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#1 2020-09-16 15:13:44
Vivaldi: Best performing browser on Chromebook style laptop
I chose an "educational model Winbook", the 100e from Lenovo, for my personal laptop, because it's small and light and the battery really does last 10 hours of use. Obviously it's not a fast computer, but it's pretty much the same as my Core2 Quad desktop from 2008, graphics card aside, which means it can do all the basic computing I need and it can play some games alright.
Specs:
- Intel Celeron N3450 (0.7-2.2GHz 4 Core CPU with 12 Graphics CUs)
- 4GB DDR4 2133MHz RAM
- 128GB EMMC storage
Anyway, given the low specs some aspects of browsing the web don't work so smoothly, with Youtube in Firefox being the most obvious issue. I immediately noticed random popping/crackling distortion in the audio (using ALSA only) and dropped frames. I normally used FF, so I just lived with it for a few months until it bothered me enough to test some other browsers. Here is what I tested,
Firefox, Chromium, Google Chrome, Opera, Vivaldi, and "Web" (Epiphany).
There are many more one could try, but those are all the ones I got around to testing before I found one that suited my needs. Here is a pretty decent list of browsers for Linux, https://www.tecmint.com/linux-web-browsers/ (I can't vouch for this site, it's just one I found).
Notes:
I use Ublock Origin and private browsing tabs for each session, which, performance wise, gives me a clean session and lighter load when rendering pages. I also disable every privacy invasive feature and all the junk like news feeds, etc. All testing was done with Beowulf 64 Bit.
My Quick Conclusions:
- Every browser loads pages more slowly than my much more powerful desktop, but it's effectively identical to how pages load on a Chromebook, which is fine. Totally usable, even for Google Docs and MS Word online.
Firefox
- It's alright for browsing and page loading times, but it is definitely slower than the Chrome based browsers.
- Audio issues on Youtube.
- Media playback seems to lag.
Chromium / Google Chrome / Opera
- Very high memory usage, but still OK with with up to 6 tabs due to Xfce and 4GB RAM
- Youtube playback also drops some frames, but Netflix is totally fine.
- No audio issues.
- I miss Opera 12... *cries in Presto*
Vivaldi
- Strangely low memory usage given that it's Chrome based and it has many extra features.
- It plays Youtube and Netflix OK.
- Loads pages pretty quickly.
- Its built in ad blocking seems to be as effective as Ublock Origin (I disabled their white listed ads).
Epiphany
- It's crap.
- Slow page loads, dropped frames on Youtube, and it often just locks up and must be killed.
- Why is this installed by default when FF is removed, Debian? Dillo would be better FFS...
So, there ya go, on this low end laptop, using Vivaldi is like using any other web browser on a faster desktop. Now you know, yay! 
Last edited by Tatwi (2020-09-16 15:18:39)
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#3 2020-09-18 00:36:38
- golinux
- Administrator
- Registered: 2016-11-25
- Posts: 3,316
Re: Vivaldi: Best performing browser on Chromebook style laptop
Vivaldi handles jitsi better than chromium does! Of course, that's still on jessie 32 bit. LOL!! FF has never been able to handle it. Chrome did till recently then suddenly wouldn't work. I don't care much for the layout or look (too shiny) and the community was not to my liking either. jitsi is the only thing I'm using it for.
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#4 2020-09-28 00:36:16
Re: Vivaldi: Best performing browser on Chromebook style laptop
A very good comparison. How about SeaMonkey? This is my browser of choice.
So I gave SeaMonkey a whirl, by downloading their binary package from their website, and it actually ran really well on this machine. Youtube playback was smooth, but the audio didn't work. I imagine that it was compiled with the PA dependency, so can't fault it for that given that I don't have PA installed. Page loads were slower, but that's what ya get on today's Internet when you're not using Ad Block. It did seem to be more frugal with memory than Firefox, so it could be good for low end hardware.
Was neat how much SeaMonkey still looked like the Netscape Navigator I remember using in Windows 95.
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#5 2020-09-28 04:04:26
- zapper
- Member
- Registered: 2017-05-29
- Posts: 967
Re: Vivaldi: Best performing browser on Chromebook style laptop
davidb wrote:A very good comparison. How about SeaMonkey? This is my browser of choice.
So I gave SeaMonkey a whirl, by downloading their binary package from their website, and it actually ran really well on this machine. Youtube playback was smooth, but the audio didn't work. I imagine that it was compiled with the PA dependency, so can't fault it for that given that I don't have PA installed. Page loads were slower, but that's what ya get on today's Internet when you're not using Ad Block. It did seem to be more frugal with memory than Firefox, so it could be good for low end hardware.
Was neat how much SeaMonkey still looked like the Netscape Navigator I remember using in Windows 95.
Have you tried using apulse in combination with seamonkey? I bet audio would work then.
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. Feelings are not facts
If you wish to be humbled, try to exalt yourself long term If you wish to be exalted, try to humble yourself long term
Favourite operating systems: Hyperbola Devuan OpenBSD
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#6 2020-09-28 12:21:47
- xinomilo
- Unknown
- Registered: 2017-07-02
- Posts: 315
Re: Vivaldi: Best performing browser on Chromebook style laptop
tried vivaldi the last weeks, their builtin adblock, isn't doing much.. especially the "anti adblock" is not working/existent.. so, installed ublock origin along, and feels much better now.
still sticking to ff-esr + ublock origin..
