Not everyone knows that, in addition to the "Golden Three" - Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Opera, there are dozens of other web browsers. One of the most advertised is the Uran browser, developed by the Russian company uCoz. In this short review, we will try to figure out how it differs from competitors and whether it is worth installing it.
First impressions
The browser interface is very reminiscent of the well-known "Chrome". It is not surprising, because Uran is created on the basis of the same engine - Chromium. The same standard tools, the same bookmarks bar. And when you try to open the "Uran Online Store", we are redirected to the most common Chrome extension directory . It seems that we are only a clone of the popular program. Moreover, the "developers" did not even bother to make significant modifications, as was done, for example, by the creators of Yandex.Browser.
Why does uCoz need its own browser?
In a nutshell - to promote your products. The Uran browser is tailored to work exclusively with sites on the free uCoz hosting. If you had to work on this platform, then you are probably quite tired of the obsessive advertising on half a page, which crawls out literally on every site. Actually, uCoz offers to solve this problem by installing the free Uran browser. Moreover, it offers in the most insolent way - when a user who is tired of seeing dozens of banners still presses the cherished button "Close advertisement". When installing, bookmarks are immediately added to the official blog, forum and a list of all Yukoz services, which allows you to additionally advertise the company's services.
Benefits
Let's talk about how good the Uran browser is for Windows 7. In principle, it does not have many of its own “chips”. What can be distinguished?
- Faster Javascript Processing. One of the main reasons for slow loading of sites is a large number of scripts on pages. Thanks to the use of the modern WebKit engine, the Yukoz browser solves this problem and allows you to process data much faster even with slow Internet.
- Low memory consumption . This is a particularly important point for those who often open a large number of tabs at the same time. Using unique algorithms, the Uran browser forces the computer to consider inactive tabs as minimized applications, which reduces the load on the system.
- Support for all modern web standards (HTML5, CSS3, SVG, WebSocket, etc.). Although only those who previously used the standard Internet Explorer will appreciate it. But the fact remains - even complex modern sites with a large number of animations and a complex design are displayed without errors.
- Built-in extensions for authorization on uCoz and WebTop sites. A dubious, but still unique advantage. All you have to do is log in to your accounts and log in to Yukoz projects with the click of a button.
- Built-in ad blocker . As mentioned above, the browser automatically "kills" all ads on uCoz sites. True, only on them.
- Built-in RSS reader . Easy and practical extension for reading news feeds and new posts on the resources you are interested in.
The rest of its advantages, "Uranus", in fact, is obliged to the Chromium engine itself. However, from the point of view of the average user, they really deserve attention:
- automatic updates (when the program starts, the latest version of Uran is loaded immediately);
- The browser supports all extensions, themes and plugins for Google Chrome;
- the ability to import all bookmarks, passwords and additions from the usual "Chrome";
- there are built-in tools for developers and a Javascript console;
- data synchronization using a single account;
- function of automatic translation of pages into Russian.
As you can see, there is nothing special - now these features are provided in almost all browsers. Although in fairness it is worth noting that everything you need is in place.
The developers claim that, among other things, Uran is characterized by a high degree of security and confidentiality, however, it is not possible to verify this, so it remains only to take a word.
disadvantages
Now about the inevitable "fly in the ointment". At some points, the Uran browser is significantly inferior to its more popular and rapidly growing competitors. In addition, it is felt that the program is “tailored” to its target audience (those who work with uCoz) and no one planned to make the browser comfortable for the masses.
Here are the main disadvantages that we found when working with Uranus:
- Ad blocker works only on uCoz sites . Unless you are a principled fan, you will have to install the same AdBlock to work with other resources.
- There are not many modern features. For example, the built-in "Reading Mode", which has already been added by almost all popular browsers.
- A standard interface that cannot be changed . The limit of possibilities is to install another theme or express panel from the Google Chrome store. That is, setting up a browser for yourself is quite problematic
- On the main page, there’s nothing but a Yandex search . Despite the fact that most people still enter requests directly in the address bar. Apparently, the developers were too lazy to make even some kind of minimal control panel for "their own" (for more convenient viewing and managing sites on the same "Yukose").
- Automatically installed as the default browser. And to select another program, the user is forced to climb into the settings.
- Conflicts with some antiviruses . Some users complain that they do not have Uran installed (browser) due to the fact that the security software perceives it as a malicious program. This is solved by temporarily disabling the antivirus and firewall, but you need to be 100% sure that the file is received from a reliable source (for example, from the official website browsers.ucoz.ru).
In addition, Uran has closed code, and since there is no complete information about the developers or the program itself, it is likely that the browser collects user data.
What do users think?
To make our review as honest as possible, we studied the opinions of those who have been using the Uran browser for some time. Reviews of the program for the most part duplicate each other. What is the focus of attention most often?
"There are as many ads as in other browsers."
And again about the sore. Offering to download a “fast and modern browser without ads,” uCoz diplomatically keeps silent about the fact that the blocker works only on their sites. Other resources are displayed, so to speak, in all its glory.
"Useless copy of Google Chrome"
For most users, there really is no difference. The same extensions, the same interface ... In fact, what we are offered to download under the guise of a new browser is the usual "Chrome", which added a couple of bookmarks and extensions (apparently, for those who are too lazy to click on 2 buttons on their own).
"There is no file to uninstall (delete)"
But this is a serious problem. And you will inevitably encounter it if you decide to remove the Uran browser. The reviews of some users confirm that there is no special file for uninstalling Uranus and its components such as Uninstall.exe. That is, all additional files and "garbage" remaining after the program will have to be cleaned manually.
"Faster, but not by much"
In fairness, it’s worth saying that many people note: the browser does load pages faster than analogs. Although a lot here depends on your PC and Internet speed - even IE will “fly” on a good machine with a high-speed connection.
"If you work at uCoz - conveniently"
By the way, regular users of uCoz are quite satisfied. True, mainly those who work with several sites at once and do not want to log in again each time. Moreover, Uran doesn’t break his promise - on all Yukoz projects annoying ads really disappear.
To summarize
Installing Uran makes sense only if you work with uCoz and create sites on this free hosting. In addition, it is suitable for those who have a weak computer or a slow Internet - due to the modern engine, the browser really loads pages faster and has some of the best indicators. In other cases, it’s more logical to install real Google Chrome or at least Yandex.Browser and just add the necessary extensions.