The new IE8 vs the current FireFox 3.0.7, who's faster?

Published on March 20, 2009 By CharlesCS In Personal Computing

PCWorld.com has an article Browser Showdown where they compare how the new IE8 matches up to FireFox 3 in speed opening up some of the most common websites such as amazon.com, myspace.com and yahoo.com.

It seems that in most cases IE8 beats the current FireFox but the difference is only by a second in most cases which unless you are some kind of paranoid time keeper, you probably wouldn't even notice it at all. But, as much as I wanna believe any website is unbias in their experiments or test, I would like the opportunity to try this out myself. Some who wrote comments mentioned they would have liked to see other browsers tested as well such as Opera, Chrome and Safari.

I would love the opportunity to run my own test as close as possible to their paramiters but I don't have a decent enough extra computer lying around that I can reload Windows multiple times trying to rule out any issues that could throw off the entire test making it invalid.

Maybe someone here can do a Joeuser.com Browser Showdown for us except this time we include several browsers to give everyone more details options as to what browser they would like to try, continue to use or change all together. Here is a list of browsers I think should be included in this test if anyone would volunteer to carry it out here (I'm thinking that IslandDog may have the guts to do it):

Internet Explorer 8

Internet Explorer 7 (latest version)

Firefox 3 (latest version)

FireFox 3.1 (beta version or non-beta if out by the time the test is done)

Google's Chrome (which I have read will be in beta for ever)

Opera (latest version and/or maybe a beta thats out there)

Safari (latest version) Is there a PC version of Safari? Never bothered to check this. Shame on me.

Also, while not very popular, maybe we can add these to the test, just for curiosity sake:

Avant (latest version)

AOL Explorer (latest version)

So, does anyone have a really good spare PC lying around that they are willing to do this test? Anyone up for the challenge? Sounds like fun, maybe time consuming, but fun. Wish I could do it.

Keep in mind the article from PCWorld.com does not compare these browsers other features such as security or tabs so I don't think it's necessary to compare these as well but its up to he/she who does the test to do so.

Comments (Page 1)

Zoologist03

on Mar 20, 2009

I'm certainly not bored enough to try that.

I just upgraded to IE8 a few minutes ago. I'm satisfied with it.

~Zoo

Excalpius

on Mar 20, 2009

All the browsers are getting new javascript engines in their newest releases, so they're all getting faster--which is great for all of us. However, tt doesn't really matter on 99% of websites which of them is going to be fractionally faster than any other. Features, security, and compatibility with existing page rendering is what end users actually notice and care about, imho.

PoSmedley

on Mar 20, 2009

Speed is one thing...but safety is something else. Check this out....

The Pwn2Own trifecta: Safari, IE 8, and Firefox exploited on day 1

When it was reported on 3/19/09, only Google had not been cracked. (Opera is not in the contest.)

I love the line...

So much for "protection that no other browser can match," eh Mr. Ballmer?

DrJBHL

on Mar 20, 2009

You might want to add Maxthon to that list. Loads WC very quickly. Maxthon2 uses the Trident Layout engine like ie8, but isn't an ie8 "skin".

Philly0381

on Mar 20, 2009

Faster is not always better, oh wiat a minute, that has nothing to do with browsers!

Excalpius makes some very valid pints.

RoseNell

on Mar 20, 2009

I am really having a problem with Wincustomize being sooooo slow, with IE8 and FoxFire 3.0.7. Doesn't seem to matter which one , sometimes I get so frustrated that I just move on. No other site runs this slow? Is it because of all the graphics, or users on the site? But to answer the first question. FF 3.0.7 is faster. But I do like the new IE8.

CharlesCS

on Mar 20, 2009

Speed is as important to me as are security and other features, but I do understand what most are saying here and I agree. Still, it would be interesting to see this test done by someone from here as oppose to someone who's got enough money to build any computer and test these browsers and be as biased as their boses tell them to be.

You might want to add Maxthon to that list. Loads WC very quickly. Maxthon2 uses the Trident Layout engine like ie8, but isn't an ie8 "skin".

You know, I meant to add it and forgot. I knew I had missed one.

DrJBHL

on Mar 20, 2009

You know, I meant to add it and forgot. I knew I had missed one.

No biggy, just thought you might want to include it. Certainly not meant to be a criticism.

pixel-z

on Mar 20, 2009

You can test the speed of your browser with a benchmak site called Futuremar Peacekeeper http://service.futuremark.com/peacekeeper/index.action

Testing takes about 5 minutes and gives comparable results with test made on similar computers. They say the faster browsers are Safari, Chrome and Opera.

Daiwa

on Mar 20, 2009

Is it just me, or is there any current browser that is 'too slow'? Been a long time since my browser was a 'rate-limiting step' in anything I do.

CharlesCS

on Mar 20, 2009

Is it just me, or is there any current browser that is 'too slow'?

To be honest, there is no browser fast enough for me. I can never seem to get a website open fast enough, even when it seems to open within a second or 2 of me clicking a link or entering the address.

superman

on Mar 20, 2009

who's faster? which....... lol!

Google Chrome and Firefox 3.0.7 are the fastest and most secure. I can't compare the two for speeds but at security Google Chrome is much better.

CharlesCS

on Mar 20, 2009

who's faster? which....... lol!

Hey, my browser is my best friend. Always there for me, likes to visit the same websites I do, always has my sites ready to access, blocks pop-ups for me, we watch movies together, are interested in the same news and he even remembers my last set of websites for me when ever he crashes. When I'm not around, he gets sad and hides behind the screensaver, when I'm playing my games he will sit there patiently till I finish.

My browser is my best buddy and that is why he's a who and not a what.

Loupdinour

on Mar 20, 2009

superman

reply 12

Google Chrome and Firefox 3.0.7 are the fastest and most secure. I can't compare the two for speeds but at security Google Chrome is much better.

You really haven't been looking at the speed trials then if you're thinking FF and Chrome are the fastest.

Security...that IMHO is something that is defined by the component between the chair and the keyboard.

Anywho, things look less secure the more of it is in the market. Knock IE down to 2% of the market and I'm sure people will begin to say FF is far less secure than IE. If a browser has a really low useage, why even bother trying to find exploits to it? That has been my stance on Apple vs M$....what's the market share?

alway

on Mar 20, 2009

I like Chrome myself due to it not freezing if some part of the site fails to load correctly (as IE does at least twice a day). However, I usually use IE since all my frequented sites are currently handy in the pulldown URL

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