Caleb Stephens ‘24
Staff Editor
We all spend so much time on our devices, but how much do we actually think about how we’re accessing the internet? No, this isn’t a VPN ad, I’m talking about your internet browser. I know you’ve all seen Internet Explorer, and immediately used it to download another browser, but have you even considered using something other than Chrome? In light of this, the Law Weekly proudly presents a rambling guide to your favorite browsers.
Chrome: The standard browser most of you probably use. Chrome is a solid option, providing the base level for basically all browsers. Chrome allows you to link to your Google account, providing seamless access to the myriad services provided by Google (all hail the Google overlords). The only major drawback to this beauteous vision of the future is that Chrome takes up a lot of your CPU when it’s running. For those of us who don’t speak the language of the coming robotic/AI/artificially augmented humans/virtual reality revolution, your computer is more likely to overheat if you have a lot of tabs open in Chrome versus the same amount open in some other browsers. Or it is more likely to overheat and freeze if you’re using something that makes your computer work really hard at the same time as your browser (like playing the latest, greatest version of Skyrim that allows fishing while on a Zoom call in your browser, your Spotify app, messages, and your timesheet for your summer job). Chrome does allow extensions and bookmarks, some of which can completely change your browsing experience (for the uninitiated, extensions allow you to add features to your browser, such as a text to speech translator, a VPN, a translator, or basically anything else you can think of).
Safari: Ah, all Ye Apple snobs. Probably the people most likely to be reading this and thinking, oh this definitely doesn’t apply to “me.” But, while Safari is definitely the best “default” browser, it’s far from perfect. It offers great basic functionality, getting the job done, but it has a serious lack of customization options. Admittedly, that is Apple’s entire M.O.—oversimplification for ease of use—but it does come at the expense of features that could be desirable, such as hotkeys or the vast library of Chrome-based extensions.
Internet Explorer: Do I even need to say anything? All of you have had to use Internet Explorer, and all of you have hated it.
Microsoft Edge: A newer, better version of Internet Explorer. It’s a much better basic browser, but it will occasionally break internet pages. Decent, but probably not a great choice for your full-time browser.
Firefox: The second best, really. Probably the best option for plugins. Firefox is the classic open-source browser, allowing those of you who really know what you’re doing to change what you want, but for the rest of us, Firefox just remains a solid option. It has good modification choices, but its bookmark feature leaves something to be desired.
Brave: Brave is more of a niche browser, but it provides a more secure experience than most of the other options on this list. Brave is basically a re-skinned version of Firefox that’s slightly more secure, but a little bit less elegant. It’s worth trying, but it’s probably not the best option for everyday use.
Opera: Opera is an elegant vision of a different sort of browser, one that uses mouse gestures instead of keys, like conducting an orchestra through your tabs. Opera runs well, and it’s fairly light, adding more custom options than most of the basic browsers, including a free VPN. The main catch is that it was recently purchased by a group of Chinese investors, which has raised concerns among some privacy groups. Opera also offers a gaming version, Opera GX, which basically is a dark mode Opera (unless you want to go in and customize how much RAM, CPU, and network bandwidth you want to use, in which case, this is a great option).
Vivaldi: My personal favorite, Vivaldi, offers a ridiculous amount of customization. Do you want the address bar on the bottom of the screen instead of at the top? You can do that. Do you want to make elegant mouse gestures like Opera? That’s an option too (mainly because the developer team from Opera left and started Vivaldi when Opera was purchased). Do you want a custom color scheme, set up in literally whatever colors you want? You can do that too. Do you want to open the link you have open on your computer on your phone? Just hit the QR code button, and it’ll generate a QR code for your phone to scan. Vivaldi is the home of any new innovative features in browsers, as well as being more secure, based in Norway, which has pretty strong privacy laws. It even offers a quick setup with default options for those of you who don’t want to choose which options you want.
Bonus round: mobile
Safari: Really, I’m just waiting for Vivaldi to make a mobile version for iOS, but while we’re all waiting for that to happen, Safari is probably the best browser for mobile use for iPhones. If you’re on an Android, you can compensate for the pain of having to use the UVA Guest Wi-Fi network by having access to Vivaldi on mobile. Unfortunately, there is not yet an iOS version available, so I have no idea how good it is. Reach out and let me know any of your thoughts, harsh criticisms, or alternative solutions on browsers, and, until then, good luck with the UVA Wi-Fi.
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cs8ws@virginia.edu