My Dream Web Browser
I'm still trying to find the right browser for me. Today, I'm using Arc, but it's not quite what I'm looking for.
I think my ideal browser would:
Have workspaces like Sigma OS and Arc
Three things I prefer about Sigma's version are:
- They have larger icons which is easier for my old eyes
- I love the ability to go back to the locked url
- Subpages are awesome because they help keep me from getting lost.
In Arc, I think the auto tab cleanup seems to work better than Sigma's. I also like the 'Today' section of the spaces.
Have color coded profiles
Color coding lets me easily differentiate between production and development environments and helps prevent very stupid mistakes. Arc gives me this with its sidebar themes.
Some browsers make you open a different window for each profile. Firefox, Orion, Chrome, and Vivaldi all do. Worse yet, with Vivaldi, I haven't found an easy way to have both profiles open at the same time. In Firefox, I can do it by creating separate app shortcuts.
Vivaldi will let me set a theme per profile, but I haven't found a theme that will let me set the color per workspace.
Have full sync between computers
Nobody gets this perfect, but Chrome comes closest. Chrome, Firefox, and Vivaldi all require separate accounts for each profile that you want to sync. Maybe because my email accounts are all Gmail, it doesn't feel quite as cumbersome. Arc doesn't sync profiles, which is weird because you can associate a profile with a workspace (which I love)
Have support for Chrome extensions
In a pinch, I'm ok with Firefox extensions. Safari extensions blow for some reason.
Have the ability to set where notes are stored
Nobody does this, and I really want it badly. Arc and Vivaldi both have notes features. Vivaldi will let me export them. But, what I really want is the ability to set a folder for my browser notes. This feature would let me take notes about a site within the browser, but store it in my Obsidian vault. If they want to let me also store them in the cloud for sync, that would be ok.
Have the ability to annotate html pages or pdfs and store the annotations locally
Likewise, if I could highlight text on pages and have the highlighted pages stored in a portable format in a folder of my choosing...
Have reliable site rendering and decent performance
Web sites need to work properly, and please don't use all of my computer's resources.
Have the ability to sandbox problematic web sites
I like to keep Facebook completely isolated from my other browsing. It's a trust issue. This is why I like using different profiles. One for general browsing, one for work, and one for social media. Reddit, Facebook, and Nextdoor are all confined to that profile.
Have good privacy and security
I want to trust that my web browser is not spying on me. Google's recent moves regarding moving tracking out of cookies and into the browser creeped me out enough that I'd like to not use it anymore.
I'm not quite sure I trust Arc. They seem to have a lot of money and no obvious road to making money. This screams data sales to me. I cheerfully pay to use Sigma in the hope that they can find a way to earn enough that they don't have to turn evil.
Have good developer tools that are right in reach
They all have good dev tools now, and this is silly, but I prefer Orion's because they are right in the normal menus. The default keyboard shortcuts to get to dev tools is a pain for my small hands and I seldom use it.
A specialized browser I've played with a bit for development is Polypane. I like the idea of it, but I often forget to go use it.
Have good support for Mac and Linux
I don't currently have a Windows computer, but I do use Linux. Firefox is my go to there.
Have an RSS Reader built in
Vivaldi has this, but they do not seem to have a way to import an OPML file. To me, it makes sense for RSS reading to be integrated in the browser. I do use the web version of Newsblur, but I honestly prefer a desktop application. It just feels better somehow.
Have the ability to specify specific profiles for URLs - WITHIN the browser
Arc and Sigma OS let me set rules for opening links from outside the browser. But, what I would dearly love is for this to work from any web page. Example, if a news article links to Facebook or Twitter, open that link in my isolated social media profile. (Actually, with Twitter links, send them to a black hole somewhere. I'd rather not go there at all.)
Summary
To me, a web browser is a tool for reading and saving web sites. It's also a tool that enables my career as a web application developer. I want one that will let me organize my work, respect my privacy, and let me make local notes and annotations within the browser. Sadly, I haven't found the perfect one yet.