I wrote a post the other day giving speeds of various browsers running the SunSpider JavaScript Benchnark tests.
Since writing the post Firefox has released Firefox 3.0b3 and Robert made me aware in the comments of the previous browser speed post that Opera 9.5 beta was released so I decided to check those two browsers as well.
on Vista the performance times came in at:
Opera 9.5b – 16,293.6ms
Firefox 3.0b3 – 19,345.4ms
WebKit r30123 – 8,920.2ms
While on OS X:
Firefox 3.0b3 – 9,822.4ms
Opera 9.5b – 8,953.6ms
WebKit r30123 – 5,744.8ms
So while the Opera 9.5b browser is the second fastest browser tested and is showing very respectable times, it is still taking nearlt twice as long as the Safari Webkit browser to render pages.
Note, I re-tested the WebKit so that the results of these browsers would be directly comparable. It is also worth noting that Firefox 3.0b3 is significantly faster on Vista than was Firefox 3.0b2 while on OS X Firefox 3.0b3 is only marginally faster than Firefox 3.0b2.
The new Webkit release is impressive. You don’t notice the speed improvement on most websites but sites like GMail, Google Reader and other JavaScript heavy sites really benefit. It also makes having multiple “heavy” sites open at the same time better.
Using Firefox 3.0b3 as my main browser though and enjoying its speed improvements. I’d use Safari/Webkit if it had better tab preferences and keyboard support.
Safari annoyances for me are lack of session saving and no ad blocking.
For ad blocking, use SafariBlock
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/19202
For session saving (and history search and more), use SafariStand
http://hetima.com/safari/stand-e.html
I run all three of those browsers plus IE, depending on the websites and tools I need to access. Being in the graphics end of things for my business, I never get to cozy as things change, and for the good I think.
Thank God for choices. Life would be dull if we had to eat
I keep loading XP Pro on my new machines rather than Vista (maybe in a couple of years) and have performed similar albeit unscientific rudimentary timing tests.
Opera and Firefox by far out-race IE. Safari beats it too.
Being a tool and gadget nut, I wisp about to and fro depending on what I read for the latest gizmo.
Just my 2 cents worth
@Jon, sweet, thanks for those links. I’ll give them a whirl tomorrow.
@Steve, I run several browsers too but each machine has to have a default browser. That is the one that your links open up in when clicked in apps like Twhirl. Safari is great for that.
For sites I go to more often, I have Firefox and for some multi-media sites I use Flock. Then on my Vista machine…
Tom – By any chance is there a distinction between the nightly build of WebKit and the current release version of Safari on the platforms you tested? Just curious.
BTW, looked at your CIX site… Holy Toledo man! How much of that is your doing!? Very nice.