Really fast browser?(avant)

[rridgely]

Have any of you tried the latest version of the avant browser? I just installed it and well, it seems really fast...

Its so hard(for me anyway) to actually tell if it really is faster then firefox/IE/Opera but pages just seem to be popping up faster to me(sometimes I think "faster browsing" is just in my mind). Give it a shot and tell me what you think:

http://www.filehippo.com/download_avant_browser/

 

Other then seeming to be fast this IE shell has:

Flash Animation Filter

Built-in AD/Pop-up Blocker

Built-in RSS/ATOM Reader.

Additional Mouse Functions

Multi-Window Browsing

Real Full Screen Mode and Alternative Full Desktop mode

Built-in Search Engine

Full IE Compatibility

Control Your Privacy

No security holes

Safe Recovery

Skins

Available in 41 languages

 

 

Just be warned the default skin is really ugly(there are others) and the built in search uses some rebranded yahoo for some reason.(but lukily you can change it, its just a pain to do so)

[mfenech]

Use this site to test browser speeds: http://www.numion.com/Stopwatch/index.html?

[Andavari]

I've tried Avant within just the past six months and really didn't like it.

 

If you want a really slow browser just downgrade to IE6, and you'll be in "please wait while the page is loading" heaven, or is that hell.

[rridgely]

Try this new version andavari.

I tried the betas and they didn't seem nearly as solid as this one build does. I still probably wont use it full time.

[Anthony A]

I tried Avant back in November and didn't like it. It seemed like a cheap Maxthon to me. I will look at it again though and see if it's any better now. They have quite a few more skins now than they did when I tried it which is good because the default was very ugly. It gave me a head ache using it.

 

I noticed these IE shell browsers all look the same and have the same features. I have used Maxthon, Avant, Crazy Browser, Slim Browser, Green Browser, and I think another one. They are all very similar. So I kept and use Maxthon because it had the most addons and Skins and is very stable for me.

[rridgely]

Thanks for the browser test site.

It didn't beat firefox on zdnet or MS's site but it was only like .5 seconds or so difference between the. I guess it was in my head.

[Anthony A]

I tried a little test on that speed site. Maxthon, IE7, Firefox, Opera.

 

IE7 won consistently followed very closely by Maxthon. Than Firefox and Opera last.

 

We are talking fractions of a second here but that's the order they finished in. I used the same site for each browser and tried several different sites and IE7 is the fastest.

[rridgely]

The thing is though if you used maxthon first I believe it and IE share a cache so IE7 may have already had most of the page before you clicked the link. Run CCleaner in between testing each browser.

[Anthony A]

The thing is though if you used maxthon first I believe it and IE share a cache so IE7 may have already had most of the page before you clicked the link. Run CCleaner in between testing each browser.

 

 

I used IE7 first than Maxthon (yes they do share the same cache). Even though I don't like IE7 that much I did notice even before this test that it is very fast. Opera surprised me at being last. IE7 is also by far the fastest at launching. When I click the IE icon in my quick launch area of the Task Bar IE7 is instantly there. Firefox is the slowest at launching by far. I don't really care about the launching though it's not that important to me. Once it's launched they are all so close that it doesn't matter.

[Andavari]

Try this new version andavari.

I didn't like it before, therefore there's a probability of zero I'd like it now. I didn't have any problems with it when I tried it - I just didn't like it.

[hazelnut]

I didn't like it before, therefore there's a probability of zero I'd like it now. I didn't have any problems with it when I tried it - I just didn't like it.

 

 

I take it, that's a no then

[Anthony A]

I tried this out for a few hours and it's buggy. It was better before and I didn't like it than. Drag and drop just doesn't work half the time. The full screen mode is a problem to. It doesn't return the browser to the same config I had it before I selected full screen. Ad block is not very good either. Misses a lot of stuff and adding to the black list is a pain. No more right click and add to black list like it had before. There are some other things to but I am going to pass on Avant again.

