camino

I used to be a daily user of the Camino web browser, right before I decided to switch back to Firefox, as I couldn't live without my extensions, something Camino could not offer. I still like the Camino browser for Mac though, and consider it to be up there with the best. The interface is very clean, it loads websites quickly, is extremely safe for browsing and has almost as many settings as Firefox. Since the Camino team separated from the Mozilla project, I also feel more work has been put into it and that new versions are being released more frequently.

Version 1.6 came out only two weeks ago, yet we're already hearing of developments for version 2.0. According to the Camino Roadmap, this next iteration of Camino is expected to "bring major improvements to web page rendering", thanks to the new Gecko 1.9 layout engine, the same one that Firefox 3.0 will carry. Camino, which, with a score of 52/100 on the Acid3 Test is one of the better browsers in terms of web standards compatibility, will also continue to improve in the area. With version 3 of Firefox taking time to come out, and questions on the safety of Apple's Safari browser rising now and again, it's good to see Camino upping the ante and hard at work on a solid browser for Mac.

Camino is a popular browser specifically developed for Mac. Built on the Mozilla Gecko 1.8.1 rendering engine, Camino gives you a very similar browsing experience to Firefox, but with a nice Cocoa user interface only Mac programs have. Camino renders pages quickly, fully interacts with your Mac's Keychain, handles tabs and blocks pop up ads. Not as customizable as Firefox yet faster than Safari, I'd probably rank it between the two other Mac browsers.

Camino's great pride is that it's an open source application, part of the Mozilla project but with some development freedom. Working on open source programs isn't easy though, that's why since November 20 the Camino project has opened up to donations. If you want to support them you can contribute up to $10,000 dollars. Donations are tax-deductible (for US citizens) and Camino will match 2 to 1 for every dollar donated until the end of the year. It's a good way of supporting open source projects in general and helping out what is already a top notch application on Mac.

The Camino project was launched by Mozilla to embrace everything that Macs are loved for – elegance, functionality and simplicity. The aim was to design the ultimate Mac internet browser fitting for a machine of its calibre. Version 1.0.4 has just been released although it seems the developers have got a long way to go before they reach their lofty aims.

Despite being released to address stability and security issues, it seems many users have found it actually less stable than previous releases. Various disgruntled users on Digg suggest that version 1.1 Alpha was the last stable release whilst others complain of disappearing bookmarks and regular crashes.

However, its clear that the project has a lot of potential. Many users praise the speed that it can load webpages compared to Safari and even Firefox. The Gecko engine its based on also gives it a WYSIWYG editing capability for websites making it popular with many developers.

One of the most annoying aspects of Camino remains the fact that there are few options for customisation. Compared to Firefox with its hundreds of plugins, Camino users have to do with what they get. However, there is an unofficial website called PimpMyCamino which features a host of cool plugins and add-ons to beef it up. Another cool add-on to check out is CamiTools which is gradually adding more and more functionality to this still fledgling browser.

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Mac: Among with Firefox and Safari, Camino makes for an excellent browser for Mac users. Built on the same rendering engine as Firefox, Camino is very lightweight yet at the same time highly secure. It offers a sleek interface, seamless Keychain support and a fully customizable search box. The browser has been getting more regular updates recently, making it a safe choice as your main browser.

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Macs come pre-packaged with Safari, making it your default browser. In itself it is a pretty good application. Safari loads quickly, supports tabs and pop-up blocking and is compatible with most web pages. On PC, many users have left IE for the safer and more efficient Firefox. The Mozilla browser has yet to become a reference on the Mac though. Even though you get all the add-ons and extensions, I still think it's slow and eats up way too much memory. Multiple bugs have surfaced in the Mozilla browser on Mac, like when it suddenly locks up for no reason, several times in a day.

Luckily, there's plenty of great alternative browsers on Mac. Opera loads up very quickly and is surely the safest browser out there. Although the interface is somewhat cluttered, if you take some time fiddling with it, you can customize it to your own liking. It also handles OSX like widgets and can open up new windows in multiple different ways.

Although Omniweb is shareware, this is the browser for productivity nuts and business types. Apart from creating your own workspace, it also saves your sessions and can build shortcuts to your favorite sites. Very functional indeed.

Shiira looks and feels great to use. Try the thumbnail view to get a quick glance of all your web pages open. It also has page transition and sounds effects and features private browsing.

I may personally not be that fond of Flock, but I can understand if other people are. Blogging freaks will like how it facilitates blog posting, via a simple WYSIWYG blog editor, saves favorites and can upload your photos to your Flickr account.

Camino is my personal favorite. It loads up very quickly, works hand in hand with the Mac Keychain and has a very fresh and clean look. It's easy to import and export bookmarks and now has spell checking and can restore sessions. To me, it's like a more efficient version of Firefox, albeit without add-ons.