Maxthon review: Browser touts cloud-based features that work across different platforms
Maxthon, the Web browser made by a Chinese developer of the same name, has come a long way since I reviewed its first version. While it’s still basically Google Chrome (the WebKit version) in a different chassis, nearly everything about Maxthon Cloud Browser (version 4.1) works better than in its predecessor. But it only stands out from its rivals in one notable way—and the usefulness of that new feature is up for debate.
Maxthon is still basically just Chrome—with extra cloudiness.
Always under a cloud
The latest version of Maxthon does a much better job of hiding the seams where it welded together open-sourced bits and pieces of Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. It doesn’t look nearly as much like a hastily reskinned Chrome knockoff, although if you look closely enough, you can still see its prime inspiration underneath.
The Reader feature I criticized in the previous version now seems to work fine, and Maxthon has significantly improved its selection of extensions—though most of them are pretty obviously repurposed from Chrome.
Maxthon seems to have taken inspiration from the admirably unorthodox Sleipnir browser, offering special trackpad gestures to control various browser functions. With a few exceptions—a circle for refresh—those gestures aren’t all that intuitive, but they work well. And unlike Sleipnir, Maxthon has the courtesy to list all of them in one easy-to-find spot in Preferences.
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