
I.E. BASED BROWSERS
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On this page: Browsers based on Internet Explorer: Crazy Browser - Avant Browser - Phase Out
On the Independent Browsers page: Netscape/Mozilla, Opera, Off By One and Amaya.
BEST BROWSER AROUND: Crazy Browser
Opera has always had some cool features, one of them is it's a tab browser, a Multiple Document Interface where you open all the pages without overcrowding your system bar, and loading faster saving resources since you load the program only once. There are some problems, though, like bad Java making it crash. Oh, and those banners, but it's free you know. Now Netscape 7 has tabs too, only the pop ups load on new windows! Not so tab after all, then... And again, visualization problems and with bad Java...
If you want to see a site like the author meant, there's no other chance than Internet Explorer, it's the only one that can display every site I've ever visited, while some sites just can't be seen properly on the alternatives. There have been front end programs to make Internet Explorer work like a tab browser. Some are very poor and make IE work much worse. Some were good, like Netcaptor, the most popular. It's still around, but it's shareware now (that means you have to pay, mate). There's a problem with it, though: it's heavy and a bit slow. Oh, and there was spyware inside, but that's everywhere, isn't it?
Here comes Crazy Browser, an Internet Explorer tab browser which is free, small (only 700 KB), light and fast and very well made. And this is only version 1.0! Don't be mistaken by the name, this product is very serious, it just does the thing you want, keep almost every useful IE function (there's no silly Multimedia bar, so what? You know where your players are and you don't need those ads...) on a tab interface. And there's a pop up suppressor too. One little bug, which I'm sure will be fixed in next versions, is with some pop ups the browser is sent to system bar and you have to click it back, but it's not such a serious problem... The buttons are the same of Windows XP, even on previous platforms... I prefer the more sober old ones, but these are the future, you know... It loads fast with no annoying splash screen. You can easily make it your default browser and that even works from Outlook Express.
Here you can even download translations to use it with your language. The Italian one is done very well.
Now, the only thing is for the best use you have to go through the advanced options (it doesn't take much time, though) and adjust the settings for your preferences. The most important of the changes you must make is the one for the middle mouse button (to restore default) and it's explained here.
I say, download it as soon as you can, because I think it's too good to stay free for a long time.
Rating: 9/10
Crazy Browser home page
Download page |

A screenshot of Crazy Browser. If you click it you can view it larger, along with some others. |
AVANT BROWSER
This program was known as IE Opera (but had to change name, unsurprisingly, for copyright reasons) and then Gorilla and wants, like its first name said, to make Internet Explorer work like Opera. The result is very good and very similar to Crazy Browser. A really good feature which CB hasn't is the program can be sent to system tray to be quickly called back.
The browser, now in its 8 version, also adopts a Windows XP look which works (even for menus) on previous platforms as well. From Opera takes the tab design and the stripey interface, which can now luckily be changed to the normal grey. It's really improved in its latest versions, translations have been added. There's a useful button where you can surf upwards in the directory of the host of the site you're visiting. That saves you the time of using backspace on your address bar... with another one you can decide wether to upload images or not... overall it would be even better than the simpler (but lighter, faster and stable) Crazy Browser, it's just that while being certainly richer in features, Avant Browser seems to be heavier, slower and more unstable.
Rating: 8/10
Avant Browser home page
PHASE OUT
This is a really nice Flash browser of Internet Explorer. It also has a tab interface, various skins and a side bar with a lot of functions, like previews of web pages you have opened. There's also a remote control. It's just a bit complicated at first. It's interesting especially for the unique design concept. This is a Beta release, but only because some minor additional functions are yet to be added, it already works safe.
Rating: 8/10
Phase Out home page
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Site started: 26 Jun 2000. This page last modified: 26 Aug 2003
The Crazy Browser screenshot thumbnail is made from a pic taken from the screenshot page of Crazy Browser.
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