I'm not familiar with Ares, perhaps it is a Windows only application, which the majority of these things are
but I think you may have answered your own question: "ARES" The searching sucks (one at a time) the "settings" options are stupid and pointless and its overall-friendliness sucks. But, it has a browser! Not that it compares with Internet Explorer or Mozzilla Firefox, but its still there."
I gather from this that Ares have sacrificed a decent search function for a browser.
It seems to me that they are taking resourses from the p2p part of the application to make a second rate browser.
I regularly use Safari or Opera browser (Safari is Mac only) (IE is reserved for very rare emergencies).I have no problem with the two windows being open. The browsers are excellent, Limewire is excellent ( except for the mp3 player .. but it is better to use an external one ...Oh yes I have a third window .... iTunes of course. I can live with that
I also find that Opera (which is a browser, mail client and newsreader combined) occasionally does'nt like doing all that is expected of it, and putting extra features into Limewire might well have the same effect.