloated, clumsy knockoff of Chrome. They burned the soul of their product - no wonder they've lost ground. I don't know what I'll switch to on my Mac/PC once 3.6.x becomes too old to be usable online, but it won't be a newer Firefox (though it certainly won't be Chrome, either). Maybe I'll VNC to OWB on my MorphOS machine...
I was a huge Firefox fan from 2004-2009, but after version 4 it just became bloated and the ridiculous version number climb in the last 12 months, the nags for updates, plugins failing, the whole thing just feels bloated and messy now. Chrome is much more streamlined.
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I use Opera, which I find to be much quicker than Chrome or Firefox.
I wouldn't touch google chrome with a holographic barge pole.
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On newer Windows systems I've never noticed any performance problems with it.
I have a Win7/Core-i7 system. Never said that Firefox speed was a *problem*, only that Chrome (and Safari for that matter) is much faster and I prefer that when I have a choice. And so does most other people, as of December 2011. ;)
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Agree with everything here.
Chrome may be a very good browser but AFAIK it is also a very good piece of spyware, don't people see this?
Maybe because the flip-side is that it helps the browser/google to intelligently present you various suggestions in many shapes and forms which actually helps you and improves your browsing experience a lot, and people care more about this? I use Chrome on every computer that supports it. It's an awesome browser! :) I use the other browsers only for reference, to see if my web pages look alright...
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Webkit is not more popular than Firefox here in Turkey. In fact people don't know what Webkit is.
They don't have to know what Webkit is, not many does, but many are probably very familiar with the names "Safari" and "Chrome". :)
(Turkish MorphOS users definitely uses the Webkit in the shape of the Odyssey browser ;))
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Maybe because the flip-side is that it helps the browser/google to intelligently present you various suggestions in many shapes and forms which actually helps you and improves your browsing experience a lot, and people care more about this?
Wait, wait, all you have to do to justify spying now is claim you're doing it to help people? Well damn, have I got a new hobby!
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Firefox is a pig... I run Safari but lately it's seeming a bit heavy and slow to respond.
OWB seems nice in MorpOs :D Using it now with no issues.
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(Turkish MorphOS users definitely uses the Webkit in the shape of the Odyssey browser ;))
Well.. That covers most of the Internet users in Turkey so you could be right! :)
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Until recently Ive never really been too fussy about browsers and have mostly used IE as my "serious" browser of choice 'cos it does the job for me. Ive been trying to like Firefox for the last decade, but have never been able to. In my experiences its heavy, cumbersome, and slow. Plug-ins dont work as often as not, and they can also cause instabilities of thier own. Every now and then a release happens that gives me hope that its being fixed, but without fail a revision or so later its in varying degrees of screwed again.
Enter Chrome.
Never before had a browser stood out as a quality product to me until I started using Chrome. It's light, renders nicely, and "feels" nice (although to be fair its more webkit itself that provides most of the "feel").
Nice to see a product do well on the base of the quality rather than marketting or "anti-marketting". It's not common these days.
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Don't really care, but Chrome does run my html 5 a bit faster than FF.
Have to admit that I kinda like IE 9, it seems to do the same things now, that Chrome and Firefox do.
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Wait, wait, all you have to do to justify spying now is claim you're doing it to help people? Well damn, have I got a new hobby!
I wouldn't use the term "spying on you", but rather "learning about your preferences" since this is what it does, it's not scanning your hard drive trying to find your personal ultra-secret documents you are hiding there somewhere. That's spying. See the difference?
(https://www.google.com/intl/sv/images/logos/chrome_logo.gif) A supplier learning things about you isn't always bad per se. A barber learning how you would want your hair cut, can make you visit a little easier as you don't have to explain the same thing over and over again. A restaurant learning you would know that you you prefer meat with potato Gratin, and would open this page of the menu before handing it over. They would know that you prefer beer instead of wine, so they would hand over you the beer list opened and the wine list closed on the table, just in case you changed your mind. the chef would know you want your stake medium rare, that you never eats any mushrooms so he replaces those with some asparagus that he knows you like, and then he would put on some extra red wine sauce. A clothing store that knows you, would suggest only black or dark colored clothes as long as you don't say you want something different, they would walk you past the fancy suits section and show you directly to the hood shirts. The rest of the shop is still there of course, but if you only want to look at the things that really interest you, then this make your life easier.
CRM was here long before computers and the Internet, but it's more effective now. Done right, it's a win-win situation for both the customer/visitor and the supplier.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/Chromium_11_Wordmark_Logo.svg/250px-Chromium_11_Wordmark_Logo.svg.png)Of course I know that some people are more paranoid than others, and I guess this is the reason of the browser Chromium that is the same browser as Chrome, but *without* Google's branding, auto-update mechanism, click-through licensing terms, usage-tracking, the built-in PDF viewer and Adobe Flash Player. And please note that this browser uses exactly the same user agent identification string (it identifies itself as being Chrome (because essentially it is)), so this browser is included in the statistics above. If you didn't know about this and want to read about it, go here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_chromium), or here (http://www.chromium.org/).
Personally, I still prefer Chrome though, because I don't feel its spying on me but *aiding* me based on my preferences, making my Web Browsing a bit easier and better.
I find Facebook being a far much bigger threat to my integrity, but I use that as well... ;)
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Don't really care, but Chrome does run my html 5 a bit faster than FF.
Have to admit that I kinda like IE 9, it seems to do the same things now, that Chrome and Firefox do.
IE9 still lacks important CSS3 rules, as you'll learn the hard way sooner or later if you develop websites. Just the other week I was going to use the text-shadow CSS rule. Worked fine in all major browsers, but of course not in IE9.
And it's slower than slow.
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A supplier learning things about you isn't always bad per se. A barber learning how you would want your hair cut, can make you visit a little easier as you don't have to explain the same thing over and over again. A restaurant learning you would know that you you prefer meat with potato Gratin, and would open this page of the menu before handing it over. They would know that you prefer beer instead of wine, so they would hand over you the beer list opened and the wine list closed on the table, just in case you changed your mind.
Yeah, somehow I'm not so comfortable with letting a blindly all-consuming behemoth Internet company monitor everything I do on the Internet as I am with letting a restaranteur note my preferences within the bounds of his restaraunt. Maybe it's just that I'm part of the apparently rapidly-dwindling population that still consider privacy a thing to be valued and hung onto, silly me :/
I find Facebook being a far much bigger threat to my integrity, but I use that as well... ;)
Well no kidding, but that's why I wouldn't touch Facebook or its ilk with a twenty-foot pole.