Browser Comparisons

Internet Explorer 8 & 9, Chrome 11 and Firefox 4

Security, Privacy, Add-ons & Convenience

Browser Comparisons – Security browsing protection

IE8 & 9 - Smart Screen FilterClick gear or “Safety”, turn on Smart Screen FilterIE9 flags unsigned files from unknown sites, Ed Bott says it’s best protection against socially engineered malware.

Chrome – Phishing & malware protectionclick wrench, Options, Under the Hood, Privacy, some say security is best because it sandboxes processes.

Firefox – blocks attack sites, forgeries, warns of add-on install attempts

Click Firefox, Options, Options, Security tab

Browser Comparisons – Security check for valid/secure address

IE 8 & 9 – Domain Highlighting in address

Chrome Domain highlighting Site Information - right-click on icon to left of address

FirefoxSite identity button to left of address - click

Browser Comparisons – Security download protection

IE9 – Download Manager with malware protection, also flags unsigned files from unknown sites.Chrome has a built-in download manager, others available as extensionsFirefox Download Manager scans files with user’s antivirus program after downloading.

Browser Comparisons – Privacy leave no traces on your PC

IE8 & 9 – also hides from 3rd party site tracking

Click gear or “Safety”, “InPrivate Browsing”

Chrome Click wrench, “New incognito window”

FirefoxClick Firefox, “Start private browsing”

Browser Comparisons – Privacy leave no traces on the web

IE9 – Tracking Protection ListsClick gear, “Safety”, “Tracking Protection”, ‘Your Personal List”, right-click to enable (off by default), user blocks tracking sites, best solution.

ChromeAdd extension called “Keep My Opt-outs”

FirefoxClick Firefox, Options, Options, Advanced, Browsing header, click “Tell websites I do not want to be tracked.”

Browser Comparisons – Add-ons, Extensions and Apps – fun & useful

IE8 & 9 Click gear, “Manage Add-ons”, “Find more…”, “Internet Explorer Gallery” for Pinned Sites, Add-ons

ChromeClick New Tab icon, “Web Store” for Apps, Extensions & Themes

FirefoxClick Firefox, Add-ons, Get Add-ons, Firefox 4 Collection of Add-ons & Themes (see bottom right to browse all, check reviews

Browser Comparisons – Add-ons, Extensions and Apps – what I tried

IE8 & 9 – I’ve installedDefine with Wikipedia, an accelerator

Chrome – I’ve installed:Google Mail Checker – extension, by GoogleGoogle Docs – Apps, Productivity

Firefox – I’ve installed: Unread Gmail Favicon Flash Video Downloader (YouTube Downloader)

Browser Comparisons – Convenience Controlling your search engines

IE9 IE8 - Click down arrow to right of search bar,

select “Manage Search Providers”, you can disable, enable, remove, or set as default, or select “Find more providers”.

Chrome - Right-click address/search bar, select “Edit search engines” – make default or remove.

Firefox - Click search engine icon and “Manage Search Engines” – move them up or down in list, remove or get more.

Browser Comparisons – Convenience Permanent tabs outside browserIE9 & Win 7 - Pin tabs to taskbar

Drag tab to Win 7 taskbar

Chrome – App shortcuts on the desktopFor Apps from App Store - Click New Tab,

right-click App, select “Create Shortcut”, choose where, click Create

For other apps – open site, click wrench, Tools, Create application shortcuts, choose where, click Create

Browser Comparisons – Convenience Permanent tabs in browser

ChromePin tab to tab bar – right-click tab, click

“Pin tab”

FirefoxPin tab to tab bar – right-click tab, click

“Pin as App Tab”

Browser Comparisons – Convenience Useful New Tabs page

IE9 includes “Your most popular sites”

IE8Offers closed tabs, InPrivate browsing &

Accelerators

ChromeIncludes installed apps, most visited and

recently closed sites

Firefox Blank page

Browser Comparisons – Convenience Zooming, Highlighting

IE8 & 9 Zoom – Ctrl +/-Accelerator Button – highlight text & rt-click to blog, e-mail, search, map, translate, etc.

ChromeZoom – Ctrl +/- or wrench, Zoom +/-Highlight & rt-click to copy or search with Google

FirefoxZoom – Ctrl +/-Highlight &rt-click to search, choice of engines

Browser Comparisons – Convenience Feature unique to a browser

IE9 & Win 7Snap – drag 2nd tab to right edge of Win 7

screenWeb slices – on Favorites bar, click “Web

Slice gallery”, checks sites for updates even when IE is not running, available from IE Gallery

FirefoxTranslates pages not in browser’s language

Browser Comparisons – Themes and Personnas

IE8 & 9 None

ChromeClick New Tab icon, “Web Store”, “Themes”

FirefoxClick Firefox, Add-ons, Get Add-ons, at bottom right, “See all themes and Personnas”

Browser Comparisons – Synch

IE8 & 9 None

ChromeClick wrench, Options, Personal Stuff, Set up Synch

FirefoxClick Firefox, Options, Options, Synch tab