Browser Speed Wars

[Thorin]

Microsoft tests how browsers work, presumably to figure out where to focus their speed optimization effort, only to find out that it depends on the content: http://www.conceivablytech.com/2511/products/microsoft-javascript-is-only-20-30-of-browser-performance/

At the same time, Google is trying to make Chrome's rendering engine quicker by using the GPU:
http://www.conceivablytech.com/2463/products/google-confirms-chrome-7-gpu-acceleration/

[Lazybones]

Microsoft tests how browsers work, presumably to figure out where to focus their speed optimization effort, only to find out that it depends on the content: http://www.conceivablytech.com/2511/products/microsoft-javascript-is-only-20-30-of-browser-performance/

At the same time, Google is trying to make Chrome's rendering engine quicker by using the GPU:
http://www.conceivablytech.com/2463/products/google-confirms-chrome-7-gpu-acceleration/

Of note, Microsoft first announced GPU support, followed by Mozilla with Google last to announce it... Who will release a WORKING official release first is up in the air.

[Darren Dirt]

So MS is finally acknowledging that most/all of the "11 subsystems" are so last decade, that they are revamping most/all of them and implying that other browsers are now gonna be left behind?

Methinks Safari and Chrome users would disagree. AFAIK supporters of those browsers have never claimed that Javascript = the end all and be all of browser speed. Only that making that more efficient = a signficant impact on the average visitor to the interweb. Rendering a page is also a huge difference in these browsers vs. IE ... but maybe IE9 will keep MS in the race in this area, and others.

Competition is good. BS hype marketing, not so much.



PS: [amazingly] on-topic link: http://www.liewcf.com/google-chrome-5-beta-speed-5169/

[Mr. Analog]

There's a fine line between performance, GUI and features.

I like Chrome for its speed and its GUI.

I like Firefox for it's features, but that's about it.

IE8? I just don't use it for much other than logging into sites like OWA.

[Darren Dirt]

IE8? I just don't use it for much other than logging into GoA's "MyAgent".

[Mr. Analog]

IE8? I just don't use it for much other than logging into GoA's "MyAgent".

At work I am forced to use IE6, LOOK UPON ME AND LAMENT

[Thorin]

At work I am forced to use IE6, LOOK UPON ME AND LAMENT

Silver Lining Guy says, "At least it's not IE5.0!".

I like Chrome for it's as-much-as-possible-showing-the-page.  I like Firefox because it has that nifty open-all-these-bookmarks-at-once feature.  Oh, and Adblock Plus.  It's weird looking at other people's browsers with things flashing up trying to sell stuff...  I use IE when debugging my web app, only because I'm guaranteed to not have it running for anything else so there's no oops-closed-all-my-tabs-to-stop-debugging.

Nevertheless, it's nice to see that they're back to trying to innovate, and it's nice to see that they're actually studying what to improve rather than just blindly deciding.  DD, I don't see MS's release of their where-should-we-optimize-first study as BS hype marketing, and it seems you're implying that.  Rather, I see it as an honest effort to try and figure out what really makes the web tick.

Although they did miss those tres importante parts: Slow Servers and the dreaded All Your Neighbours On The Line.

[Darren Dirt]

IE8? I just don't use it for much other than logging into GoA's "MyAgent".

At work I am forced to use IE6, LOOK UPON ME AND LAMENT

IE6.x = security holes, can't be plugged, must upgrade to IE7.

Might wanna take to your IT admin guys...

it's nice to see that they're back to trying to innovate, and it's nice to see that they're actually studying what to improve rather than just blindly deciding.  DD, I don't see MS's release of their where-should-we-optimize-first study as BS hype marketing, and it seems you're implying that.  Rather, I see it as an honest effort to try and figure out what really makes the web tick.

I hope you're right ... but to a lot of web gurus I suspect this kind of announcement/article = "too little too late" from Big Redmond.

[Mr. Analog]

IE8? I just don't use it for much other than logging into GoA's "MyAgent".

At work I am forced to use IE6, LOOK UPON ME AND LAMENT

IE6.x = security holes, can't be plugged, must upgrade to IE7.

Might wanna take to your IT admin guys...

Uhhh, yeah, lets just say that all these web apps for a certain large institution were written specifically for the spawn of satan (IE6) and to rewrite them all will cost millions, so they put their head in the sand and hope that their level of firewall protection will save them (don't even mention script injection, it makes their heads explode like "Scanners").

[Darren Dirt]

IE9 release making "mainstream" news sites...

not just
http://www.pcworld.com/article/205500/internet_explorer_9_beta_ui_smackdown.html/

but also
http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/Microsoft+release+latest+browser/3527943/story.html


meanwhile... elsewhere on the interweb:

[Mr. Analog]

I think people mostly hate IE because of the reeking legacy left by IE6. I have no problem with them updating their browser (faster/better/stronger).

I have tons of problems with the maroons who decided that it would be "cheaper" to write practically every core Gov't web app to be IE6 compatible.

All that considered, I don't bother with IE. I'll stick with Chrome the same way I stuck with Firefox (that is to say once it starts sucking enough I want to move to something better/different).

[Lazybones]

Even Microsoft is trying to kill off IE6 by ending support and advancing IE... However there are a number of apps I still find that ONLY work in IE..

Or like my web banking ONLY work in IE and Safari... IE the default browsers on PC and MAC...

However most webkit browsers will work with sites built for Safari, but oddly enough sometimes Firefox will not...

Chrome crapshoot for some sites as it confuses detection scripts, but it has slowly become my default browser.