Microsoft stopped development of Internet Explorer for the Mac a long time ago. But if you’re new to the Mac, you should know there are plenty of capable Macintosh browsers. While Safari comes bundled with Mac OS X, Camino, Firefox, Flock, iCab, OmniWeb, Opera, and Shiira are all worth checking out. All of these eight browsers provide:
- Tabbed browsing
- Tab grouping (save a bunch of tabbed locations with one bookmark)
- Search box for fast Google, et. al. searches
- Popup and ad blocking
- Bookmark importing
- Inline searching
- RSS feed reading (iCab excluded)
Since I last reviewed these browsers, Westlaw has overhauled its interface and several of the browsers in question have changed substantially. So let’s see what else these browsers offer and how well they handle LexisNexis and Westlaw. Unless otherwise noted, all of these browsers are free.
Camino 1.5.5
Camino is built on the same codebase that powers Firefox, but the interface is designed specifically for the Mac. Camino is a smooth, quick browser. The philosophy behind Camino is that it should do only the most important things and nothing more. It has a clean, uncluttered interface. You can download Camino for free from www.caminobrowser.com.
LexisNexis
- New pages open in the original window, unless you command-click to open them in a new tab.
- Print and email pop-up dialog boxes require scrolling.
- FAST Print and copy with cite do not appear.
- Cite navigation tools at the bottom of the page do not appear.
Westlaw
- No identifiable problems found.
Firefox 2.0.2.12
If you want to make your web browser the center of your online activities, you’ll love Firefox. A tremendous array of add-ons for this browser support everything from playing music and grabbing RSS feeds to blog editing and managing eBay bids. If Camino is a “less is more” browser, Firefox is a “more is more” browser. Firefox is a cross-platform browser, so it doesn’t have a “made for Mac” feel. Snag it for free at www.getfirefox.com.
LexisNexis
- FAST Print and copy with cite do not appear.
- Cite navigation tools at the bottom of the page do not appear.
Westlaw
- No identifiable problems found.
Flock 1.0.9
Flock is all about social networks, media sharing, and feed reading. If you are a flickr-obsessed, Facebook-addicted, blog-reading, YouTube-watchin’ fiend, Flock wants you. Flock eschews the traditional browser accoutrements in favor of sidebars and thumbnails. Built on the Firefox codebase, it even takes care of tired 20th century tasks like displaying Web pages. Snag it at www.flock.com.
LexisNexis
- Print and email pop-up dialog boxes require scrolling.
- FAST Print and copy with cite do not appear.
- Cite navigation tools at the bottom of the page do not appear.
Westlaw
- No identifiable problems found.
iCab 4.01
German developer Alexander Clauss has been bringing out new versions of this Mac-only browser since 1999. It was designed for configurability. It provides lots of filtering ability so you can tweak settings for cookies, JavaScript, ad filtering, and so on. You can also download web pages in the background and archive them for later offline reading. Though iCab costs $25, you can use it with a nag screen for free. Grab iCab at: www.icab.de.
LexisNexis
- Case download function does not work at all.
- New pages open in the original window, unless you command-click to open them in a new tab.
- FAST Print and copy with cite do not appear.
- Cite navigation tools at the bottom of the page do not appear.
Westlaw
- Command-click does not open window in a new tab; must change preferences to make all links open in tabs.
- With preferences set to open windows in new tabs, popups appear as full windows.
OmniWeb 5.6
OmniWeb is a Mac-only browser with several interesting features. Most notably, OmniWeb tabs display thumbnail images of each open page, arranged vertically along the side of the browser window, so you can jump back and forth between pages based on visual cues. OmniWeb costs $14.95 (there is no educational discount), but you can try it before you buy. Check it out at www.omnigroup.com/applications/omniweb/.
LexisNexis
- No identifiable problems found.
Westlaw
- No identifiable problems found.
Opera 9.26
Opera is a multi-platform browser that has been built with a focus on speed and security. The interface takes some getting used to, because some functions that you’re used to seeing as pulldown menus that activate popup windows are instead shown next to the main viewing area. Opera includes some clever features like a built-in BitTorrent client and Speed Dial, a quick-access thumbnail shortcut tool. Grab it at www.opera.com.
LexisNexis
- FAST Print and copy with cite do not appear.
- Cite navigation tools at the bottom of the page do not appear.
Westlaw
- Command-click does not open window in a new tab; email and other functions open in same window rather than new window
Safari 3.1
Safari is Apple’s own browser, so as you’d expect, it has a smooth built for Mac feel. This browser uses the WebKit engine, which also powers OmniWeb and Shiira. It has a very well-implemented inline search feature that makes found words impossible to miss. One little-known Safari feature allows you to drag open the text box in an online form if you need more room to type.
LexisNexis
- Print and email pop-up dialog boxes require scrolling.
Westlaw
- No identifiable problems found.
Shiira 2.2
The Japanese developers behind this browser have created a unique and interesting app. Tab Exposé is its signature feature. Exposé in Mac OS X takes all of your open application and Finder windows and distributes them across the screen so you can easily jump from window to window. Tab Exposé does this with all of your open browser windows. Shiira is free and can be downloaded at shiira.jp/en.php.
LexisNexis
- Pop-up windows appear as full-sized windows, and an unnecessary intermediate window is also added.
- The close button does not work in pop-up windows (but windows can still be closed using the standard close button in the upper left of the window).
Westlaw
- No identifiable problems found.
So Which Browser is Best?
That depends on your needs, of course. For LexisNexis use, OmniWeb and Safari are the top dogs. Because Westlaw is more universally compatible, any of these browsers will do. Beyond that, browser use is a matter of preference. Flock will likely appeal to you if you want to more efficiently waste time. If you like your browser bristling with modifications, Firefox may be more to your liking. Camino is good if you like a minimum of distractions. Although iCab, Opera, and Shiira are all off the beaten track, all three are capable browsers; you may find one of them has just the right feel.
Popups, Tabs, and Windows
In all of these browsers, settings for the treatment of popups, tabs, and windows can be altered in the preferences menu. I only made notes regarding these in situations where correction of a popup, tab, or window display issue was not relatively obvious.
Customizing Your Browser
Add-ons for Camino can be found at PimpMyCamino. I confess to never having tried any of these, perhaps because much of the reason I like Camino is for its simplicity.
There are a huge variety of add-ons for Firefox. One of them, Greasemonkey, uses snippets of JavaScript to help you customize how a web page is displayed. This might be useful in dealing with some of the (admittedly minor) issues associated with LexisNexis in Firefox. I haven’t tried it.
There are some plugins for Opera, but few go beyond the basics.
There are also several plugins for Safari, which can be found at PimpMySafari. At least one of these plugins works with Shiira.
A Note About the Definition of “Browser”
When I posted a similar review last February, a few readers took issue with my use of the number “eight” to describe the number of browsers being reviewed. After all, the heart of any web browser is its rendering engine, and there are only three rendering engines involved here: Core-2 is the foundation of Opera; Mozilla powers Camino, Firefox, and Flock; and iCab, OmniWeb, Safari, and Shiira are all built on WebKit.
My contention is that the rendering engine is only part of what defines a browser. While the rendering engine affects how LexisNexis and Westlaw display on screen, there’s more to browsing than rendering pages. The differences between Camino and Firefox are an excellent illustration of this. Each of these browsers was created with a specific design philosophy in mind, and even a cursory examination of even a few of them reveals that they are distinct products. Finally, considering every browser with the same rendering engine to be functionally equivalent disregards the time and effort their developers put into design and programming.
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