Hybrid Fire

Like to be on the “bleeding edge” of technology? Well I do. In keeping with that philosophy, my computer is filled with the latest programs, most of which shouldn’t be aren’t fully released yet. Because I spend obscene amounts of time on the interwebz, I naturally have a collection of web browsers, specifically IE 8, Google Chrome (4.0.206.1), and Mozilla Minefield (Namoroka 1.9.2a2pre). (NOTE: I’m running all these on windows 7)

I’m only mentioning IE because some have said it’s actually decent nowadays. They lie, and nobody serious about their internet would be considering it anyways.

So, the real issue is this: Google Chrome or Mozilla Minefield? Read on and decide for yourself.

Startup:

Winner: Chrome

Chrome wins this, hands down. Minefield isn’t terribly slow to startup, but it still lags behind, especially if you’ve just started your computer.

Updates:

Minefield probably gets updated more frequently than your anti-virus definitions. Virtually every restart has a new update to install. This good if you want fixes, bad if you just need your browser up instantly. Also, Minefield’s addons require restart and install, robbing you of a few precious seconds on life support the internet.

Speed:

Winner: Chrome

This is usually the deciding factor in making a decision.

I’m not gonna do a whole in-depth analysis of this, so I’ll just give you my general impressions.

Both Chrome and Minefield are very fast, but Chrome just strikes me as snappier. Worth mention is that, due to Chrome’s general sleekness, you’ll find yourself inputting info faster, further speeding your interweb browsing.

I did a very unscientific speed test against Facebook.  It seemed to me that Minefield was a tad faster than Chrome.

Because that speed test was full of fail, here’s a more in-depth Life Hacker article on it: Life Hacker Speed Comparison. The tl;dr version is that Chrome is generally faster, Minefield loads javascript faster, and Chrome will rape and pillage your computer’s memory.

Interface:

Navigation:

Winner: Chrome

Minefield has the same Firefox interface you’ve come to know over the years. You’ve got your same old menu bar, navigation buttons, url field, and miscellaneous search area. The navigation information and the search, as always, can be (re)moved.

By default, Chrome has a more streamlined interface. It has the aforementioned navigation buttons, though they can’t be moved. Chrome also integrates the new tabs into the normal window bar (the one you click/drag to move the window), further saving space. In addition, there are only two tiny menu buttons in Chrome, saving even more space. It also does that neat trick of emphasizing the parent part of the current page’s url.

The main input bars for each also feature a drop-down menu that reacts as you type. They both show suggested urls and matching history. Chrome’s is a bit more appealing, and does a better job at specifying what each link is.

Integrated Searching:

Winner: Minefield

Mozilla still has that secondary input field in the navbar for all your searching needs, with the ability to add many new sites to search at will. In addition, entering a non-url into the url field will either go into Google’s first result or show you the result screen.

Google’s obsession with saving space has nearly streamlined the search feature into oblivion. While just entering text into the navbar will search google for it, searching other sites… different. You type in the url of the site (ie “youtube.com”), press tab, then enter whatever search terms you want to use.

While it’s usually a matter of preference between typing out the site to search or clicking the site on a drop down menu, the fact is that Firefox/Minefield still has many more search-able sites.

Tabs:

Winner: Chrome

By default, a new tab in Minefield doesn’t do much of anything. A new tab in the new Chrome, however, displays 6 most visited links, recently closed tabs, and your bookmarks.

Chrome’s ability to drag, drop, and shuffle tabs is also top rate, fitting easily into the split-screen style of windows 7. Mozilla, on the other hand, isn’t as native with ripping tabs off the rest of the family.

Minefield has a new “List All Tabs” button, but I find I don’t use it much.

Status Bar:

Winner: Tie

For those obsessed with screen space (laptop/netbook users, especially), Chrome’s statusbar is slim and disappears when not in use, maximizing your viewing area.

Minefield/Firefox, on the other hand, always has a status bar. While it’s generally useless, it proves itself irreplaceable for some awesome addons.

Expandability:

Winner: Minefield by a mile

Because both browsers are still in development, this is a touchy issue. Minefield has access to the bulk of Firefox’s addons. A good portion are straight-up compatible, some require Nightly Tester Tools to install, and some won’t work even after that. Because addons are possibly the best reason to use Firefox, I’ll list some comparability below:

Compatable:

• Add Block Plus (and the Element Hiding Helper)
• Nightly Tester Tools

Compatible with Nightly Tester Tools:

• Extended Statusbar
• Download Statusbar
• Autopager
• Hide Menubar
• Video Download Helper
• Locationbar

Don’t Even Think About It:

• Tab Mix Plus – Last time I tried this, it worked for a spell, then caused Minefox to essentially implode. Backup important system files before trying.
• Platypus – Even trying to use causes Minefield to freeze up.

The neat thing about Chrome is that it does by default what Minefield/Firefox users have to find an addon for. Ever rising to the challenge, Chrome has also added some script support. That means that some of your favorite greasemonkey scripts may work with Chrome. However, this is much less polished than a full-fledged addon and you’ll have to use trial/error to determine which scripts will even work. That said, Chrome currently has limited (but functional) adblock and autopage scripts available after some hunting around.

Bottom line: Chrome does more from the start, but Minefield lets the dedicated user do most anything they could desire.

Website Compatibility:

In general, any decent site will support both browsers in question. There are, of course, a few exceptions (such as w3schools >_<). Also, each browser will render pages a tad differently, but it usually isn’t much of an issue.

Summary:

You may look at the tally and say that Chrome’s a surefire winner. That’s not the case. I’d say that Chrome is best for a basic user who just want something that’s fast, easy, and functional. Those of you who want a fast browser and then a whole lot more, Minefield’s for you.

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