Scan & Fix 50 registry issues FREECNET Editors' review
Iron is a free Web browser from SRWare. It's based on Google's Chromium core, which is the basis of many browsers, including Google's own Chrome. Like Chrome and the others, Iron is super-fast and accepts extensions, themes, and developer tools. What sets it apart is a lack of the Google-centric features that some have criticized for violating users' privacy, such as reporting your browsing habits and suggesting content (and advertising) based on the results.
Iron's start page offers quick Web and Image searching and a Quick Access section that let us upload pictures, access Chrome-compatible extensions and themes, rate our home page at a ratings site, view info about our IP address, and even watch funny videos at Epic Fail. Of course, we could customize the view, including the Quick Access links, using the usual Chrome-style options. We could import or export our bookmarks, create application shortcuts, and manage search engines, to name a few. We browsed to some Web sites, which loaded as fast as with other Chromium-based browsers, which is to say about as fast as browsers get nowadays. We saw no functionality issues that seemed to be due to Iron's breaking the umbilical cord to Google HQ, or any functionality issue at all, for that matter. The program installed conventionally and left user data behind in its program folder when we uninstalled it. That's not necessarily a bad thing since many users may prefer to delete such data securely.
Of course, not everyone looks at Google and sees the Borg, but if Chromium's built-in reporting and Web integration raise issues with you, resistance is not futile. You simply need some Iron in your online diet.
Publisher's Description
From SRWare:
SRWare Iron Portable is a browser based on the Soucecode of Chromium. Google's Web browser Chrome thrilled with an extremely fast site rendering, a sleek design and innovative features. But it also gets critic from data protection specialists, for reasons such as creating a unique user ID or the submission of entries to Google to generate suggestions. SRWare Iron is a real alternative. The browser is based on the Chromium-source and offers the same features as Chrome - but without the critical points that the privacy concern.
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All versions:
4.4 starsout of 61 votes
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Current version:
4.3 starsout of 3 votes
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My rating:
Write review
Results 1-3 of 3
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"Spectacular"
Version: SRWare Iron 14.0.850
Pros
Faster than chrome, can be chrome, but mindful of our security, and no memory leak unlike chrome
Cons
There are no cons as of now
Summary
Greater than chrome, lightweight, fast. Recommended for browsing.
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"It's quick"
Version: SRWare Iron 14.0.850
Pros
I like it better than slim broswer and ie9
Cons
making it the default browser
Summary
Great Job. Well done
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"Like a German Version of Comodo Dragon, But Not As Good"
Version: SRWare Iron 14.0.850
Pros
Chromium based browser with enhanced privacy controls - no data is sent back to Google. It's partly configured out of the box, so easy to get up and running, which is good because...
Cons
...very limited extensions and themes available (unlike Dragon, which can use anything in Google Chrome's Galleries, SRWare's is tiny by comparison). The worst thing about it, however, (aside from the occasional glitch in Google's German to English Translator), is that it will spam you quite often, while performing ordinary tasks. Imagine, a browser with a built-in spammer; you'll never again have to check your e-mail to get spammed !
Summary
While it may protect your privacy from Google, Iron can't seriously be considered a security browser until it adds an extension to protect you from itself. The limited number of themes and extensions actually shocked me and the advertisements offended me. Thanks for the test drive, but you can keep it. When I want privacy, I'll stay with the far superior Comodo Dragon.
Results 1-3 of 3
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