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#7 2020-09-30 02:23:05
Re: Vivaldi: Best performing browser on Chromebook style laptop
So I gave SeaMonkey a whirl, by downloading their binary package from their website, and it actually ran really well on this machine. Youtube playback was smooth, but the audio didn't work. I imagine that it was compiled with the PA dependency, so can't fault it for that given that I don't have PA installed. Page loads were slower, but that's what ya get on today's Internet when you're not using Ad Block. It did seem to be more frugal with memory than Firefox, so it could be good for low end hardware.
Was neat how much SeaMonkey still looked like the Netscape Navigator I remember using in Windows 95.
Hey, I'm glad you gave it a spin. Very well assessed, too. It's not perfect, but I really do like using it.
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#8 2020-10-06 20:04:21
- zapper
- Member
- Registered: 2017-05-29
- Posts: 967
Re: Vivaldi: Best performing browser on Chromebook style laptop
I thought vivaldi was spyware I am kind of surprised anyone uses it, or anything made from chromium as a base in general.
https://spyware.neocities.org/articles/vivaldi.html
Though to be fair, aside from tor browser, palemoon and lynx, i feel like most web browsers are loaded down with crap. Firefox sadly is as well.
Though easier to mitigate then anything with a chromium base.
Well regardless, just thought I would show you that link. IF you enjoy vivaldi okay, but its not very privacy friendly no matter how its configured... 
Read this link too if willing,
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. Feelings are not facts
If you wish to be humbled, try to exalt yourself long term If you wish to be exalted, try to humble yourself long term
Favourite operating systems: Hyperbola Devuan OpenBSD
Peace Be With us All!
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#9 2020-10-09 03:28:12
Re: Vivaldi: Best performing browser on Chromebook style laptop
I thought vivaldi was spyware I am kind of surprised anyone uses it, or anything made from chromium as a base in general.
https://spyware.neocities.org/articles/vivaldi.html
Though to be fair, aside from tor browser, palemoon and lynx, i feel like most web browsers are loaded down with crap. Firefox sadly is as well.
Though easier to mitigate then anything with a chromium base.
Well regardless, just thought I would show you that link. IF you enjoy vivaldi okay, but its not very privacy friendly no matter how its configured...
Read this link too if willing,
Thanks for the info. I don't care, because it doesn't matter; There isn't an Internet or telephone/smartphone service available in Canada that itself isn't spied upon. I have more important things to concern myself with.
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#10 2020-10-09 23:32:05
- zapper
- Member
- Registered: 2017-05-29
- Posts: 967
Re: Vivaldi: Best performing browser on Chromebook style laptop
zapper wrote:I thought vivaldi was spyware I am kind of surprised anyone uses it, or anything made from chromium as a base in general.
https://spyware.neocities.org/articles/vivaldi.html
Though to be fair, aside from tor browser, palemoon and lynx, i feel like most web browsers are loaded down with crap. Firefox sadly is as well.
Though easier to mitigate then anything with a chromium base.
Well regardless, just thought I would show you that link. IF you enjoy vivaldi okay, but its not very privacy friendly no matter how its configured...
Read this link too if willing,
Thanks for the info. I don't care, because it doesn't matter; There isn't an Internet or telephone/smartphone service available in Canada that itself isn't spied upon. I have more important things to concern myself with.
Meh, I have one gaming laptop with devuan and wine which plays starcraft 2, two with Hyperbola which I use for writing, etc...
My point being, I prefer to deny them as much as I feel like is reasonable which in my case means, I deny when I feel like it is feasible. That being said, choose wisely...
I still prefer palemoon myself, but each to their own I suppose.
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. Feelings are not facts
If you wish to be humbled, try to exalt yourself long term If you wish to be exalted, try to humble yourself long term
Favourite operating systems: Hyperbola Devuan OpenBSD
Peace Be With us All!
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#11 2020-10-20 13:43:05
Re: Vivaldi: Best performing browser on Chromebook style laptop
Having a bunch of Chromebooks around for the family and the Lenovo 100e also being sold as a Chromebook, I wondered how the browsing experience would be in ChromeOS, using CloudReady by Neverware.
I am sad to report that hands down, ChromeOS provided the best browsing experience of all my testing in Linux and Windows.
- I didn't have to fix any screen tearing issues, because it "just worked".
- Scrolling was always smooth, unlike using Google Chrome in Windows or Linux, where scrolling a image heavy page, such as an Amazon listing, jumps up or down too far. In fairness, that happens in Windows on any browser, because bloated OS is bloated (10 Pro no less).
- Youtube and Netflix worked perfectly.
- Online docs also worked perfectly.
The crazy part is that my setup of Xfce on Devuan is super minimal and lean, yet there's just something about it that makes browsing in all but Vivaldi a little janky. Google Chrome really does not like the tear free solutions for Intel that work just fine for Vivaldi and Chromium, all of which are based on similar versions of Chrome. Heck even Firefox works better than Google Chrome when compositing is disabled. It don't make sense!
After the CloudReady experiment, I also tried Devuan ASCII and the browser experience was OK apart from poor battery life, even with a 4.19 kernel and tweaking. It's now setup with Beowulf and kernel 5.8, which works great apart from the janky browser performance, which Vivaldi minimizes.
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