Alternative browser

[Julian]

I've used IE ever since I started using computers (Circa Turing!), but I've recently got fed up with IE8 not displaying and increasing number of sites properly.  There are no updates for IE8 unless you upgrade to Windows (it's a load of pants) 8, so I started to look around for alternative browsers.

I've tried Firefox, but don't like the way it seems to make all the text skinny and illegible.  I'm suspicious of Chrome ever since I heard that Google is tailoring search results to your location and any other information it's able to glean on you, and many other "big" names are tied to various commonly known browser with the likely hood that they'll do similar things.  So I started to look for lesser known alternatives.

I found Sleipnir, I believe pronounced Slay-p-near.  It's an English version of a browser developed in Japan and is very quick with lots of useful features, like a built in spell checker, all be it US English (perfect for ill educated Muppets like me), a really good pictorial system for organising favorites and folders for commonly used sites.  If you highlight text a little button appears which will search the web, Wikipedia or Amazon (working on changing that one) and it appears if you click on a link and move the mouse a little, it opens in a new tab.

There's lots of other features with mouse actions and keyboard short cuts which I've yet to either understand or explore, but after a little getting used to it, it seems a bally site better than any other browser I tried.

Website is here for anyone interested ... http://www.fenrir-inc.com/us/

[greasemonkey]

I'll try it. I am absolutely convinced there is such thing as a "search bubble".
I've posted it up on here before, I consistently get American search results high up, even when I search UK. There is a good lot about it on the 'Net, and changing browser isn't bad way around it. I also use IXquick search engine, which turns up different results to Google, but it isn't really very good.

[Julian]

Changing the browser won't alter the search results, but it does make you a little more independent of the "big boys".

I guess it's a bit like Ebay.  In the early days it was great, but now it just an arrogant, massive money making machine which couldn't give a stuff about it's users.  All same banks, insurance companies ... the list is endless.

I'd love to get a better grip on Linux in order to ditch Windows, but I'm struggling with many aspects.

A viable alternative search engine would be wonderful, but I think many of the smaller alternatives retrieve results form the larger ones.

[Tony]

My parents in their 70s installed Linux Mint from a USB stick I posted them so I'm sure you can handle it Julian!

[Julian]

My parents in their 70s installed Linux Mint from a USB stick I posted them so I'm sure you can handle it Julian!

I'm not far behind them, son!

I could handle the basics, managed to get it to dual boot with Windows, and sort out open office etc etc.  But I couldn't get the wireless connection to work and spent hours trying to install all the software needed for the 3D printer.

[kamaangir]

Tor is another private oriented browser, for search use startpage.com

[Julian]

Tor is another private oriented browser, for search use startpage.com

Startpage looks interesting. I did a test comparing the results from it and Google and they were the same ... not sure if that's good or bad.

[photoman290]

opera is another one. i used to use it before i converted to chrome.

[Jmg]

I'm still bumbling along on Firefox, nowhere near as good as it used to be but I can't see enough advantages to Chrome to change habits just now.

As for Linux I started using out of curiosity 8 years and have had it as my sole operating system for around 5 years ago.
I've only ever had network trouble with the smaller (odder) distros, Ubuntu and it's lighter companion Lubuntu arer very easy to network with and there's a software equivalent for most day to day stuff, even most hardware has a Linux driver these days.

However the 3d printing software might be a hurdle too far.

[Julian]

I'll try it.

What do you recon?

[therecklessengineer]

Given that 3d printers are very much part of the maker community, I can't imagine there would be a problem running one under Linux.

I bounce around between Firefox, Chrome and Safari.

Of course if you want a really fast and stripped down browser, there's always lynx.

[Tony]

No banner ads with lynx, that's for sure

[greasemonkey]

I'll try it.

What do you recon?

Errr, ummm, gimme a few more weeks..........

[Julian]

I'll try it.

What do you recon?

Errr, ummm, gimme a few more weeks..........

What! ... computer a bit slow then?

[greasemonkey]

I'll try it.

What do you recon?

Errr, ummm, gimme a few more weeks..........

What! ... computer a bit slow then?

A saying I picked up from one of my customers. "It's not top of my agenda"