On today’s special edition of the Showdown, we take a look at four web browsers that are a bit more “specialized” than the average install of Internet Explorer or Firefox. Before we do, however, we should take a look at the muscles behind the browser — the rendering engine. For those unaware, a rendering engine is the program that physically displays a website on a screen. Major engines include:

• Trident – Designed by Microsoft exclusively for Internet Explorer.
• Gecko - Designed by the Mozilla Corporation for Firefox. Several major browsers also employ this engine, including Chrome, Mozilla SeaMonkey, and later versions of Netscape.
• KHTML – Designed by the KDE Team, Apple, Nokia, and Google for use in the Linux-based Konqueror browser. The engine was eventually forked into two separate projects. Project number one kept the KHTML name, while project number two became…
• Webkit – A modified version of the KHTML engine used in Safari. Chrome and Free Line favorite Epiphany also use WebKit, though not nearly to the extent of Safari.
• Presto - Designed by Opera Software ASA for the Opera browser. Unlike the other engines listed, Presto is not usually ported to other web browsers. Instead, developers simply modify Opera itself to suit their own needs. To date, modified versions of Opera can be found in a variety of different hardware and software platforms, including Adobe products, mobile phones, and on various Nintendo gaming consoles.

With all of that said, here we go:

Browser #1: Maxthon

Website: http://www.maxthon.com/
Programmer: Maxthon International Limited
Rendering Engine: Trident
First Impression: “It looks like Lotus Symphony … and the name sounds like a line of bug sprays.”
Originality (Out of 5): 5
Special Features: A Facebook sidebar plugin and an XMarks-style bookmark synchronization service is included in the installation.
Positives: Maxthon is probably one of the most unique browsers we have ever come across. It employs several cutting edge features, including mouse gestures, a built-in feed reader, and a completely customizable interface. It’s also very social media friendly, which could potentially make status updates a breeze.
Negatives: Maxthon likes to refer to itself as “Internet Explorer” a bit too often. While it might be small, it is bound to throw more than a few people off.
Overall (Out of 10): 7;
Final Thought: “It’s a very well put together browser, which is nice. You don’t see that much anymore.”

Browser #2: K-Meleon

Website: http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/
Programmer: Christophe Thibault
Rendering Engine: Gecko
First Impression: “These tools are interesting.”
Originality: 5
Special Features: Instead of utilizing the “standard” XUL interface, K-Meleon relies on the Windows API. The intended result is an experience closer to Safari in OS X and Konqueror in Linux than the everyday installation of Firefox. Like Maxthon, everything from the tab bar to the menus is customizable. There are also some innovative mouse options, including a tool that modifies the scroll wheel. Users also have the option of “saving” sessions for later use.
Positives: K-Meleon makes Firefox look like Internet Explorer. The browser practically begs the user to fool around with it. Users also have the option to activate Opera’s patented Hotlist technology, which adds an entirely new level of usability to the browser.
Negatives: It’s a tad intimidating at first.
Overall: 9
Final Thought: “If I felt like switching browsers right now, it would be to this one.”

Browser #3: Sleipnir

Website: http://www.fenrir-inc.com/us/
Programmer: Fenrir Inc.
Rendering Engines: Trident and Gecko
First Impression: “This is neat … I wish I could get it working right.”
Originality: 4
Special Features: Before starting the browser, the user is asked if they want to use either the Trident or Gecko rendering engine. Although we really have no desire to use Trident, it’s nice to have the option available. Sleipnir also has the ability to run extensions from both Internet Explorer and Firefox in addition to its own proprietary add-ons.
Positives: It’s fast … really, really fast. The native Sleipnir plugins seem to be a bit odd at first, but are extremely useful and powerful.
Negatives: It claims to be “for advanced users only.”  We suggest that you heed that warning.
Overall: 7
Final Thought: “Make sure that you read all of the instructions first.”

Browser #4: Lunascape

Website: http://www.lunascape.tv/
Programmer: Lunascape Co., Ltd
Rendering Engines: Trident, Gecko, and Webkit
First Impression: “Now I know where Sleipnir got its look from.”
Originality: 4
Special Features: Think “Sleipnir,” but with added Webkit support. It makes a bigger difference than one might think. The browser “skin” can be switched out at a moment’s notice — a nifty feature for anyone who can’t decide on the “perfect look” for their browser. Your favorite RSS feed can also be turned into a “news ticker,” which runs parallel to your tabs.
Positives: The rendering engine can be changed on the fly, similar to the IE/Safari Tab extension in Firefox. The actual viewing window can display several web pages at once, making it easy to compare different sites or products.
Negatives: For some reason, all of the proprietary extensions are in Japanese. Like Sleipnir, it ca be a tad intimidating to those unfamiliar with alternative web browsers.
Overall: 6.5
Final Thought: “It has a lot of potential, but still has a way to go.”