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Ask HN: Would you ever pay for a browser?

7 points by tim_sw 7y ago

What features would you want to have in it?

jascii 7y ago
Pay? No. I have been exclusively using FOSS software since the first Linux releases. I have been known to donate or contribute though.
WheelsAtLarge 7y ago
Yes, but no ads, anti data gathering features as part of it and a good macro language for automation. BTW, why don't the current browser have macros? Ya, they all have JS but it's not the same.
eaandkw 7y ago
At this point not really. As soon as that browser started to gain traction I'm pretty sure that the company would cash out to the next highest bidder and sell any and every scrap of information they find valuable.
qplex 7y ago
Ever? Browsers have been free for personal use for a _long_ time. Here, see the announcement for Netscape Navigator (October 1993) [0] >Customers who download the software do so for personal use only. Commercial users can purchase supported, licensed copies of Netscape directly from Netscape Communications. Pricing starts at $99 per user, which includes a 90-day warranty and customer support. Volume discounts are available for multiple user licenses. For information on volume licensing of Netscape, send electronic mail to sales@netscape.com. [0] https://web.archive.org/web/20061207145832/http://wp.netscape.com/newsref/pr/newsrelease1.html https://web.archive.org/web/20061207145832/http://wp.netscap...
codegladiator 7y ago
Depends on the features and quality of the thing. I used to think I would never pay for an IDE, but then intellij changed my mind.
quickthrower2 7y ago
I might pay for a browser with extra features that I need for a certain workflow or job. But it would depend. It would really be an X with an integrated browser rather than paying for the browser itself.
Raed667 7y ago
No, especially if it is chromium based.
tcbasche 7y ago
I think it's too ingrained in our software ecosystem / landscape as free software to bother trying to charge for it. But as other commenters have said, if you offered something of really high quality with integrations to other software then I could see it being possible. I myself don't know what that looks like, so perhaps the Steve Jobs quote applies here: "People don't know what they want until you show it to them".
r_singh 7y ago
I would pay for a browser that allowed me to - build puppeteer/selenium like automation scripts without writing code - use a lot of extensions built in: like search on every search engine rather than choose 1 default. - help me be more productive—black/white listing. Gives me reports of my web usage habits. Classifies my web history automatically.
Agentzerotwo0 7y ago
I would pay for the browser without ads and maybe with more extra features.
- arberavdullahu 7y ago
  What is your opinion on Brave browser?
  - Agentzerotwo0 7y ago
    Their mission to fix the Internet sounds interesting. I'll try it but isn't it free?))
gitgud 7y ago
What would be the incentive for the browser company? I would think they would do what ever it takes to keep me in their browser-platform... Maybe they would release the browser for free, but create a market place for premium extensions and skim money off the transactions... This would lock you into their browser... Oh wait that's already happened with Chrome/Firefox...
elvecinodeabajo 7y ago
I won't use any closed source browser. Paying for it sounds like a joke.

7 points by tim_sw 7y ago

What features would you want to have in it?

Pay? No. I have been exclusively using FOSS software since the first Linux releases. I have been known to donate or contribute though.

WheelsAtLarge 7y ago

Yes, but no ads, anti data gathering features as part of it and a good macro language for automation. BTW, why don't the current browser have macros? Ya, they all have JS but it's not the same.

eaandkw 7y ago

At this point not really. As soon as that browser started to gain traction I'm pretty sure that the company would cash out to the next highest bidder and sell any and every scrap of information they find valuable.

qplex 7y ago

Ever? Browsers have been free for personal use for a _long_ time. Here, see the announcement for Netscape Navigator (October 1993) [0] >Customers who download the software do so for personal use only. Commercial users can purchase supported, licensed copies of Netscape directly from Netscape Communications. Pricing starts at $99 per user, which includes a 90-day warranty and customer support. Volume discounts are available for multiple user licenses. For information on volume licensing of Netscape, send electronic mail to sales@netscape.com. [0] https://web.archive.org/web/20061207145832/http://wp.netscape.com/newsref/pr/newsrelease1.html https://web.archive.org/web/20061207145832/http://wp.netscap...

codegladiator 7y ago

Depends on the features and quality of the thing. I used to think I would never pay for an IDE, but then intellij changed my mind.

quickthrower2 7y ago

I might pay for a browser with extra features that I need for a certain workflow or job. But it would depend. It would really be an X with an integrated browser rather than paying for the browser itself.

Raed667 7y ago

No, especially if it is chromium based.

tcbasche 7y ago

I think it's too ingrained in our software ecosystem / landscape as free software to bother trying to charge for it. But as other commenters have said, if you offered something of really high quality with integrations to other software then I could see it being possible. I myself don't know what that looks like, so perhaps the Steve Jobs quote applies here: "People don't know what they want until you show it to them".

r_singh 7y ago

I would pay for a browser that allowed me to - build puppeteer/selenium like automation scripts without writing code - use a lot of extensions built in: like search on every search engine rather than choose 1 default. - help me be more productive—black/white listing. Gives me reports of my web usage habits. Classifies my web history automatically.

Agentzerotwo0 7y ago

I would pay for the browser without ads and maybe with more extra features.

arberavdullahu 7y ago
What is your opinion on Brave browser?
- Agentzerotwo0 7y ago
  Their mission to fix the Internet sounds interesting. I'll try it but isn't it free?))

gitgud 7y ago

What would be the incentive for the browser company? I would think they would do what ever it takes to keep me in their browser-platform... Maybe they would release the browser for free, but create a market place for premium extensions and skim money off the transactions... This would lock you into their browser... Oh wait that's already happened with Chrome/Firefox...

elvecinodeabajo 7y ago

I won't use any closed source browser. Paying for it sounds like a joke.