Chrome Tax

While the hell hole that is the r/browser subreddit has seen an influx of Chromium based browsers, there is a distinct lack of browsers based on Firefox. Aside from Zen Browser and the downpour of WKWebView wrappers its all been Chromium. The lack of Webkit derived browsers is understandable as the engine faces significant limitations. Firefox however is a completely operable and cross-platform foundation for new browsers. So why is no one using it? Because Chromium is simply better. It has faster rendering, better extension support, more extensive web standards compliance, and a plethora of open source forks to dissect and replicate. Chromium's superiority represents more than just the power of Google in the browser market. It is the story of tech in the 21st century. A company is left to grow to monstrous proportions, absorbing and killing any companies that could challenge its rule. And in return the users receive the better product that results from an economy of scale. The suite…