Fast Track
IE might have a great head-start as a browser, but is quite slow off the block in regular browsing. Surprisingly, it was quite fast during the browser startup test, losing narrowly to Chrome. It scored the lowest in the CSS/JavaScript test and it was on the slower side while opening up pages and multiple tabs. There were also some problems while playing Flash, image, and multimedia heavy sites. In compatibility tests, while it passed the aCID2 test, it fared miserably in the aCID3 test scoring a lowly 21. and contrary to popular belief, it didn't hog system resources.

Safe Passage
IE provides a myriad security options which you can implement for a safer browsing experience. We found that it was almost at par with Firefox and comes with a lot of security features. Apart from the already packed security features, IE8 offers anonymous browsing (In Private) leaving no trace of your surfing history. Also IE8 has separate processes for individual tabs in a browser window.

Net Worth
So in the end, we found that Internet Explorer 8 has improved on a lot of features like speed, performance, security, and also packs in some cleverly crafted features getting a final score of 86. but it still has some catching up to do with Firefox and Opera in terms of usability and features.

Google Chrome

This was one browser, which generated a lot of interest at the time of its launch because it was a Google product and since Google products and services are known for their simplicity and clever innovation, we delved into its various aspects with great anticipation. And sure enough it has some little gems hidden inside its petite frame.

Look and Feel
The first thing that we noticed was Chrome's unusual interface. It has a simple look and feel but provides a wider space for viewing Web pages. There is a tab bar in place of the title bar with no menu bar and toolbars cluttering the interface. The one thing that caught our fancy was the address bar (also known as the 'Omnibar') which doubles up as a search bar. apart from giving suggestions on the URL that you entered, Chrome also lets you search directly from the address bar. When opening new tabs, Chrome displays a preview of sites in the new tab which is like Opera's Speed Dial. However, unlike Opera where you need to add the sites, Chrome automatically displays recently visited sites.

There are no advance navigational options—only the Forward/ back and Refresh buttons are available.as for customizability, it came as no surprise to us that there was nothing to speak of. This was understandable because Chrome's prime focus is giving users more surfing space and not unnecessary embellishments. We would say that Chrome might not have the polish of other browsers, but has a clean look with some innovative features thrown in.

Feature Set
Chrome is not loaded with features, but is notable in that you can create application shortcuts to a Web page on the desktop, providing easy access to Web pages without the need to open up a browser. a handy feature that is also available in Chrome is resizing areas like the comment box in a Web page. Apart from that, features that other browsers have, like a basic bookmarking manager, full search engine functionality, support for addons, news feeds, password management, etc are not that developed. So it is fair to say that Chrome may have some unique features but it is too stripped down.

Fast Track
Although light on the feature-front, Chrome's browsing speed is its forte. It started up in a jiffy and in the CSS tests, it was only second to Safari. It was the fastest during the JavaScript test timing at an impressive 2,712. 6ms. It was also one of the fastest where site-loading was concerned but it had some issues with content heavy sites. In aCID3 test, it came out pretty well with a score of 79. In contrast to its light-weight image, Chrome hogged more system resources than any of the other browsers. Despite these shortcomings, we feel that Chrome's speed is impressive and that is exactly what we were looking for.

Safe Passage
Getting on to security and privacy, Chrome offers some useful and innovative features like tab isolation where tabs can be separated from the main window. It also offers an Incognito window for privately viewing sites. Other than this, Chrome offers basic security features like anti-phishing, content blocking, encryption support, etc, but misses out on some advanced protection. But, overall, it is secure enough for your daily net usage.

Net Worth
So, to be fair, we can say that Chrome is quite impressive considering it is a completely new browser. Its heart is in the right place as it focuses on browsing rather than concentrating on bloated elements. but it is still too barebones to compete with the more established browsers. The minimalistic approach may be good for distraction-free browsing, but sometimes extra features do come in handy, and that is where Chrome falls short.

Safari 3.1

It has been more than a year since Safari for Windows was launched but it's still struggling to be a favorite with Windows users, what with Firefox, Opera, and Internet explorer not ready to give up even an inch of territory. But it may be lack of publicity that hampers its popularity. We find out if Safari is really good enough to be considered among the best.

Look and Feel
In the looks and usability department, it obviously has a Mac feel to it, which might be a deterrent for some who are not familiar with the Mac interface. Browser elements like icons, toolbars, and menu bar are a bit smaller than usual giving it a polished look. The address bar is not as advanced as other browsers that offer URL suggestions. While navigating around multiple sites in a particular tab, the ability to go to previously visited sites (found in Firefox and IE) was sadly missing. It compensated for this a little with the Snapback feature that allows you to quickly navigate to the top level of any site in a particular tab. Customizing the look and feel is not something that is abundantly available in Safari. Overall, it has a very simple design with basic navigation tools and for that reason, it fared poorly in this section thus hitting the bottom rung of the comparison.