Among the browser benchmarking tests that measure their compatibility with web technologies, if you look at the html5 test it turns out, with great surprise, that the best browser is Maxthon 5 . Although each test has different results, (see the best tests to measure browser speed and performance), Maxthon scores really high, even higher than Chrome and Firefox.
Maxthon 5 has actually improved a lot and becomes a serious alternative to use to browse all websites quickly, safely and with many integrated features that can satisfy all those who do not like to install extensions on other browsers.
The latest version of this browser (of which there is also an Android version) is interesting because it contains important features that on other browsers such as Firefox and Chrome are available only by installing add-ons and which are totally absent in Internet Explorer.
Maxthon 5 looks similar to SeaMonkey (but more colorful) and Opera (but based on a different rendering engine), and much less to Internet Explorer on which previous versions were based.
The interface is very nice, with a large button at the top left to access the functions, with an extension bar at the top right and with a column on the left with buttons for quick access to favorites, the download manager and the notepad, to feeds and other extensions that can be added by clicking on the +.
With Maxthon you can save a browsing session and send it to your mobile phone via the cloud button, the Tab Sync.
The vertical soft scrolling gives the sensation of fluidity and lightness.
The best unique features of this browser are at least 7 :
1) Portable Version Download can be downloaded from the official Maxthon website instead of the normal version.
This is the portable version and the entire folder, after extracting the .zip file, it can be moved to a USB stick to always have Maxthon available on any computer, even if not really.
To launch the portable version, you need to go to the Bin folder and launch the Maxthon file.
2) Quickly download every element hosted on a website
From Maxthon you can go to the top menu, press the double arrow at the top right and open the Resource Sniffer tool.
Maxthon immediately identifies all the resources present on a site by dividing them into categories.
Each element can be downloaded in this way with a click.
3) Take Screenshots and save parts of sites as images on your computer.
On Maxthon you can click on the camera button at the top right to take screenshots of the screen or the entire page.
Before saving the image, you can change some options to highlight an area, add text, arrows or effects to the captured screen.
4) Night Mode
As in all browsers, sites with a white background are browsed.
If you prefer to rest your eyes and use less bright colors, you can use Maxthon's Night mode activated by the button on the extension bar at the top right.
It changes the colors of all sites by setting a black background and darker tones.
The color scheme can also be customized.
5) Take notes that are saved online.
As mentioned above, you can write notes by clicking on the notepad icon in the left bar.
If you set up an account on Maxthon, they are saved online and are readable by any computer with which you connect to the internet and, of course, browse with Maxthon.
6) Switch between site rendering engines using Webkit (Chrome and Safari) and Trident (Internet Explorer)
The display of websites can change depending on whether they are browsed with one or the other browser so, if you like and you are used to Chrome, you can use Maxthon with Webkit while if you like more Internet Explorer you can use Trident.
The rendering engine can be changed by pressing the lightning bolt icon indicating the use of Webkit.
Note that in the advanced options it is also possible to change the User Agent.
7) Dual navigation screen
By pressing F10 at any time, Maxthon divides the screen into two parts and allows you to open two sites simultaneously, one on the right side and one on the left.
Since everyone now has a 16/9 monitor, this split screen feature is particularly welcome.
8) Cloud functions have been added in Maxthon 5.
After installing Maxthon, you must therefore create an account with a name and password (or use the Twitter or Facebook account) which can be used in any version of this browser.
On each web page you can right-click and press on the Cloud Push option which allows you to send that page to the other devices connected to mobile phones or other PCs.
From the Push configuration screen you can add other devices on which, of course, Maxthon must be installed.
When you go to download any type of file through Maxthon, you can tick a box to send the download directly to your personal cloud .
By opening Maxthon on Android or iPhone and configuring your account, you can then access the Cloud Tabs and find the links sent from the computer and the saved downloads.
Cloud Sync is certainly also available in browsers such as Firefox, Chrome and Opera where all your favorites, settings and form data can be saved online so you never lose them.
The Cloud features in Maxthon are completed with the Magic Fill, from the button at the top right you can save all the logins and passwords to access the sites to find them on the other devices.
Integrated in Maxthon, there is also a translator and a link to Windows accessories such as the calculator that can be opened directly from the browser.
At the bottom right you can view an internal task manager to measure the consumption of browser resources and there is the configuration of the popo-up block, active by default.
The home screen is also very nice, similar to that of Opera with the favorite sites to click and navigate.
Magic Fill is also the system for saving passwords and pre-filled forms so as not to have to repeat the entries and logins every time.
The performance tests give Maxthon very high scores so there is no doubt that it is fast and compatible with all the most modern sites, including those in HTML5 that other browsers may not be able to open.
Maxthon is in Italian, except for the portable version which can become Italian if, after installation, the it-it.ini file is copied to the Languages folder of Maxthon Portable.
I recommend everyone to try Maxthon to fall in love with this great browser which, as also happened for Avant Browser, has made great strides.
