Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
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For many people, network and PC speed are easily taken for granted. Most modern computers are powerful, and network speeds far surpass those in the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, that is not always the case.
Upgrading to a more powerful computer can be expensive. And in some rural locations, there is little competition for internet connectivity, and the available options tend to be slower.
Also: I've used nearly every browser available and these are my top 4 (spoiler: Chrome is out)
If that sounds like your daily web experience, a few web browsers can help alleviate your issues. Some of these browsers are lightweight, but more importantly, they also work well with slower network connections. Let's take a look at these browsers.
1. Microsoft Edge
Edge's automatic tab categorizing is a stellar addition. Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Microsoft Edge does a great job of managing memory. In fact, the approximate memory usage of this browser (with 10 open tabs) is around 790 MB.
It's no surprise that Edge makes this list, as it is built using the Blink rendering engine (think Chromium). However, given Microsoft's record of building slow, resource-consuming apps, its inclusion may come as a surprise to those who have battled Microsoft apps on their systems for decades.
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