Because not every boot fits.
A pair of boots that fits comfortably on my sister probably won't fit well on me even though we have the same shoe size. My mother prefers a certain style that I do not. My dad prefers a darker color while I prefer lighter ones. (And my husband downright refuses to try on any even though I've converted him to Texan in pretty much every other way.) Everyone's needs and preferences are perfectly met by a different boot.
Furthermore, once someone owns a pair of boots, that pair can never be used perfectly for anyone else. I discovered this whilst looking for cheap boots in consignment stores. Every pair I tried on had molded itself to the former owner's foot, and didn't quite fit me right. (Apparently, my ankles are in a really weird spot - who knew?)
IT employees are often asked what browser is the best to use. (In fact, this blog post topic is at the request of one of our readers.) There's just so many browsers, so much heated debate about it all, and so many different opinions. So everyone wants to know: which is actually the best browser?
The answer is another question: does the boot fit?
Everyone has different work requirements or personal preferences and so the browser that my boss uses might not suit you. And if you were to try my browser, the personalized attributes I have set up might cause you to dislike the browser I have through no fault of its own. No one else's personalized browser is going to fit everyone, so you need to choose for yourself the browser that fits you.
Wow, that sounded really cheesy.
Okay, to aid you in trying on some browsers, I asked my co-workers some questions, and they have kindly given me their opinions. The following is rated PG-13 for conspiracy theories, Apple violence, and technical language.
(For the record, browsers are listed in alphabetical order, so settle down, y'all.)
1) What is your favorite internet browser? Why?
Firefox:
"No favorite but I use Firefox - it loads fast, has the least number of problems. Will change [browsers] in the future if those factors change."
- Peter Austin, Technical Services Coordinator
"Firefox for the utilities (extensions) and Chrome for the speed."
- Nathan McGarvey, Programmer/Analyst
Google Chrome:
"Chrome. I have fewer intermittent problems with it compared to IE [Internet Explorer]. It has a much better auto-updater built in than Firefox, and I prefer the way it handles memory management on multiple tabs."
- Michael Davis, Assistant Director of Technical and Media Services
"Google Chrome. I like the favorites bar and the convenience of searching directly in Google quickly and conveniently, but it is a little irritating that some sites don't work well in Chrome. Doesn't happen often, but it does happen."
- Kristin Ater, Assistant Director of Programming Services
"Chrome. Very fast, clean interface, search bar and URL address input are the same. Normally uses less memory than the others and each tab's memory space is separate from the other tabs."
- Matthew Henry, Chief Information Officer
Internet Explorer:
"At the moment, Internet Explorer. It's fast, has tabbed browser windows, and is compatible with all my management applications."
- Ethan Cooper, Network Administrator
"Internet Explorer 9. Older versions of IE were awful, but the new one is fast and simple, doesn't use a lot of resources, and loads quickly. It also blocks 90% of malware that other browsers don't. If you got burned by Internet Explorer before, give IE9 a try."
- Joe Grindrod, Technical Services Senior
2) What is your favorite thing about this browser? And your least favorite thing?
Firefox:
"Multiple rows of windows with an add in. Cursor does not always open where I need it."
- Peter Austin, Technical Services Coordinator
"Extensions for web-page analysis. (For both [Firefox and Chrome].) Both still don't seem to keep-up with me all the time as I may have a hundred or more tabs open across many windows simultaneously."
- Nathan McGarvey, Programmer/Analyst
Google Chrome:
"My favorite thing is how it runs quickly and has a low memory footprint. My least favorite thing is that it sometimes won't open Microsoft SQL reports since they're designed for IE [Internet Explorer]. That's more an issue with the report than the browser though."
- Michael Davis, Assistant Director of Technical and Media Services
"Favorite: It uses my Google profile so every device I use Chrome on (including my iOS devices now) my bookmarks and settings all sync; least: it seems to use memory in a run-away fashion sometimes. For example, I have to restart it to clear up memory usage. Also, it had trouble for a long time with the Flash plug in."
- Matthew Henry, Chief Information Officer
Internet Explorer:
"My favorite feature is site pinning: you can pin any website you like to the task bar or start menu and it acts like an app on your computer. When you pin sites it unlocks new features for the site."
- Joe Grindrod, Technical Services Senior
"Most: It has a built-in RSS feed reader. Least: Not all buttons are positioned where it's most intuitive."
- Ethan Cooper, Network Administrator
3) Would you recommend this browser for general use? Why or why not?
I'm not really sure what answers I expected here, but pretty much everything I got was "Sure" and "Easy to use." Even I yawned. And you're welcome for sparing you.The only interesting thing of note was that one of our Chrome fans said she'd actually recommend Internet Explorer for the general user.
4) On a scale of 1 to 5 (loser to winner), please rank your favorite internet browser in the following categories: speed, security, easy to use, and easy to customize/personalize.
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| The average performance ratings of everyone's favorite browsers |
5) What is your LEAST favorite internet browser? Why?
"Firefox. Possibly the most user-unfriendly browser out there. Comes with all sorts of scary pop-up warnings that make the common man/woman want to hide under their desk until the sirens stop."
- Ethan Cooper, Network Administrator
"My least favorite browser is Google Chrome, mostly because I don't trust Google. Any Google product, unless you explicitly tell it not to, will track you and send your browsing habits to Google so they can serve you ads. This includes google.com itself, so watch what you search : ) Internet Explorer 10 (not out yet but will be soon), not only doesn't track you, but also tells websites not to track you as well."
- Joe Grindrod, Technical Services Senior
"Internet Explorer. It breaks Internet standards, is slow, has large security flaws, and crashes quite consistently."
- Nathan McGarvey, Programmer/Analyst
"Safari. It's a slow, crummy Apple product."
- Michael Davis, Assistant Director of Technical and Media Services
"Don't know that I have one. I use them all: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari. They all have their purposes. Chrome: general daily use. Firefox: use when Chrome doesn't work. IE [Internet Explorer]: best for banking and secure websites. Safari: best on iOS and Mac platforms, although Chrome is available now too."
- Matthew Henry, Chief Information Officer
6) On a sale of 1 to 5 (loser to winner), please rank your LEAST favorite internet browser in the following categories: speed, security, easy to use, easy to customize/personalize.
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| The average ratings of everyone's least favorite browsers - pretty good performance ratings for not liking them! |
Go ahead. See if the boot fits. Browse the browsers.
Sincerely, The Fly
FlyOnTheFirewall@gmail.com
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