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Top 3 Web Browsers for Slightly Older Windows or Linux Computers

Web Browser for desktop computerPicking the right web browser for slower computers can be a very hard tasks since some web browsers use more RAM and CPU cycles then other web browsers, but you also need a web browser which supports older websites which don’t display well on newer web browsers since the owner of the website never updated their website to look good on all web browsers. Also, some web browsers do not support certain features, or don’t have plug-ins, skins, and add-ons which you need to use for playing back flash content,  password manager, tool bars, or downloading flash video from a website.

The best web browsers for slightly older computers with only a 1GHz CPU and 1 GB or less of RAM are Google Chrome, Opera, and Maxthon for Windows and for Linux based computer I recommend Google Chrome, Konqueror, Firefox 16 in my experience seem to be the most stable and fast web browsers for most computers I tried them on.

I been using all these browsers which I mentioned on Windows 7 with only a 1.8GHz CPU and 1 GB of RAM on my computer. On Ubuntu Linux, I mainly use FireFox 16, Google Chrome, and Konqueror which all run really fast on  my computer with not much noticeable slow down when I do daily tasks like reading blogs, play web browser based games, and watch online videos.

This guide might also work for Apple Mac, Unix, and other operating systems if Chrome, Opera, and other web browsers has a version for Mac, Unix, etc as well.

All browsers load pages very quickly in my experience, and are easy to use. Except I notice that Opera sometimes slow down when there is a page with a lot of Javascript, or ads on it. I also notice Opera does not work as Google Chrome for YouTube videos.

Google Chrome seems to be the overall best browser since it supports a lot of Add-ons, Skins/themes, and extension. But, if you have problems with Google Chrome because your computer is too slow/old then you should give Opera and Maxthon browser a try since they both have an easy to use user interface, and works well on older computers in my experience.

I like Google Chrome the most since it uses screen space very effectively since there are not a ton of toolbars, widgets, and buttons which are using up my screen space since I only have a 17 inch monitor, so I don’t have a lot of Screen space to waste.  Google Chrome can be a great web browser for computers with small screen sizes like 10 inches or less found on most Netbooks, and Tablet computers.

All three web browsers are also auto-updating, or notifies you to update to the latest version which you should do for better performance, and stability.

If your boss or  computer technician insist on using Microsoft Internet Explorer 8, you can ask them if they can update to Internet Explorer 9, or if you can use a free web browser based on Internet Explorer like Avant Browser or Flash Peak  Slim Browser if your work place is still using Windows XP instead of 7. LunaScape6 is also a good web browser.

If you use social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube a lot, there is a web brower called RockMelt which is based on Google Chrome, but with more social features for keeping in touch with your online friends.

For Linux, I recommend Google Chrome, FireFox 16, and Konqueror.

For some strange reason, Firefox always seem to use more RAM in Windows then Linux in my experience.

Arora Web browser is also a good web browser for Windows and Linux which is not resource intensive, but it has not been updated since Sept. 2010, so Google Chrome, Opera, and other web browsers are probably faster and more feature rich.

Other tips to make your web browser faster include uninstalling un-used or not very useful add-ons, plug-ins, and extensions for your web browser. Updating Adobe Flash Player, and Java plug-in to the latest version. Make sure everything on your web browsers like Toolbars, and add-ons are also updated. Close un-used browser tabs and windows, or bookmark them for later viewing. Close unused programs like chat programs, office suites, media players, and other programs when you are browsing the web, so you have more free RAM, and CPU cycles to dedicate to running your computer.

You can also install more RAM on your computer for faster performance. Also, scan your computer for virus programs, and malware which can really slow down your computer.

Modern web browsers also use your computers’ video card processor for making your web browser faster, so if you upgrade to a faster AGP or PCI-Express x16 video card depending on your computer motherboard you may experience faster web browser performance. Also, you can disable your onboard video card and use your dedicated video card to play 3D games on your web browser. You’ll also should gain back 8MB to 64MB of free RAM when you are not relying on your system RAM to use for your video card. The increase in free RAM can make your computer faster.

Empty your Web Browser’s History to delete all cookies, temporary internet files, history, and cached files.

Install PuppyLinux or Ubuntu Linux on your computer if you just need a faster computer for web browsing, office work, basic video editing, and other daily tasks since Linux use less system resources then Windows. You can use the Windows Ubuntu Installer file found in the Ubuntu install CD for desktop computers to install Ubuntu on a virtual drive in Windows. For Puppy Linux, you can just run it off a CD, and it will copy the CD to your RAM, so it runs faster.

Buying a newer computer, or a slightly faster refurbished computer which is two years old with 2GB-3GB of RAM and a 2.0 GHz Dual or multi Core CPU, and a better video card for GPU browser acceleration on newer web browsers like Internet Explorer 9, Opera, and Google Chrome can make your web browser and over all computer performance a lot faster.

Homepage Links to all the Browsers I mention in this post in no particular order.

www.google.com/chrome
www.opera.com
www.maxthon.com
www.slimbrowser.net/en
www.avantbrowser.com
code.google.com/p/arora
www.konqueror.org
www.lunascape.tv
www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new
www.rockmelt.com
windows.microsoft.com/en-US/internet-explorer/products/ie/home

Green web browser is probably one of the fastest web browser which uses the less memory and CPU for older Windows based computers with less RAM and slower CPU speeds. Download it at http://www.morequick.com/IndexEn.htm

Happy Speedy Web Browsing!

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