Tested: Five Web browsers you've never heard of

Version tested: 0.8.0
Operating systems: Windows, Mac, Linux
Javascript benchmark: 1,489ms (Very good)
Acid3 results: 98/100
Homepage: http://code.google.com/p/arora/

Arora is a lightweight and simple browser. In many ways, its lack of extra features is itself a feature, like a pencil: it's good for writing, because that's all it was ever made for.

Under the hood, it's similar, though not identical, to Apple's Safari and Google's Chrome browsers, using the WebKit engine. In terms of user interface, it's rather like Internet Explorer 6, only enormously faster. On the whole, its small memory footprint makes it a suitable choice for simple browsing on netbooks.

We had issues with Javascript, such as the advanced navigation bar on Amazon.co.uk not being displayed properly, and Google Docs keyboard shortcuts not functioning normally. But Javascript-heavy sites such as Google Mail, Google Maps and Facebook loaded and rendered correctly and quickly. Online banking with Halifax's Web site was problem-free, too.

Although by no means free of bugs, thanks to still being a work in progress, Arora is a simple no-frills browser. One for more advanced users to check out if you want a small, lightweight browser for your netbook.