Overall Scores
Every browser has a unique value proposition for each user, and maybe you need certain features more than others. What if you ranked each browser in a few major categories, first place through fifth, then divided their sum showings by the total possible?
Here’s how that would shake out, if the competition included cold starts, nine-tab loading, JavaScript, DOM/CSS, and memory use.
- Opera: 80%
- Chrome 10 (Stable): 76%
- Chrome 11 (Dev): 68%
- Firefox 4: 60%
- Internet Explorer 9: 24%
A few caveats, then: Internet Explorer 9 is actually a pretty nice browser to use, once it’s loaded, and with memory as an out-of-mind concern. And Firefox 4 definitely feels faster, snappier, and less prone to drifting into lag-iness.