[fullbug]

I have been using Avant for years and really like it, lots of skins, works fast, and I like how you can display 7 or 8 of your favourite links in an added toolbar, also I couldnt imagine life without Autofill (I aint paying money to Roboform for a feature I can get for free and works great), I dont find it buggy at all....

[Anthony A]

I also don't like how Avant hi jacks your default browser setting. Even though I select not to set Avant as default it sets itself as default.

[rridgely]

Orange and red browser? I think that would hurt my eyes.

[DJpailo]

I still use internet Explorer.

 

I found avant just too simple, and didn't like it much

I got annoyed with losing my favourites all the time in firefox.

Opera was too complicated

[Anthony A]

I still use internet Explorer.

 

I found avant just too simple, and didn't like it much

 

It doesn't get much more simple than IE. I don't like Avant but it has much more features than IE. Safari was the only browser I have used that sucks worse than IE.

[JohnDemolition]

Safari is not worse than IE. It's much much better.

[Anthony A]

Safari is not worse than IE. It's much much better.

 

 

I would be interested in why you think that.

 

Here are a few of my reasons I think Safari is worse.

 

1)Not very configurable. Couldn't move things around like I want to. Try Opera and you will know what configurable is all about. Maxthon 2 also.

2)No add blocking or support for a addon to block it. IE7 has IE7 Pro

3)No support for any addons period. Since Safari is so basic it needs it. No spell check, as mentioned no add block, no Google Tool Bar etc.

4) I hate the book marks. I could not find a button to open them in the side bar unless I had the links bar showing which I don't want.

5) Poor tab options. Not much control over what I can do with them.

6) Speed was overrated. IE7 is most definitely faster. I find IE7 faster than Firefox even.

 

I did like the Snap Back feature.

Also like the skin but I can get Mac skins for Opera, Firefox, and Maxthon that look even better than the one on Safari.

 

Over all I find it to be very limiting and basic. I can't think of a single reason to use it. Understand I have 6 browsers installed that I use regularly. 2 versions of Opera, 2 versions of Maxthon, IE7 with IE7 Pro, and of course Firefox 2 with 13 extensions.

I have also used Flock, Avant, Slim browser, Crazy browser, Green browser, K melon, IE6 and a few lesser known ones.

[JohnDemolition]

1)don't see why you would want to. The default configuration is fine.

 

2)Not really a necessity. also note that IE7Pro is a third party tool as well as Ad-Block.

 

3)Opera doesn't either but a little bit more functionality in Safari would be nice(out of the box that is)

 

4)Bookmarks are a thing of the past . Opera's startbar wins

 

5)i kind of agree with you there. When i used Safari, it didn't open any links in a new tab for some reason. When i forcefully open them in new tabs, it just doesn't feel right. At least they're better than IE7's tabs...

 

6)Safari was faster for me.

[Anthony A]

1)don't see why you would want to. The default configuration is fine.

 

2)Not really a necessity. also note that IE7Pro is a third party tool as well as Ad-Block.

 

3)Opera doesn't either but a little bit more functionality in Safari would be nice(out of the box that is)

 

4)Bookmarks are a thing of the past . Opera's startbar wins

 

5)i kind of agree with you there. When i used Safari, it didn't open any links in a new tab for some reason. When i forcefully open them in new tabs, it just doesn't feel right. At least they're better than IE7's tabs...

 

6)Safari was faster for me.

 

 

1) I like to tinker that's why I have 6 browsers.

 

2) No browser comes with everything so addons are nice to personalize the browser.

 

3) Opera does not support addons but there are hundreds of "custom buttons" that really add to the features of Opera. Aspell also works well in Opera so I have a good spell checker.

 

4) I don't get what you mean about Opera's start bar. I use side bars for book marks. Opera lets me put it on the right as does the Firefox addon All In One Side Bar.

 

5) We are in agreement

 

6) All my browsers are fast on cable. It's just that Safari is making a big deal about how much faster it is when at best it was equal and in the case of IE7 it was actually slower.