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Zen, a Arc-like open-source browser based on the Firefox engine

zen-browser.app

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Re: Zen, a Arc-like open-source browser based on the Firefox engine

#201

Post by Kokouane »

raffraffraff wrote: post #33
dartharva wrote: post #24

I don't know why but websites always feel downgraded with Firefox and its descendants. Long load times, incomplete/failed loads, bad font rendering, buffering.. It feels evident that webmasters only care for compatibility with Chrome et al. It felt that it was subsiding in between, but sites have again started breaking on it nowadays.

I use Firefox on Linux and in general it's fine. Only really dreadful stuff like Microsoft Teams will outright fail. I've found that using NextDNS or an adblocker is more harmful on certain sites. I've had situations where a website completely fails until I change my DNS provider to 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8 or wherever. But I tend to avoid sites like that if I have a choice. I'm sticking with Firefox. I like the account fe…

Also important note, but Firefox account settings/sync is End-to-End encrypted, a nice privacy feature compared to the much more invasive Google Account sync.

Re: Zen, a Arc-like open-source browser based on the Firefox engine

#202

Post by dnpls »

hysan wrote: post #10

Seems… quite lacking in details? It makes some pretty bold claims but doesn’t explain how it achieves things like better performance. Their docs are also pretty empty.

The website is so bare, I'd like to see a list with all the major features and some screenshots before downloading anything.

Re: Zen, a Arc-like open-source browser based on the Firefox engine

#203

Post by WD-42 »

layer8 wrote: post #117

Whenever I read “beautiful” in marketing copy, I’m immediately put off. It’s so presumptuous and conveys vanity. Moreover, users may prefer their software to be utilitarian, and in any case are likely to have different opinions on what constitutes “beauty”. For that aspect: Show, don’t tell. If people do find it beautiful, then they don’t need to be told. And if they don’t, then telling them is unlikely to change tha…

I normally don’t mind but this landing page in particular is a bit extra.

Re: Zen, a Arc-like open-source browser based on the Firefox engine

#204

Post by Kokouane »

Fire-Dragon-DoL wrote: post #59
dartharva wrote: post #24

I don't know why but websites always feel downgraded with Firefox and its descendants. Long load times, incomplete/failed loads, bad font rendering, buffering.. It feels evident that webmasters only care for compatibility with Chrome et al. It felt that it was subsiding in between, but sites have again started breaking on it nowadays.

Same problem, to the point that I started testing alternative browsers that are chromium based. Currently using Brave, I couldn't find better alternatives that worked on linux, windows and Android. It's shocking that there isn't a decent chromium based browser that supports extensions on android.

There is an app called Kiwi Browser that does support extensions on Android. The issue becomes no sync, which I think is also a feature you are looking for.

It makes sense that Chrome has never built it, have to keep the users from using Adblock.

Re: Zen, a Arc-like open-source browser based on the Firefox engine

#205

Post by Kokouane »

causality0 wrote: post #189

Someone want to explain what "based on the Firefox engine" means? Is it a fork of Firefox or do they think I'm too stupid to know what Gecko is?

Not a fork, it is just based on Gecko from what I can tell on their GitHub. To be fair, Zen is clearly targeting a regular audience who most likely do not know what Gecko is.

Re: Zen, a Arc-like open-source browser based on the Firefox engine

#207

Post by dartos »

immibis wrote: post #179
dartos wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No way. If google decides that they don’t want to fund Mozilla anymore, then these Firefox derivatives fall as well. I don’t really see the zen team (or other ff forks) hiring the FF devs that are making 6 figures at Mozilla. If Firefox decides to deeply ingrain some DRM standard, there’s a high likelihood that it’ll be included in downstream browsers like this one, unless they are privacy nuts like librewolf. We nee…

Remember what happened to Thunderbird, though. Mozilla dropped it, and it got better. There are good reasons to think that Mozilla - the corporate entity - is cancer.

Isn’t thunderbird still part of Mozilla?

It says it still is on their site.

Re: Zen, a Arc-like open-source browser based on the Firefox engine

#208

Post by chown »

I've recently started using Arc mostly out of FOMO and there are parts that I like and parts I don't. I have been a Firefox user for a long time before that so glad to see something similar that's one of the major priorities is the aesthetics and I very much appreciate that.

I tried to use it on my macOS Apple Silicone and got an error about it being broken and macOS suggested to trash it. Not sure if it is a bug issue. Will come back and try it again though to give it a second chance :)

Re: Zen, a Arc-like open-source browser based on the Firefox engine

#209

Post by [deleted] »

layer8 wrote: post #117

Whenever I read “beautiful” in marketing copy, I’m immediately put off. It’s so presumptuous and conveys vanity. Moreover, users may prefer their software to be utilitarian, and in any case are likely to have different opinions on what constitutes “beauty”. For that aspect: Show, don’t tell. If people do find it beautiful, then they don’t need to be told. And if they don’t, then telling them is unlikely to change tha…

[deleted]
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