CNET Editors' review
A browser based on the Internet Explorer engine, Maxthon is probably something of a curiosity for most North American users. It never really caught on there, but elsewhere--especially China--it's one of the most popular browsers around. It renders pages fast and comes loaded with features, as if Firefox came with 90 percent of its most popular plug-ins.
All the basics are represented here, from tabbed browsing to skins to add-ons, and many of the rolled-in features make Maxthon hard to ignore. Some of our favorite features include rolled-in auto-form filling, the ability to set up bookmark groups that open on start-up--excellent for news or blogs, the ability to autoscroll Web pages, and pop-up and content filters for blocking ads and specific content formats you don't want. There are also customizable hotkey commands for such nifty features as auto-completing URLs, so if you type "download" and hold down the Ctrl key, it will auto-fill the "http://" and the ".com".
We also like the super drag-and-drop feature, which lets you directly select and drag keywords to a current Web page or directly to the address bar. Maxthon is fast, small, flexible, and easy to use, and the extra features make it a browser we highly recommend. This version, Classic, differs from the newer Maxthon in several ways--notably by being more stable and less customizable.
Publisher's Description
From Maxthon International:
Maxthon (formerly MyIE2) is a multipage browser based on the Internet Explorer core (IE 5.x or 6.0 required). It can open multiple Web pages in just one window, and it takes only a few system resources when you're surfing with the integrated user interface. The application supports special plug-ins and IE extensions, and its features include autoscrolling, form autofilling, external tools, plug-in support, a newsgroup-browsing mode, mouse gestures, customizable skins, and an Autohide panel. The latest release features improved theme support, enhanced stability, and updated skinning.
Version 1.1.115 includes the following fixes and enhancements: Starting and Closing speed is made much faster. Fixed some problem that may cause the config file got cleared. Added an option to Maxthon Options->Advanced to disable custom browser context menu items. Drag the right edge of search box on search bar to adjust its width. Fixed the 'open' option that was missing when you opened some office files. Support News Ticker toolbar Detailed script error dialog. (Double the script error icon on status bar to view). Fix proxy setting did not load on next run problem. New DHTML function max_installSkin.
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All versions:
4.2 starsout of 266 votes
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Current version:
4.3 starsout of 39 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"Very neat features, great!"
Version: Maxthon (formerly MyIE2) 1.1.115
Pros
I really like it, it includes differnt skins, has ad blocker, loads faster than firefox, and is very neat. It is just an overall great browser.
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"Overdone Product"
Version: Maxthon (formerly MyIE2) 1.1.115
Pros
The Maxthon Browser has an excellent purpose-tabbed browsing, eliminating popups & ads.
Cons
However the interface is a a little clumsy when compared to the industry leader AVANT. I believe with the new Firefox/Mozilla vulnerabilities, it is safer to keep with an IE engine (and KEEP IT UPDATED).
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"Excellent replace for Internet Explorer..."
Version: Maxthon (formerly MyIE2) 1.1.115
Pros
Maxthon is a single-window browser, basis on Internet Explorer, with set of useful functions: blocks popup windows, shows very useful information about pages, opens new window by dragging the link aside and many, many more.
Cons
Maxthon uses more system resources than MyIE.
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"Wonderful browser"
Version: Maxthon (formerly MyIE2) 1.1.115
Pros
Maxthon and Firefox are neck and neck as the best browsers out there. Maxthon, unbeknownst to most, has an option where you can use the Gecko engine if you wish. Just use the new window option menu to select it. Integrated ad blocking is wonderful - this beat the Firefox extension, which is not integrated, and not as easy to use.
Cons
Not much. If you don't properly configure your IE options, you will have some headaches as one might expect. However, the type of people who can't safely configure their IE settings probably aren't aware of Maxthon.
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"The best browser ever!"
Version: Maxthon (formerly MyIE2) 1.1.115
Pros
I have tested LOTS of web browsers, including Firefox, and Maxthon is my all times favorite! It's the best.
It's based on IE, it has tabs, lots of good features for you to discover! Highly recommended!
I'm a raving fan of this program!
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"Not the best out there.There are betters like Avant and Firefox"
Version: Maxthon (formerly MyIE2) 1.1.115
Pros
Maxthon has good features like Ad Blocker and Popup Blocker etc.(All these features are in Avant)
Cons
It is really slow and doesn't have a nice interface
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"I highly recommend Maxthon."
Version: Maxthon (formerly MyIE2) 1.1.115
Pros
I highly recommend Maxthon.
It's a Free tabbed browser-shell based on the IE rendering engine. You can donate if you like it and want to contribute to it's development.
Maxthon has so many features that it's almost impossible to list them all:
Auto Popup blocking & a Configure Popup filter list
Web AD image blocking filter list
Floating AD blocking & Unwanted Web dialog box blocking
ActiveX blocking (blocks ActiveX components from being installed unless you give it permission to)
Tons of skins and Plugins...
Microsoft's Security Chief uses Maxthon...
From Monday, August 30, 2004
"A word about the Wired article. I didn't "reveal" that I run Firefox. The interview itself was a 45 minute long affair from which they distilled four questions and answered them with paraphrases from my answers to the questions during the total interview. That's how their hot seat interviews are done.
What I stated in regards to Firefox is that as a security professional I keep abreast of a variety of products on test machines and that just that morning I had to install an update on the machine running Firefox, which was true (EDIT: The update I applied was specifically to Firefox, I merely point out that it was not on my primary machine). That got distilled down to just the last part, that I had to update Firefox to apply a critical security fix.
And I didn't say Windows would finally be secure in 2011. When asked about our efforts I pointed out that security is a journey not a destination, and that our trustworthy computing initiative was a 10 year one.
Lest anyone be confused, my primary browser is SP2 Internet Explorer using Maxthon."
Give it a try... it's Green software, which means it doesn't add anything to your registry without your permission.
Really give it a test run though... with so many features, it's hard to see everything it can do without using it for a while.
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"Great Browser"
Version: Maxthon (formerly MyIE2) 1.1.115
Summary
I think this is the best browser out there in terms of functionality. It's loaded with features, and features that are missing can be easily remidied through their large library of plug-ins. It's totally customisable, much more than firefox/mozilla. You can customize the toolbars, skins, plug-ins, and application shortcutes.
I have also not had any problems viewing websites (had problems with opera on several sites, including BBSs). Also it works with my laptops touchpad forward/back and scroll (vert/hori) features (which opera and firefox/mozilla were not fully compatible with).
The only downside to this tremendous browser is that it's pretty much a IE frontend. If they came up with the same browser not based on the IE engine it would hands down be the best browser. -
"A simple and functional browser"
Version: Maxthon (formerly MyIE2) 1.1.115
Summary
Been using it for years, try out FireFox a while ago..hmmm..can't really perform like MyIE...sorry FireFox..i will stick to MyIE.
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"Fewer plugins than opera or firefox or mozilla, easier to use right after install"
Version: Maxthon (formerly MyIE2) 1.1.115
Summary
I tried quite a few browsers before settling on maxthon. It has all of the features of the higher end browsers, such as opera which you have to pay for, and firefox/mozilla that you have to download plug ins for continuously. This is based off good old IE, but has all the advanced features of the better browsers such as tabbed windows and mouse gestures. yay for maxthon. The best thing is that i have noticed that most forms that normally pop up IE automatically will work in Maxthon. For example, i use yahoo for email, when i tried firefox, and clicked on a link that said "send email" it always opened an IE browser screen too. Maxthon is usually able to incorporate this, and only opens another tab, not an independant IE screen. yay, (again) This IE shell is definitely worth a try.
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