what broswer for a low spec laptop

GeX · 19 Apr 2010 at 17:29

Hi all

I have a tiny little dell latitude ls that i use mostly for setting the car up, from time to time i need to use the internet on it. It runs XP and has a IE6 atm.

I need a newer browser, but one that's not going to eat the 256mb RAM or floor the 500mhz p3 CPU or take up much of the 800x600 screen with sidebars.

Any suggestions?

spudbynight · 19 Apr 2010 at 17:41

I would strongly suggest installing Linux on that machine.

With XFCE rather than gnome or KDE.

Xubuntu is a good start...

theheyes · 19 Apr 2010 at 17:54

To be honest any of them would be an improvement over IE6. Can you upgrade the RAM at all? Going from 256 to 512 would be like night and day.

GeX · 19 Apr 2010 at 17:55

it's had linux on there, running with XFCE - it caused the display to flicker, and no amount of faffing with drivers cured it.

My XP install is stripped of most of the bloat, visual effects and services and works fine - IE6 works fine, I just want a more up to date browser for it.

theheyes · 19 Apr 2010 at 18:02

I'd try Google Chrome.

Red Porsche · 19 Apr 2010 at 18:12

theheyes said:
I'd try Google Chrome.

bledd · 19 Apr 2010 at 18:13

firefox with adblock plus and noscript

will cut out all the crap from websites

linktoinsanity · 20 Apr 2010 at 09:12

I have a laptop running at around the same kind of specs, also with unnecessary bloat cut out of XP. It runs fast until antivirus is loaded on it, Avast really slows it down, though on any other computer avast is fine, what free virus scanner would you recommend?

Sorry to hijack your thread Gex.

gurusan · 20 Apr 2010 at 09:13

try microsoft security essentials?

linktoinsanity · 20 Apr 2010 at 09:15

gurusan said:
try microsoft security essentials?

Bah, should really have thought about that one, thanks.

robinbredin · 20 Apr 2010 at 14:52

I'd try Google Chrome.

I would agree with that. I use chrome on my desktop, its low speck and fast.

sygitius · 20 Apr 2010 at 15:40

Try K-Meleon browser, http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/

Aod · 20 Apr 2010 at 16:57

bledd. said:
firefox with adblock plus and noscript

will cut out all the crap from websites

but firefox is the 26-wheeler 200-tonne truck of the browser world. Chrome (which can now get adblock plus anyway) is much lighter, takes up MUCH less screenspace and should run a fair bit faster than FF.

geowal19 · 20 Apr 2010 at 17:34

Safari, although on my comp I can't tell between them I have literally a 10mm bar at the top with just one tab so for no bars thats the one to go with it also looks the ****, has nice features and works nice I find. I don't know about how much it uses but seen as it was designed for macs ****e specs I don't think it'll need a lot!

theheyes · 20 Apr 2010 at 17:43

If you press F11 you can fullscreen Chrome so making the most of your resolution. You can do this with IE as well - not sure about FF but I'm sure you can. Nice little tip if you didn't know.

Ratbag · 20 Apr 2010 at 18:13

theheyes said:
I'd try Google Chrome.

I'll take this opportunity to pimp Iron, which is essentially Chrome without the privacy issues.....

Burnsy2023 · 20 Apr 2010 at 18:30

theheyes said:
I'd try Google Chrome.

I love Chrome, but it don't half eat RAM. I'm not sure it's the best choice here.

VeNT · 20 Apr 2010 at 18:47

Burnsy2023 said:
I love Chrome, but it don't half eat RAM. I'm not sure it's the best choice here.

maybe IRON.

Burnsy2023 · 20 Apr 2010 at 19:05

VeNT said:
maybe IRON.

I don't see how that's going to be much different.

Redgie · 20 Apr 2010 at 19:08

Not Opera, I've currently only got this tab open but it's using 110MB of RAM!

I do still love it though