Posted on 12/26/2009 12:57:40 PM PST by JoeProBono
If you go by conventional thinking Internet Explorer 8 is the slowest of the current web browsers, followed by Opera, with Firefox in third place, Safari taking the silver and Google Chrome leaping ahead in first. Time for a rethink.
Opera has announced v10.5 of its browser this week in an ‘alpha’ format (read: this isn’t even beta yet, casual users stay away). Despite this, however, it represents a potential game changing update for the company.
According to the respected benchmark of suites run by specialist site betanews.com Opera 10.5 not only boosts the speed of its web browsing performance, but jet propels it to speeds in excess of anything we’ve even seen from the beta and developer versions of Chrome.
To put this into some context Betanews uses a benchmark whereby the speed of Internet Explorer 7 is classed as 1.0 using Windows 7 making all other browsers results relative to this. Consequently, IE8 scores 1.55, Opera 10.2 5.85, Firefox 3.5 11.12 (3.7 alpha 13.29), Safari 4 20.83, Chrome 22.5 and Opera 10.5 24.5.
This is a monstrous turnaround and is also backed up by a stylish redesign of the interface which makes us think why oh why has Opera not classified this v11.0. Where more stable versions of Opera 10.5 can go from here, nobody knows!
So Opera 10.5 represents a real twist in the tale. How will other browser developers respond? Well, can only rub our hands with glee at the prospect of finding out…
I downloaded the Mac version, along with the Chrome, and the Opra locked up and shut down after about 20 minutes of browsing. Chrome is also very fast, relatively almost as fast according to the article. It is also stable.
As of right now I am using Chrome.
I am no expert, but I think the measurement isn’t download speeds (that would depend on your internet provider) but how fast a window can open, or a file STARTS do download. That is my guess, and Chrome is much faster to open pages than Firefox which I was using previously.
Now I had some issues with Firefox and Java compatability that seemed to be OK with IE5, even though IE6 ran slower than dog meat.
So I thought what the hey, I’ll try Opera and guess what?
What?
Come on, tell me what!!
Opera is by far, the fastest, cleanest browser I have tried. I’ve been watching task manager for the storage requirements and it typically comes in way, way below Firefox.
Now I like Firefox, or rather the features, but it is a hog.
Just my always humble opinion!!
BTW, the version I’m testing is 10.10
I like the speed dial.
wish it would hold 16 (4X4) instead of 9 (3X3)
I get so fed up with the software that is automatically installing this toolbar and that toolbar and some other bullshit toolbar and a toolbar to organize my toolbars and a toolbar that I can click on to close all my other damn toolbars!!
Speed dial is pretty slick. Only uses one single plus sign “+” to activate.
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