With highly-anticipated Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 now available, along with recently released Google Chrome 10, superb Opera 11, newly updated Apple Safari 5.04, and rock-steady Mozilla Firefox 3.6, this is going to be quite an interesting race.

A good nine months have passed since Web Browser Grand Prix 2. Back in July, we pit Chrome 5, Firefox 3.6.6, Internet Explorer 8, Opera 10.60, and Safari 5 against each other. Because it's been so long, let's take a minute and get up to speed on the major Web browser events since WBGP2:
07/22/10: Google moves Chrome to a rapid six week release cycle.
09/02/10: Chrome 6 is released.
10/19/10: Chrome 7 is released.
12/02/10: Chrome 8 is released.
12/16/10: Opera 11 is released.
01/12/11: Google announces that it will be dropping H.264 support from Chrome.
01/27/11: Opera is updated to 11.01 (the current stable version).
02/02/11: Microsoft releases a H.264 plug-in for Chrome.
02/04/11: Chrome 9 is released.
02/07/11: Mozilla announces an accelerated Firefox release cycle. Firefox 5, 6, and 7 slated for 2011.
02/08/11: Adobe releases Flash 10.2.
02/15/11: In a personal blog post, Mozilla's Paul Rouget claims that IE9 is not a modern Web browser.
03/04/11: Firefox is updated to 3.6.15 (the current stable version).
03/09/11: Safari is updated to 5.04 (the current stable version).
03/14/11: Internet Explorer 9 is released.
03/15/11: Google previews a WebM plug-in for IE9.
That pretty much covers all the important releases, announcements, and associated drama. The browser wars are definitely heating up, and it seems like the fastest browser on the block is always just around the corner. Today, Internet Explorer 9 is the latest and most anticipated entry in the WBGP. Does Microsoft have a “modern” browser with IE9, or is everyone still better off with a competing solution? We'll find out soon enough, but first, let's take a look at what's new in the just-released Internet Explorer version 9.
Update: 03/21/11 09:30 PM PST
The comment section has absolutely exploded regarding the absence of Firefox 4 in WBGP3. Our responses have gone largely unnoticed, and the comments continue. So, we decided to address the issue with an official statement.
First, we only test final builds in this series. Alphas, betas, release candidates, the dev channel, canary builds, etc. are not tested, and certainly not compared to stable final products.
Second, WBGP3 was begun on Monday March 14th with the release of Internet Explorer 9. WBGP3 was not reserved for Firefox 4. After WBGP2, we only saw new major versions from Chrome and Opera. Since Opera was the reigning champ, we weren't going to do the next WBGP to coincide with its next major release. The Chrome release schedule became too rapid to synchronize with this series. Chrome is also somewhat of a rolling release at this point, and whole number version changes don't bear the weight they used to. For a long time, it looked like the release of Firefox 4 was going to be right for WBGP3. After several failures to launch on time, it became apparent that Internet Explorer or Safari could see a major release before Firefox. When Microsoft announced that IE9 would launch on March 14th, we went full steam ahead on doing WBGP3 with IE9. It's that simple. If IE9 came out last month, WBGP3 would have been published last month. If Firefox 4 had launched in 2010, we'd be on WBGP4 right now. A major release from Safari could have changed it all around, too.
Regarding the file posted in the comment section earlier, per Mike Beltzner, director of Firefox:
As part of Mozilla's open source process we post our builds publicly for testing and verification. These builds are not leaked, but part of our open development process. While we appreciate everyone's excitement about the Firefox 4 release, these builds are currently not final, and are still going through QA testing. Firefox 4 is expected to launch tomorrow morning as the QA process is complete and the first run experience and interactive launch events are ready. In the meantime, we would prefer that people download and test the Firefox 4 release candidate from: www.mozilla.com/firefox/rc
It's not the final code. The QA process is not complete. Many of you commenting on the absence of Firefox 4 seem to be under the assumption that it would have won had this build been included. We managed to grab the file before the site redirected to Firefox 3.6.15 and tested it completely. If this is the final code, Firefox fanatics are going to be disappointed. But it's not the final code, so we'll have to wait and see how Firefox 4 really compares to IE9 when it is released.
Once official, we will be testing the final build of Firefox 4 in the next Web Browser Grand Prix article. Since Mozilla has now confirmed March 22nd as the release date, testing for Web Browser Grand Prix 4: Firefox 4 Goes Final will begin tomorrow and the article will be published shortly thereafter.
- Introduction
- Getting To Know Internet Explorer Again
- Test System Specs And Setup
- Performance Benchmarks: Startup Times
- Performance Benchmarks: Page Load Times
- Performance Benchmarks: JavaScript
- Performance Benchmarks: Peacekeeper, Dromaeo DOM, And Acid3 Speed
- Performance Benchmarks: HTML5
- Performance Benchmarks: Adobe Flash
- Performance Benchmarks: Java And Silverlight
- Efficiency Benchmarks: Memory Usage And Management
- Compliance Benchmarks: HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, And Acid3
- Final Results: Placing
- Conclusion
but there is no mention of any addon/extentions for IE..
i mean there is no comparision on who's got nice addons and startup time "with" addons.. since users tend to use web browsers with addons knowingly or un-knowingly..
it would be better if you include those two comparisions as well.. and who takes advantage of GPU and all..
lol
maybe not!!
and FFS why doesnt that "submit my comment" button not working in IE!! I am using chrome for that ;(
Then they would have to include every random nightly build of every browser? Comparing the latest release is fair you'll always get one browser or two that is near a new stable version but that's just how it works.
depends in Microsoft moves up an update schedule that doesn't just include making the browser more secure and fixing bugs. IE8 was pretty snappy back when it was first out it got old in like 3 months compared to other browsers though.
We only test final products in the WBGP.
Where are ya'll getting a set date from?
We add/modify tests every time with the WBGP. We're already looking into those suggestions.
Doh! Fixing that now.
http://groups.google.com/group/mozilla.dev.planning/browse_thread/thread/d7cd3c9e9650b1b3
(I'm assuming they tested the Windows version of Safari, because why would you compare browsers for different systems?)
I'm sticking with Opera on my Windows machine and Safari on my Mac.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/16/mozilla_ship_firefox_4_22_march/
Although most websites link to this website, so perhaps it was nothing more than a rumor.
(I'm assuming they tested the Windows version of Safari, because why would you compare browsers for different systems?)
I'm sticking with Opera on my Windows machine and Safari on my Mac.
Opera sucks balls in memory management and lacks handy add-on such as Tab Mix Plus (which is same for Chrome). I would definitely move to Opera if it has these 2 issues fixed.
This article looks like a case of premature e.. something.
On the 16th he said RC1 would become the final code on the 22nd, but they released an RC2 since. I don't believe them anymore. Where is an official announcement or press release? RC1 was supposed to be here in November 2010. WBGP3 was going to feature FF4 at the end of 2010, then again at the end of this Feb. IE9 gave a date, so WBGP3 was made to coincide with its release. IF Firefox 4 launches tomorrow, it's purely coincidental. We stopped holding the WBGP series up for FF4 when MS officially gave their IE9 release date.