5 Browser Acid3/CSS3 Comparison
Wondering what browsers are the most standards compliant right now? Look below for the screens and comparison chart…
| Name | Version | Smooth Animation? | Acid3 Score | CSS3 Selector Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome | 3.0.193.0 | NO | 100 | 43/43 |
| Firefox | 3.5 | YES | 93 | 43/43 |
| IE | 8.0.7100.0 | NO | 19 | 22/43 |
| Opera | 10.0.1551 | YES | 100 | 43/43 |
| Safari | 4.0.2 | NO | 100 | 43/43 |
Who’s the winner here?
1) Opera
2) Chrome, Firefox & Safari
5) Internet Explorer
The clear winner here is the Opera web browser because of its unmatched Acid3 performance and its CSS3 selector score. No other browser was able to match those specs. I placed Chrome, Firefox and Safari all in a tie for second place. Despite Firefox’s lower Acid3 score, I placed it in second because of its ability to display a smooth animation, which Safari and Chrome can’t do. The Acid3 animations in those two browsers repeatedly flicker. And in fifth place lies the mighty, non-compliant Internet Explorer. Microsoft must think they are still calling the shots because they continue to use their proprietary box model and continue to have limited CSS and DOM support.
So what does all of this mean? And what’s in it for me?
Actually, the results of the tests are quite promising. It shows that the majority of browsers are striving to be standards compliant in order to compete with each other. As newer technologies like HTML5 with open video support and the upcoming final CSS3 spec come to fruition, we can only hope that these mainstream browsers continue to fully embrace the standards. Time will only tell though. Also keep in mind that this is great news for web developers and users who have had to rely on proprietary plug-ins like Flash, Java and Silverlight over the last decade for dynamic content and multimedia delivery. Stay tuned and remember that web standards matter!
July 20th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Mr. Sawyer,
Enlightening stuff. Your dolce jab at “… the mighty, non-compliant Internet Explorer. Microsoft must think they are still calling the shots…” brought a smile. Arrogance remains the drug of choice for those convinced of their invincibility. I’m surprised Karl C. Rove has not yet been announced a board member at mighty Microsoft.
Your being upbeat about all this seems to have a firm foundation, analysis-wise. I can only hope your insights:
“…As newer technologies like HTML5 with open video support and the upcoming final CSS3 spec come to fruition, we can only hope that these mainstream browsers continue to fully embrace the standards. Time will only tell though.”
No doubt, but at your behest, I intend to “… Also keep in mind that this is great news for web developers and users who have had to rely on proprietary plug-ins like Flash, Java and Silverlight over the last decade for dynamic content and multimedia delivery.”
Iwill be visiting again soon, in hopes you will have new insights to share.
William C. Eigen
July 23rd, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Ryan,
Great blog post! I found the information regarding Opera to be highly informative. I never would have guessed that it would be more compliant than the other browsers. What new updates will be arriving with CSS3 and HTML5? Maybe you can write about that in your next post.
Take care,
Jason Biondo