The Best Browser for Newer Macs

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Evan Kleiman - 2001.11.02

Q. What is the best browser for my newer Mac?

A. With many new versions of browsers out there, no one really knows just which one to choose as their browser of choice.

Netscape Six PR1

Netscape's latest release has many improvements over previous versions. It boasts many important features other browsers just don't have, such as built-in AIM and a built-in Web page editor. However, it still does have a few glitches and isn't yet my browser of choice. Since I've just had to restart my computer thanks to Netscape, it's stability isn't exactly great either, but it's only a preview release.

Since it takes up many of the system resources available to it (it wants 30 MB of RAM!), it's probably not the best choice for even those of us using a three- or four-year-old iMac or other PowerPC. However, once all its bugs get worked out, it'll be a very viable competitor in the market of new-age browsers.

In the end, while not as stable or as fast as it should be, Netscape has many features Internet Explorer and iCab just don't offer. Be sure to check it out if you have a newer Mac that will support it, but don't use it as your main browser.

Netscape 6 is greatest for those of you who enjoy testing the latest software, and are able to deal with the bugs associated with a beta project in order to experience the latest features and be on the cutting edge of the Internet time.

Internet Explorer 5

Internet Explorer Five is definitely my choice of browsers. It has all the features you really need to get the job done and some you don't. I have never used the "Auction Tracker" or "page holder" feature, etc. In this time of busting all Microsoft software, I feel the need to say this really is a solid package, and best of all, the price is free! (This does seem to be a rarity in the computing world, especially with Microsoft.)

Stability isn't much an issue with IE5, except with QuickTime and Shockwave. However, they have recently patched that, so if you're running IE 5 without the patch, make sure you head over to Microsoft.com and get it today, since it really does help out with the crashes. Of course, just like any of today's browsers, it does seem to be rather slow in doing pretty much anything, especially with me, since I use it with AOL as well.

In the end, Internet Explorer really does seem to be one of the best browsers for the Mac at this time.

Internet Explorer is best for those of use who do a lot of browsing, and will need to have for than one window open at one time, since IE 5.0 is much better than Netscape at handling memory. Also, it seems to be a little less crashey than the other two in this category, not like that really matter, since after the third or so window open, IE, Netscape, or iCab begins to crash a lot.

iCab 2.01

Until recently, iCab 2.01 really wasn't a great program for those of us using faster and newer computers, because it didn't really offer all of the features a mainline program did. However, now it can be a good competitor to Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. There are many great features in iCab that the other browsers don't offer, such as an improved HTML checker, and many others, not to mention its small size.

In the end, iCab is a great browser for anyone who wants to use it for just basic browsing, since it really doesn't offer any of the advanced features that Netscape or Internet Explorer do. It is still a great browser for testing Web pages and simple browsing.

There really are many different browsers out there for you to choose from. However, not everyone's experiences will be the same, so make sure you try them all if you're not happy with the browser your using.

Not sure if you should upgrade your old Mac or replace it? Check the Mac Daniel index to see if we've already addressed your problem.

Recent Mac Daniel columns

Bringing G3 iMacs and other G3 Macs into the Tiger Age, Dan Knight, 12.07. Tips on hard drives, memory, WiFi, and getting Mac OS X 10.4 installed on G3 iMacs and other older G3 Macs.
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