Mac users: browser choice - Firefox or Safari

[Xenedis]

I've been a Mac convert since mid-2009, after 17 years running DOS and Windows.

Firefox was my choice of browser when I was still running Windows, and I've kept using it since converting to the Mac.

However, I'm starting to ponder the notion of switching to Safari. I also have an iPhone, so I'm using it for mobile browsing anyway.

What concerns me about Safari is the lack of control over the setting of cookies by sites. Under Firefox, I use a 'white list' system, whereby I specifically allow cookies from certain sites, and block all other sites.

Safari doesn't seem to have this capability.

I also run a handful of Greasemonkey scripts, which make my browsing experience cleaner or more functional for a few sites I regularly visit.

An ad blocker is a must, and it seems that there is an ad blocker for Safari, although I'm not sure how well it fares compared to Adblock Plus for Firefox.

So, my question to my fellow Mac users is this:

Which browser (ie, Firefox or Safari) do you use, and why?

Additionally, what do you specifically like about your browser, and what do you specifically dislike about the alternate browser?

Please, no browser wars or suggestions to use Opera or some other third-party browser. I'm only interested in comparisons between Firefox and Safari.

I would like to standardise across my Mac and iPhone, which simplifies the current archaic process by which I synchronise bookmarks.

Very keen to hear some objective, balanced opinions about both browsers on the Mac.

[sharath]

I use Google's Chrome.

Why:
Its fast - although Safari is about the same speed
I love the interface - the tabs are in the right places
Does everything the browser is meant to do (similar to firefox in many ways)

I haven't used it to sync bookmarks but you effectively can. I think with iCloud you should be able to use the bookmark sync with Safari much more easily.

I don't have a preferred browser. In fact have Firefox and Chrome - but I find I rarely use Safari.

Just me

[crazymorton]

for your synch purpose on iCloud i think Safari is your best bet. it will be seamless on apple products. only draw back is lack of add ons. safari takes some getting used to but is good enough once you do.

firefox has got to bloated and can slow your systems down. sure you get some great add ons but once you wean yourself off these, and i bet you find a heap you first installed cause they looked good but haven't used in a while, then you won't even miss them.

so if only comparing the 2, and across apple products synching is the criteria, Safari it is.

[WhoDo]

I haven't been using my iMac for very long, John ... 2-3 days ... but I used Firefox exclusively in Windows and Linux before I jumped over. I must say that I'm very pleased with Safari. There are enough extensions to do what I want to do, including an EXIF viewer extension, and AdBlock but I haven't noticed any for white listing cookies. I find it's much easier to work with, and a whole lot faster than Firefox, but I don't have enough experience of it to say whether that's just the novelty or not.

[Xenedis]

Thanks all.

Not long after posting this thread I to move to Safari. After years of using Firefox, I bade it farewell.

The browsing experience is more or less identical, and Safari Adblock, arguably the most useful browser extension for someone like myself who doesn't use a lot of browser extensions, works a treat. Safari unfortunately lacks some of the configurability of Firefox, but hopefully as time goes forward it will offer more in that regard.

On the topic of extensions, I found a few useful extensions for Flickr. I didn't use a lot of extensions even with Firefox.

As for iCloud, I'm not particularly interested in iCloud, or cloud computing in general. I consider managing my data my own responsibility, and I'm not basically keen on the notion of storing it on some unknown server cluster in some unknown location.

Syncing between my iPhone and MacBook Pro is more of a breeze now that iOS 5 finally supports sync over WiFi, and since switching to Safari I no longer need to futz about with exporting bookmarks from one browser and importing them into the other so that my iPhone also has my bookmarks.

[squizzytaylor]

Hmmmm, Ive only ever used Firefox on both windows and my Imac, might be re investigating Safari I suspect.

GT

[junqbox]

The only reason I use Firefox on my Mac is so I can access my Windows based work email system. Otherwise, Safari has served me well since coming out.
Been a Mac user for17yrs

[Xenedis]

The only reason I use Firefox on my Mac is so I can access my Windows based work email system.

Exchange?

[junqbox]

Scalix I think, but ties up with Outlook. I try not to use it too much