News & Views

Last month, I reviewed three Web browsers for the Mac -- Firefox, Camino, and OmniWeb. My point was to show you, dear readers, that there are some good alternatives to Safari and Internet Explorer; alternatives that many would never think to use.

Well, it turns out that many readers actually enjoyed reading helpful information. This unusual -- and arguably unholy -- reflection forced me to pause and contemplate my goals when writing this column: Do people want to read my incessant, opinionated diatribes regarding the Mac World, or do they want to read useful articles that assist them when working with their Macs? Apparently -- and call me crazy here -- its the latter. Whoda thunk it?

Since response to last months column was so positive, I decided to extend it and look at three more Web browsers available for the Mac platform. I bet you didnt even know so many existed, did you?

Opera

Opera is a fairly-powerful Web browser designed to be a full-blown alternative to Internet Explorer, on both Windows and the Mac. Like most other browsers, Opera sports tabbed-browsing, sophisticated bookmark management, and a quick-search field next to the address bar.

And, um, yeah. Thats Opera.

Truthfully, Opera is pretty unimpressive. It offers nothing Bed- Wettingly Awesome -- like the advanced tab-management in OmniWeb or the full range of plug-ins for Firefox -- and is not very intuitive compared to simpler browsers like Safari. Keyboard shortcuts, which are typically uniform across different browsers, are sporadic and inconsistent, and fiddling with bookmarks can be a Royal Pain In The Rear.

But not alls brain-numbingly la-la in Opera Land. Opera does comes with an integrated e-mail and RSS client, both of which rest in a sidebar next to the Web page viewing area -- a nice feature if youre inclined to constantly check your e-mail; but it takes up a good deal of space and is tedious to continually open and close.
OK, thats it.

See, folks, this where I elaborate on all the extra neat-o features in Opera, like the e-mail client thing, the note-taking doohickey, and the various browser toolbars. But as Im sitting here, trying to figure out what that button does and why its placed Here as opposed to being There, and why a particular sidebar disappeared and where the heck to find it
well, its occurring to me that this app wholly resembles a bureaucratic Board of Directors: dozens of good ideas smashed into a single project, but no idea really presenting itself well. Its so disorganized and counter-intuitive, finding what you want to find and configuring it to work the way you want it to work is like training a cat to sit -- itll stare at you, taunting your every effort, then walk away and pee on the carpet.

My best advice for those of you eager to find a browser that doesnt rhyme with Ferrari or Ballot Box is to go to www.opera.com and check it out for yourself.

Following the trend of Web Browsers That Start With The Letter O, Opera, like OmniWeb, is not free. They do offer a free version (wink, wink, nudge), but theres a big-honkin banner advertisement at the top of the browser window.

Purchasing Opera will set you back $39 -- a wad of cash better spent elsewhere.

(Editors Note: Since this writing, Operas price has changed: It is now free from www.opera.com.)

Shiira

Shiira is a browser that just screams Computer Science student with too much time on his hands. The best way to describe the intent of this browser is to think of a timid, weakling Safari on steroids. Unfortunately, the intent was better than the execution.

Shiira boasts most of the features common in many other browsers, and takes a special interest in out-Safariing Safari: it uses the same Konquerer engine, and has designed its tabs to look and operate very similarly (ie, each tab has a close button and a load-indicator).

But Shiira does offer some interesting doo-dads that set itself apart from the browser we all know and love. Take, for example, Tab Expos: if you have a window full of tabs, finding The One That Has What Youre Looking For could be as tedious as scratching an itch on your own back; in Shiira, however, clicking F8 magically takes those tabs and presents the pages across the screen the way Expos presents regular windows. Select the page youre looking and blammo: no more exhaustive searches.

Another impressive feature of Shiira is the ability to load multiple links with a single click. If theres, say, a paragraph of text with links here and there, just highlight the whole paragraph, right- click, and select Open All Links in New Tabs -- it will do exactly as it says, saving you from having to click, click, click, click to view every page linked in that paragraph.

Shiira, however, has its problems. The Tab Expos is slow and clunky, and the browser window itself seems bulky, primitive, and even amateurishly designed. The Google search box doesnt have the infamous SnapBack feature that so many seem to love, and RSS support is nowhere to be found.

But if, for some reason, youre looking for a Safari-like Safari replacement, Shiiras for you. And for the great price of $0 (from http://hmdt-web.net/shiira/en), its worth every penny.

iCab

iCabs website describes this app as a web browser for the Macintosh
and thats pretty much all that it is.

The one feature that seems to distinguish this old-fashioned browser that sounds like a menu item at Red Lobster from other, more mature browsers is what the developers call the Filter Manager. What is the Filter Manager, you ask? To put it simply: Its something you want to avoid. Its a sophisticated set of configurations that you can set for specific Web sites, tweaking them to behave the way you want. Unfortunately, doing so requires reading through a lengthy tutorial and a masters degree in Computer Science. iCabs Web site offers a set of pre-configured Filters, but I cant figure out what the heck any of them do.

Some of you may say thats bad reporting on my part. I say its good warning to you users out there who are too busy with actual work to fiddle around with things that baffle even the pros. (Hey, I hear that snickering. Shut up.)

iCab offers very little else in terms of an unique browsing experience. Its technically in beta, and free, from www.icab.de. But be warned: when, or if, its ever completed, the developers do plan to charge for a Pro version.

The Conclusion

While there are plenty of Web browser alternatives out there, it seems smart to stick with the popular ones: Safari, Firefox, and OmniWeb. Supporting the Little Guy is good and all, but when youre looking for something dependable, modern, and simple, you cant go wrong when using a browser that everyones concerned about. In the end, it really comes down to preference: if you pick the one that feels right -- like a brand new car that handles just the way you want -- then youll be happy. If you get one simply because its cool
well, thats why car dealerships dont have decent return policies.

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Dan Pourhadi is a freelance technology writer from the Chicago suburbs. Aside from writing for Passages, he has contributed to MacAddict Magazine and writes a weekly column for Macteens.com. He maintains a fitfully-updated, though semi-interesting blog at www.pourhadi.com.
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Enjoy
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Regards,
Dan Pourhadi