MiniBrowser is a simple browser based on the Apple Web Kit development framework.
The use of resources is very low, as the application is very simple. The rendering speed is comparable with Safari or another product that includes the same engine,
Vienna. Vienna isn't a Web browser, is in fact a
RSS/Atom reader, but its functionality can compete with the one provided by this browser.
The functionality of MiniBrowser can be annoying for an Internet hardcore user. Entering an address in the address bar might be a challenge for the first time. After couple of minutes of tries, I found the solution. It requires to add the 'http://' prefix to every address.
Another helpful feature for the browsing is the auto completion for a typed URL. Even though the application has the support for browsing history, it doesn't show it. You would need to type the whole address every time you need to access a certain page, thus you lose a lot of time for the pages that you visit frequently.
The application lacks the tabbed browsing functionality. This retro browsing style doesn't suite very well the users that like the tabbed implementations as the desktop gets filled with a lot of windows instead of just one.
The support for downloads is very weak. You can't start to download a file by clicking the download link. The application has an annoying style for this kind of activity. I managed to download something by copying the link and pasting it into its download manager. It has one that supports just a single download and it lacks any form of real management.
Pluses: is a compact and fast browser. Since its rendering engine is based on the Apple Web Kit, it have taken the
Acid2 rendering test. The application was stable during the stress tests.
Drawbacks / flaws: it doesn't have many useful features such as auto-completion for the addresses, you would need to append the 'http://' prefix to every address. It doesn't have a tabbed browsing implementation, the download manager is weird, and it has a low functionality.
In conclusion: I couldn't find any reason to quit using
Firefox and
Opera.
Safari is its 'older' brother, so using this browser is a matter of preference.
version reviewed: 2.3
