My browser evaluations to follow:
Firefox is the best browser for the fact that it has tens of thousands of add-ons, persona's etc., so one can customize it to one's hearts content. Privacy, advertising etc., can all be controlled and eliminated. Once you go Firefox and learn about all it's add-ons and personalization, you won't use anything else.
It's a open source, community supported browser built by people for people, thus not subject to corporate decisions and influence. Issues get fixed in a very rapid fire manner due to the numerous people paying attention to this browser and it's mission.
The best and most essential add-on for Firefox is NoScript, a super web cop, which turns off Java, Javascript, Flash and Silverlight BEFORE a web page loads so you don't get ambushed by exploits, among other web side trickery it defends against, like Clear Clicks. Once you trust a website a simple click of a button allows the scripts to run. Ghostery, BetterPrivacy, Ad Block Plus, NoSquint, TrackMeNot, WOT, Morning Coffee are just some of my other favorites.
Firefox is available for OS X, Windows and Linux (of many flavors) and most add-ons work for all OS versions. Uniformity and security can be achieved across platforms in a mixed environment. Once you learn Firefox, you can use it on any operating system, Linux, OS X or Windows. Makes things a lot simpler.
Google's Chrome is next in quality. Google is a advertising company, a very rich one, some of their money comes from data mining what we do online and selling that information to advertisers.
There has been a huge uproar over privacy concerns with advertisers doing what's called Online Behavior Advertising, basically spying on people using web bugs, trackers, Flash and Silverlight Cookies and so forth to profile those at each IP address. Google is right smack on the wrong side of this as they have more trackers online than anyone else.
With a browser under their control, it just strengthens Google's hand and lessons people's rights to privacy. Google installs a rootkit like auto-updater when one installed Google Earth, they also try to cram annoying Toolbars onto Internet Explorer, like Yahoo, Ask and many others do. There are back door connections with both Chrome and Safari other than port 80 (the web). This should be a cause for alarm.
Opera I hear some good things, but I haven't tried the latest version. So I place it here because it's better than the next two.
Safari, well if you like the metal look and only the metal look, then Safari is for you. It has very little choice of add-ons and only because of Firefox's growing market share forced their hand that they have any at all. Apple is control freak company, and now they are into advertising/profiling as well, just like Google. Apple and App makers are being sued over privacy issues with iOS devices revealing personal information. Closed devices s*ck, they take the choice away from the user who bought the machine.
One good thing about Safari, it's the only browser capable of deleting the dreaded Evercookie if run in private browsing mode. Combined with Ghostery and AdBlock, makes it the most private browser. But the security problems with Webkit and scripts running amok kind of offset that advantage. Firefox will soon have the ability to kill the Evercookie, it was only just conceptualized a few months ago.
Internet Exploder
What more do I need to say? It's still the worse browser ever conceived. In one short week a friend of mine had a guest who managed to get a half dozen tool bars installed and two dozen shortcuts.
The only thing IE is good for is downloading and installing Firefox. Use it at your own risk.
There you have it. Enjoy :)