You do realiase w3m is the most popular browser, at least in Debian? Oh, that might be because it is installed by default.
I use emacs-w3m though, and don't worry about that. It can cut through most websites just fine, so long as they don't use Flash, Javascript and their ilk. I prefer ELinks myself, but that one doesn't run in Emacs.
Sure, if you can set up a quick SEIV db-powered variant, you should go ahead. This message was typed on Dillo, by the way, my favourite graphical browser... though I might fully switch to Epiphany. I'd like Closure, but that one just doesn't cut it for now.