Everyone talks about how complicated browsers and the modern web are, and how impossible it is to make a new browser engine, even Microsoft gave up...

What about a reader mode browser engine? Couldn't you make a great browser from scratch by limiting it to this use case?

Perhaps imperfect, but how about [1]?

[1] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/automatic-rea...

> I tell you what would be really nice: a browser that lets me click & launch into reader mode directly.

Safari can be set to use reader mode by default (then you can tell it to ignore individual sites). I use it in this mode.

Safari is stuck in the dark ages of Apple lockin, isn't it?

I'm not sure I would call it "lockin" but yes, it only runs on Apple devices.

You asked if any browser does this, and I said that one did. Other browsers supported by your browsing history are unlikely to make this change.

Totally fair take.

Seems like it should be an easy plugin. I'll see if firefox has anything.

> Safari is stuck in the dark ages of Apple lockin, isn't it?

Why would Apple be obligated or even incentivised to make their browser for other operating systems?

Same reason smart musicians embraced Napster. Led to more sales as the world shifted to streaming.

In what world would they not want their browser to be used?

They used to support Safari for Windows but it was a lot of work. It was worth it so that developers using Windows had a change of testing for Safari as well. Once the iphone came out and Macs became popular development machines in their own right, the burden of supporting Safari on Windows stopped mattering.

In Google's case the opposite applies: they don't have a development platform but need ubiquity because collecting user data is their reason for being. So they need to support a lot of platforms for the sake of their customers' (i.e. companies buying ads).

Can you not do this with browsers? Turning off JS should get rid of most of the egregious stuff, and I think at least Firefox lets you strip out CSS and inject your own (or if not, then via plugin like Greasemonkey)...

Maybe? The experience would be:

- Normal model with JS on (modulo ad blocker/flash blocker)

- Oh, hey, a site that plays shenanigans with text!

- Rightclick, open in reader view