I use a web browser 90% of the day, and the other 10% involves Slack, but with these light task, you’d expect my Windows laptop to get the full 8 to 9 hours. Instead, my laptops been getting around 4 to 5 hours – making it a pain to charge when I’m out and about. The go to browser I’ve been using is Google Chome
The go to web browser I’ve been using is Google Chome, but as any Mac user knows, Chrome can be the biggest resource hog around. It uses up a majority of the RAM, and part of that is due to the extensions, desktop notifications, and other Google services. There are better options on Windows, namely Microsoft’s Edge browser or even Mozilla Firefox.
The breakdown of the battery life:
- Chrome: 4:19:50
- Firefox: 5:09:30
- Opera: 6:18:33
- Edge: 7:22:07
While I’m not saying use Edge, but if I could get the most battery when I travel, I will switch to Edge. In the meantime, I’m going to use Firefox to save some battery life hopefully and not always have to be tether to the wall outlet.
While Chrome has extensions, fast rendering engines, and other features a battery drain has been a big negative for many users. More folks I know have been switching to Safari, Edge, or Firefox because the battery drain is a big problem on the Macbook or Surface laptop. I like the Edge browser, but the lack of extensions is a big problem for me, and likely a big issue for many folks. This means no ad blockers, password managers, or other extensions that many users have fell in love with.
Now if anyone ask you to recommend a laptop with a great battery life, also tell them to use the Edge browser for the best performance.