Best Web Browsers: Rekonq Browser Review

Rekonq is the default web browser in Kubuntu. This lightweight application loads web pages fast and comes with many great features such as a unique loading address bar and tabbed browsing. Many users claim that Rekonq is an excellent example of lean, straight-forward open-source software. Smooth scrolling, auto scrolling, and RSS support are other major highlights.

This easy to use browser is based on WebKit and has a minimalist interface that most users prefer nowadays. Rekonq allows you to load sessions, store sessions, preview web pages, and manage multiple tasks. Its development is based on the advanced KDE technologies and on the amazing features provided by the WebKit rendering engine.

Like Google Chrome, Rekonq has an integrated address bar where you can enter URLs, search the web, and view your navigation history. This URL bar also shows when a page is being loaded. Users can also rearrange tabs with the mouse, search only parts of the URL from the location bar, and track downloads history. Other important features include:

• Java and Flash support
• Built-in ad block
• Unique loading address bar
• Tabbed navigation
• RSS support
• Proxy support
• SSL info support
• Downloads history tracked
• Auto-scrolling
• Bookmarks manager
• New tab page
• Tight KDE desktop integration
• Fast performance
• Minimalist interface
• Simple and intuitive GUI
• Private browsing
• HTML5 support
• Web inspector
• Page previews
• History tab

This web browser comes with an automatic subscription to Easylist filter, which is updated weekly. Users can also ser up manual filters to block specific elements from web pages. Rekonq uses your chosen default applications to handle media files and PDF files. It also supports KIO services, including proxies, cache, cookies, and network settings. This application aims to make organizing tabs into sessions possible by supplying an easy to use GUI known as “panorama view”. This feature enables users to modify the tabs in a session, save a session, and load sessions. A session is a group of tabs.

When you move the cursor over a tab, you can preview its content. Another notable feature is the Private Browsing mode, which enables users to surf the Web anonymously without leaving any traces of their activity. Rekonq also comes with a built-in ad-block that is quite effective. You can also use the Web Inspector, which is similar to the Firebug for Firefox and the Developer Tool found in Google Chrome. RSS feeds from websites can be saved to Akregator, the default feed reader in Kubuntu.