4 ms·

If I'm not mistaken safari is the only iOS browser, all other browsers are just a skin for it. So thanks to apple there is no cross-platform browser that works

by tjoff 8y ago

If I'm not mistaken safari is the only iOS browser, all other browsers are just a skin for it. So thanks to apple there is no cross-platform browser that works on all your devices. Unless you count safari, if they still bother porting that outside iOS/OS X. In which case that wouldn't be preferable anyway. There is nothing wrong with running different browsers on different operating systems.

jakebasile 8y ago
Yeah, all the browsers on iOS are reskins of Safari but to an end user that's all that matters since those reskins can bring things like synced bookmarks and history.
- tjoff 8y ago
  Funny, all that matters to me is that I can use the browser without signing in. Chrome on the other hand, I discovered just yesterday, refuse to export bookmarks from android unless you sync. Yet another reason not to use chrome I guess.
- kps 8y ago
  But not extensions.
tstrimple 8y ago
It really doesn't matter if Firefox on iOS is just a skin around Safari if it integrates with the Firefox services and syncs bookmarks, history, etc. Right? Isn't that the value you're getting out of the mobile browser, not the rendering engine?
- ensignavenger 8y ago
  I still prefer being able to choose my rendering engine, which is a big part of why I use Android.
- SamuelAdams 8y ago
  That's the ticket for me. I want a consistent experience. I want the same bookmarks, extensions, and history on all my devices, without worrying about it. And I also want great performance.
- majewsky 8y ago
  > Isn't that the value you're getting out of the mobile browser, not the rendering engine? Cannot comment on iOS, but the main value of Firefox on Android (vs. the default Chrome) is that it runs extensions, particularly uBlock Origin.
  - pbhjpbhj 8y ago
    Shared login data is probably the top one for me.
vbezhenar 8y ago
It's even worse. There's API for adblock apps and there are good apps, but it works only with Safari itself. Any other iOS browser doesn't support this API (I'm not 100% sure, but I think that it's Apple's restriction, not their choice), so if you want fast browsing experience with iOS, you must use Safari.
pbhjpbhj 8y ago
Apple know that MS could steal customers by making a browser that works better than Apple's. Perhaps a built in .doc viewer to get installs from Word users -- then MS have chance to ruin the prejudice that "it's only Apple can make software that looks good and works intuitively".

by tjoff 8y ago

jakebasile 8y ago

Yeah, all the browsers on iOS are reskins of Safari but to an end user that's all that matters since those reskins can bring things like synced bookmarks and history.

tjoff 8y ago
Funny, all that matters to me is that I can use the browser without signing in. Chrome on the other hand, I discovered just yesterday, refuse to export bookmarks from android unless you sync. Yet another reason not to use chrome I guess.
kps 8y ago
But not extensions.

tstrimple 8y ago

It really doesn't matter if Firefox on iOS is just a skin around Safari if it integrates with the Firefox services and syncs bookmarks, history, etc. Right? Isn't that the value you're getting out of the mobile browser, not the rendering engine?

ensignavenger 8y ago
I still prefer being able to choose my rendering engine, which is a big part of why I use Android.
SamuelAdams 8y ago
That's the ticket for me. I want a consistent experience. I want the same bookmarks, extensions, and history on all my devices, without worrying about it. And I also want great performance.
majewsky 8y ago
> Isn't that the value you're getting out of the mobile browser, not the rendering engine? Cannot comment on iOS, but the main value of Firefox on Android (vs. the default Chrome) is that it runs extensions, particularly uBlock Origin.
- pbhjpbhj 8y ago
  Shared login data is probably the top one for me.

vbezhenar 8y ago

It's even worse. There's API for adblock apps and there are good apps, but it works only with Safari itself. Any other iOS browser doesn't support this API (I'm not 100% sure, but I think that it's Apple's restriction, not their choice), so if you want fast browsing experience with iOS, you must use Safari.

pbhjpbhj 8y ago

Apple know that MS could steal customers by making a browser that works better than Apple's. Perhaps a built in .doc viewer to get installs from Word users -- then MS have chance to ruin the prejudice that "it's only Apple can make software that looks good and works intuitively".