Loving Firefox Isn't That Hard
Alright, buckle up, buttercups! I’ve been diving deep into the browser trenches, a journey that started with Chrome, a brief stint with Brave, back to Chrome (because, let’s face it, we all relapse), and now… Zen. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve been this smitten with a browser. Let’s get into it, shall we?
A look in the past
Rewind a few years, and I was a card-carrying, Chrome-obsessed devotee. I was head over heels with how it handled pretty much anything I threw at it. Plus, the sheer volume of extensions meant I could tweak it to look and feel exactly how I wanted. But, as I levelled up my tech skills, Chrome started to feel like a bit of a drag. Whether it was the memory hogging or just general sluggishness, something had to change. Coincidentally, it was probably the browser updating and my increase knowledge that it was just not good enough, which led me to Brave.
Brave - A heavenly hell
At first glance, Brave was a knight in shining armour. Fast, Chromium-based, and boasting better performance than Chrome, especially on my trusty old Windows laptop. However, just like Chrome, the relentless updates eventually got the better of it, and the browser just started slowing to a crawl. Now, this was around 2020-2022, which meant Brave was also going hard on the crypto and Web3 stuff, which wasn’t really my cup of coffee. I just wanted a browser that did its job, did it quickly, and kept things simple and effective. Is that too much to ask?
Influence of Chrome
So, I was back on the hunt for the “perfect” browser. That’s when I stumbled upon this video by Chris Titus. An open-source browser, Chrome-based, and with decent update cycles? Sign me right up!
Thorium was snappy, didn’t guzzle resources like a thirsty camel, and was churning out updates that actually improved things, rather than crippling my browsing experience. Surely, this time, there wouldn’t be any Web3 shenanigans or an update that would ruin everything, right? Right? RIGHT?!
Well, there was a whole saga involving “furry art” lurking in the code, which led to a fair bit of confusion and head-scratching. Why was it even there in the first place? Look, I’m not going to delve into the nitty-gritty because it’s all been sorted now. But, if you’re curious, you can read the developer’s take on the situation here.
Open Source to the rescue
While the furry art drama was unfolding, I was still using Thorium because, to be honest, it didn’t really bother me, and it wasn’t a security risk. But then, one fateful evening, this video by the legend himself, Theo, got me hooked on a shiny new open-source browser called Zen. Cue the trumpets!
For a bit of context, I was proper buzzing when Arc Browser first dropped, but never gave it a whirl because it wasn’t available on Linux. Then, The Browser Company seemed to lose its way, and Zen swooped in to save the day. Zen was ticking all the boxes – an Arc-like browser, open-source, constantly updated, and nippy as you like. Before we continue, let’s just quickly talk about what is the “perfect” browser, according to yours truly.
- Open Source
- Fast
- Most extensions should work
- Should just be a browser (no Web3 fluff)
- Should be updated frequently
- Should be available on Linux & Windows
How does Zen Browser compare to my “perfect” browser?
- Open Source
- Fast
- Most extensions should work
- Should just be a browser (no Web3 fluff)
- Should be updated frequently
- Should be available on Linux & Windows
BOOM! I installed it and was instantly charmed by the Arc-like sidebar environment. I wanted to give it a fair shot and see what it could do. So, I used it for about a month, while still keeping Thorium as a backup, just in case. Then, one day, it hit me – I hadn’t touched Thorium once. I was fully immersed in Zen. I’d finally found the one! queue dramatic music
My setup on Zen
Check out this beaut! A sidebar with my essential tabs, two profiles (one for work and one for personal), and a search bar. It’s a proper solid setup, and I’m chuffed to bits with it. Been using it for a couple of months now, and I can’t even fathom working without it.
The future of the browser
I can’t say for certain what the future holds for browsers in general. But, I’m excited to see what Zen does next. The team behind it are amazing, and I’m sure they’ll keep innovating and improving and hopefully not go the same way as The Browser Company. Fingers crossed! 🤞