4 ms·

Has there ever been a desktop browser you could buy instead of using these ad supported/os bundled ones?

sogen 9y ago
iCab http://www.icab.de http://www.icab.de Theres also a nice iPhone app with tons of functionality
Cshelton 9y ago
I had completely forgot about Netscape in a box! I like that business model. Something that just works, no ads, nothing. The sublime text model is good too. I will happily pay a one time license for a browser for $100 if it meant no ads and they gave me some cool functionality for it, maybe additional customizations? Then add a solid built in password manager that I know is provably secure that they sync between my devices for me while allowing me to have my own backup, I’d pay $5/month for that through Firefox.
tcd 9y ago
Even if you could buy a browser do you seriously believe that would change _anything_, like even in the slightest? These days they still track you whether you buy or not, the data is simply too valuable to ignore.
smhenderson 9y ago
Opera?
- vim_wannabe 9y ago
  Thank you, interesting. >Up to this point, Opera was trialware and had to be purchased after the trial period ended. Version 5.0 (released in 2000) saw the end of this requirement. Instead, Opera became ad-sponsored, displaying advertisements to users who had not paid for it. Later versions of Opera gave the user the choice of seeing banner ads or targeted text advertisements from Google. With version 8.5 (released in 2005) the advertisements were removed entirely and primary financial support for the browser came through revenue from Google (which is by contract Opera's default search engine). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera_(web_browser) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera_(web_browser)
  - red_admiral 9y ago
    Does Opera still do the thing where the new tab page contains sponsored links, and if you try and edit the source for that page it refuses to start because it'll only accept a new tab page with an Opera digital signature?
- singularity2001 9y ago
  don't buy now. it's now Chinese owned
  - nishs 9y ago
    what's wrong with being Chinese owned? feels like you're painting with a broad brush. :)
    - tomcooks 9y ago
      Huge deals from chinese companies means government backing, which is a Bad Thing unless you enjoy being tracked
wrs 9y ago
Netscape Navigator.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
avian 9y ago
Way back in olden times? Yes. You could buy Netscape Navigator in a box.
chc 9y ago
It was very common back before Firefox. Netscape, Opera and Omniweb (which in Mac OS X's early days was the best browser for that platform) were the biggest ones. Internet Explorer made it a very tough sell on Windows, and Firefox and later Chrome completely destroyed the market by giving away a better browser than the commercial ones or Explorer. Opera and Omniweb ended up going free as well because the market just wasn't there anymore.
stevenwliao 9y ago
Safari appears to have a good track record. You’re paying a bit more for the whole machine but I don’t see a problem with the bundling.

iCab http://www.icab.de http://www.icab.de Theres also a nice iPhone app with tons of functionality

I had completely forgot about Netscape in a box! I like that business model. Something that just works, no ads, nothing. The sublime text model is good too. I will happily pay a one time license for a browser for $100 if it meant no ads and they gave me some cool functionality for it, maybe additional customizations? Then add a solid built in password manager that I know is provably secure that they sync between my devices for me while allowing me to have my own backup, I’d pay $5/month for that through Firefox.

tcd 9y ago

Even if you could buy a browser do you seriously believe that would change _anything_, like even in the slightest? These days they still track you whether you buy or not, the data is simply too valuable to ignore.

smhenderson 9y ago

Opera?

vim_wannabe 9y ago
Thank you, interesting. >Up to this point, Opera was trialware and had to be purchased after the trial period ended. Version 5.0 (released in 2000) saw the end of this requirement. Instead, Opera became ad-sponsored, displaying advertisements to users who had not paid for it. Later versions of Opera gave the user the choice of seeing banner ads or targeted text advertisements from Google. With version 8.5 (released in 2005) the advertisements were removed entirely and primary financial support for the browser came through revenue from Google (which is by contract Opera's default search engine). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera_(web_browser) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera_(web_browser)
- red_admiral 9y ago
  Does Opera still do the thing where the new tab page contains sponsored links, and if you try and edit the source for that page it refuses to start because it'll only accept a new tab page with an Opera digital signature?
singularity2001 9y ago
don't buy now. it's now Chinese owned
- nishs 9y ago
  what's wrong with being Chinese owned? feels like you're painting with a broad brush. :)
  - tomcooks 9y ago
    Huge deals from chinese companies means government backing, which is a Bad Thing unless you enjoy being tracked

wrs 9y ago

Netscape Navigator.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

avian 9y ago

Way back in olden times? Yes. You could buy Netscape Navigator in a box.

chc 9y ago

It was very common back before Firefox. Netscape, Opera and Omniweb (which in Mac OS X's early days was the best browser for that platform) were the biggest ones. Internet Explorer made it a very tough sell on Windows, and Firefox and later Chrome completely destroyed the market by giving away a better browser than the commercial ones or Explorer. Opera and Omniweb ended up going free as well because the market just wasn't there anymore.

stevenwliao 9y ago

Safari appears to have a good track record. You’re paying a bit more for the whole machine but I don’t see a problem with the bundling.