Monday April 16th 2007, 4:58 pm 
By Matthew Good
Tags: Apple, Browsers, Camino, Fire Fox, Flock, IE, OmniWeb, Opera, Safari, User CompatabilityI wanted to start out with something practical and simple, and as somewhat of a follow up to Sonny’s recent entry about browsers.
I have been a Mac user for years and have, of course, downloaded and used all of the browsers that Sonny reviewed. One of the most important questions about browser use is not, in my mind, the complexities of its functionality, but the straightforwardness and ease of familiarity that it presents when first used. That factor would be why even though I have Fire Fox, Camino, Flock, Opera, and OmniWeb in my Applications folder, primarily for design reference, I still used Safari as my daily browser. While it has its drawbacks, especially with regards to cross-platform design, I initially found that I understood it better and faster than those previously listed, many of which have copied its traits, though not with as much ease of use. After using the latest version of Internet Explorer all weekend I was relieved to return home and use Safari again simply because it represents to me the origin of the modern browser in many ways, and because of its simplicity is easier to dig into once the basics are cemented.
One of the most interesting aspects of any browser is how much of its capabilities are actually used by regular users. Looking at my Mint statistics, even the use of RSS isn’t as large as one would think it should be, even though RSS integration has become one of the most predominant features on every new browser out there. While it certainly must be said that the likes of Flock, which have possess the built in advantages of integrating social networking platforms right into their browser, such as Flickr and Del.icio.us, it must be taken into consideration the ease with which basic users understand how to go about fully exploiting the capabilities of new browsers. I, myself, am caught in a three way tie between Flock, Camino, and OmniWeb for the title of best third party browser, but as I’ve said, I always defer to Safari because it’s what I know best.
As browsers develop, the ease with which users will be able to manipulate and customize them will become easier to understand. That said, I look forward to see what changes have been made to Safari when Leopard is released this year, and if Apple has made an attempt to stay competitive with those third party browsers that seem to be offering a few more dimensions to their applications.