The best browser when using a lot of tabs isn't Firefox

3 years ago 419

If you thin to enactment with galore tabs successful a browser, you mightiness beryllium missing retired connected the 1 web browser that tin assistance signifier those tabs truthful you're much productive.

Close up   of a web browser

Image: Robert Avgustin/Shutterstock

How galore browser tabs bash you person unfastened astatine the moment? More than five? Ten? Fifteen? Twenty? That's the existent world due to the fact that users are multitasking much oregon simply leaving tabs unfastened alternatively of utilizing bookmarking systems.

But not each browser handles a wide of tabs arsenic good arsenic we'd like. Some browsers devour acold excessively galore resources, portion others bash a unspeakable occupation of displaying that plethora of tabs. When you request that blessed medium, wherever bash you turn? Firefox? Chrome? Edge? Safari? Vivaldi? Tor?

Nay, nay.

SEE: 5 programming languages exertion solutions developers should larn (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

There's different browser that handles a multitude of tabs acold amended than the others. It's not truthful overmuch a show issue. Every browser has evolved to the constituent wherever you tin propulsion a reasonably sizable fig of tabs into the premix and (as agelong arsenic your strategy has the resources), they'll bash conscionable fine. And, you tin ever adhd third-party extensions that suspend inheritance tabs (such arsenic OneTab for Chrome and Firefox). 

The large contented comes with managing a batch of tabs. Sure, Google has attempted to benignant retired this contented with Tab Groups, but to beryllium honorable that diagnostic does precise small to cleanable up the clutter of galore tabs. The aforesaid happening holds existent with Vivaldi, which precocious added the Accordion mentation of its Tab Stacks feature. Although that gets america beauteous adjacent to decent tab management, it inactive falls short. Firefox? Don't get maine started connected its bittersweet authorities of tab absorption (even though Firefox is inactive my default browser).

What's the occupation here? The contented is simple: existent estate. You lone person truthful overmuch country successful a tab bar. Even with your web browser afloat maximized, there's lone truthful overmuch space. And erstwhile you thin to enactment with 20 oregon truthful tabs unfastened astatine 1 time, it tin go problematic to benignant retired erstwhile those tabs person go truthful tiny adjacent the favicons are hard to marque out.

That's wherefore 1 browser is heads supra the contention with regards to tab management. The browser is Opera and the diagnostic is Workspaces. I've written astir this diagnostic earlier (Opera Workspaces crook a chaotic browser into an effectual and businesslike tool), but it warrants different mention. Why? Because the diagnostic is that good. In fact, I precocious returned to Firefox arsenic my default browser and sorely miss Workspaces.

What is Opera Workspaces?

Workspaces is precisely what it sounds like. With Opera, you tin make abstracted workspaces, each of which tin service a antithetic purpose. You could person a workspace for Productivity, Social Networking, Research, Administration and immoderate other your bosom oregon occupation desires. Each workspace exists abstracted from the other, which is simply a precise important facet of this feature. Other browsers connection akin features (by mode of extensions), but those browsers miss retired connected a precise important aspect: pinned tabs. With Opera, you tin delegate pinned tabs to a circumstantial workspace, and those pinned tabs volition lone beryllium successful that workspace. For instance, you could person 4 workspaces and person 10 antithetic pinned tabs for each workspace. 

To marque this adjacent better, each workspace is but a click (using icons successful the near sidebar) oregon a keyboard shortcut away. With a speedy click, you're transported to a antithetic workspace that holds a wholly antithetic acceptable of tabs. It's that easy.

I've tried to usage a Firefox hold that offers akin functionality to Workspaces, but erstwhile you pin a tab, it exists successful each workspace–that does precise small to assistance maine signifier my tabs. Once you person 10 pinned tabs (I presently person 13), you've already taken up superior toolbar existent estate. If I lone request those pinned tabs successful Productivity, I'm retired of luck... unless I'm utilizing Opera.

That's the quality of Opera Workspaces. With this feature, your workspaces are genuinely isolated (at slightest from a UI standpoint)–and that matters. A portion of bundle tin person the azygous astir performant backend ever created, but if the UX is lacking, truthful excessively volition the experience. This is wherever Opera truly stands retired supra each different browser connected the market. What the designers and developers person created with Workspaces is thing abbreviated of brilliant. The UI is truthful bully that, arsenic I constitute this portion successful Firefox, I'm longing to spell backmost to Opera conscionable to acquisition the deficiency of clutter recovered successful Workspaces.

SEE: Software usage policy (TechRepublic Premium)

As acold arsenic show is concerned, 1 crushed I had to migrate to Firefox was that Opera didn't look to enactment truthful good with larger Google documents. Working with a 60k connection papers could bring Opera (and my desktop) to a grinding halt. And since I'm a writer by profession, I often enactment with precise ample documents. Firefox didn't person this aforesaid problem. Since then, I've doubled the RAM successful my PC (to 32 GB), and Opera doesn't person that aforesaid occupation now. But a PC shouldn't request 32 GB of RAM to tally a web browser. Even so, I instrumentality with Firefox–for now. 

But the much I deliberation astir Opera Workspaces, the much I privation to spell backmost to that browser arsenic my default. 

No substance what browser you presently use, I highly suggest you springiness Opera a try. Once you commencement utilizing Workspaces, you'll person a hard clip accepting immoderate different browser's tab absorption system.

Best of the Week Newsletter

Our editors item the TechRepublic articles, downloads, and galleries that you cannot miss to enactment existent connected the latest IT news, innovations, and tips. Fridays

Sign up today

Also spot

Read Entire Article