How We Tested Internet Browser Speed

Methodology

To run our web browser speed test we performed a few simple time trials. These tests were conducted using a simple Dell desktop computer running Windows XP on our company server. All browsers were previously downloaded and installed on the desktop. Times were recorded using the stopwatch feature on a black LG Chocolate phone. Click here to see our cell phone reviews. Lapsed times were recorded to the nearest tenth of a second in the following tests:

How long does the Internet browser take to initialize and load a homepage?

For this test each browser was initialized (for the first time since booting up the computer) with a double click from a shortcut on the desktop. Time started on the second button click of the mouse. Time elapsed until the browser had completely loaded our designated homepage, TopTenREVIEWS.com. This process was tested multiple times, each time from a fresh, rebooted computer. We report the statistical mean (average) of the multiple results.

What is the average time the browser will take to start up?

We also performed and recorded the results of the startup-to-homepage process multiple times after the initial time. Obviously startup was quicker the second and third time around, but some showed more improvement than others. We again report the statistical mean of the multiple trials. To see how they stacked up, check out our side-by-side comparison here.

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How long does the web browser take to transfer from page to page?

For this test each browser was timed from a starting point of a fully-loaded internet browser on Google.com, starting the time as soon as we pressed ‘Enter’ to navigate to NYTimes.com. Time was recorded after the page had fully loaded. Times are reported as a statistical average of multiple tests.
To test endurance of each web browser we also repeated the preceding navigation test, timing how long it took for each web browser to navigate from NYTimes.com to a fully-loaded LATimes.com page. These particular news sites were chosen for their compatibility with internet browsers, popularity, and the variety of content on their homepage.

Thanks To: Top Ten Review