Maxthon Browser 3.1.8.1000

Overview

Maxthon Standard 3.2.2.1 is a surprisingly fast browser that offers a plethora of features in a user-friendly package. Despite being less popular than the big three (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome) Maxthon Standard is able to provide much of the same functionality, yet boasts page load speeds up to 200% faster than Google Chrome, which is considered to be the fastest mainstream browser.

Installation

In order to install the Maxthon browser you'll need at least 20 MB of disk space and 256 MB of RAM. The installation and setup process is extremely simple and can be completed by even the most novice computer user.

Interface

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the Maxthon Standard interface is how many features are available right out-of-the-box, without the need to download an excessive amount of plug-ins. Nonetheless, if you feel the need to enhance the Maxthon browser even further, you can easily change your browser's skin and customize the user interface in almost any way imaginable.

Pros

• Automatically download streaming videos without the need for additional plug-ins.

• Reader mode makes reading easier by isolating and emphasizing the content of an article, while placing the rest of the page in the background. Reader mode also lets you easily adjust the zoom and width of the selected article.

• Night mode quickly changes the background to a dark gray and the text to an off-white, creating a contrast that makes it easier to read in low lighting conditions.

• Private browsing mode lets you surf the web without leaving any traces of site history.

• Built-in Ad Hunter automatically blocks malicious pop-ups and annoying advertisements.

• The Toolbar Camera button lets you easily take screen captures of any webpage.

• Multilingual - Available in 23 languages, and has a built in spell checker that is compatible with 10 different languages.

• External Tools section lets you create shortcut buttons that provide easy access to your favorite programs on your computer (i.e. - Notepad or Calculator) from within the browser.

• Split Screen feature lets you quickly and easily divide the browser window into two segments to compare tabs, or resize windows and tabs to your liking on the fly.

• Group bookmarking feature lets you add several pages to your favorites simultaneously.

• Customizable mouse gestures let you perform actions like page refreshing, closing or switching between tabs, and scrolling using brief mouse movements and clicks.

• Consumes 65% less RAM than Internet Explorer, yet carries all of the same compatibility and features.

• Lets you open multiple sessions in one browser window (useful for logging into multiple website accounts simultaneously).

Cons

• Although Maxthon Standard already includes almost any feature you could ask for, the interest in developing new add-ons for the browser is far less than that seen with more popular browsers like Firefox that have an extensive library of plug-ins. In fact, developers are currently unable to create open-source add-ons for the Maxthon browser at all.

• The download manager may take some getting used to.

Alternatives

Being that the Maxthon browser is built based on the Internet Explorer engine, this browser would be the closest alternative as far as general appearance is concerned. However, the default functionality of Internet Explorer is lacking in comparison to Maxthon, and in this regard Mozilla Firefox would be a closer competitor. In terms of page load speed, Google Chrome is closest to Maxthon.

Conclusion

If you'd like a browser that offers speed and efficiency similar to that of Google Chrome, and functionality similar to Firefox, without having to install an abundance of additional plug-ins, you may want to consider the Maxthon browser.