Browsers, Which one do you use?

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Not quite a Newb Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 40

I've always used IE to date but am considering changing over to Firefox as it's (allegedly) much safer.

If any of you are using Firefox how does it compare? Pros & cons of each?

Maybe you are using a different browser entirely?

Also, If I move to Firefox I presume others users on my PC (family) will still be able to use IE as usual.

Any advice appreciated.

TIA

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 8:11 pm

I use Firefox, and it's great. One of the advantages of Firefox is that you can install extentions, and themes. No wait, TWO of the advantages of Firefox are that you can install extentions, and themes, and that it is much more secure. No wait, THREE of the advantages of Firefox are that....

You get the idea. And yes, you will still be able to use IE as normal. Not that you'd want to...

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 8:19 pm

Welcome to Eater. Read stickies. Bait safe. Etc

Switched to Firefox some time ago. Has some very useful features such as the ability to monitor multiple Gmail accounts (assuming you're using these for baiting) & other bits & pieces using plug-ins. If IE is still installed, you should have the choice of which browser to use. As far as security goes, I'm no expert but it's reputed to have less holes than IE - I usually get a warning when I log on to my internet banking when I use IE, but not when I use Firefox.

There do seem to have been some problems with FF 2.0. Quite a few on here have experienced stability problems. Most of the time it works OK, but occasionally it does seem to shut down or lock up without warning. Earlier versions seem pretty solid though. I have found the odd website which doesn't work properly with FF (think it's something to do with Java).

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

FireFox version 1.5 was great, then when they updated it to version 2.0, I started having problems, and I know a few others on here are having problems with it as well, I can't use it at all now, it's so slow to load etc, I switched to Opera and that is as good as FireFox was.

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 8:25 pm

Firefox and Opera on Windows, Firefox on Linux.

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 8:27 pm

chalk another up to firefox.

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 8:39 pm

Mainly Firefox but also Opera from time to time

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 8:40 pm

IE bad. It is designed to automatically load and run any program it finds. Integral to windows to avoid monopoly charges and government intervention makes it extremely unsafe related to system security.

Firefox runs as a separate program and as such can isolate itself from the operating system. It doesn't have the ability to create holes into the OS that can create security issues.

I have not have any issues with stability of Firefox and I think those problems are caused by people's windows installation and not by Firefox itself. Or how they installed and use Firefox.

Firefox problems related to specific web pages are usually because the page writer chose to make their page with IE specific tags rather than use the industry standard. Which is what M$ does with every standard they decide to co-opt. They modify the standard just enough to force everyone to turn to the dark side to see the page. If the majority of users were on Firefox, they would have to follow the conventions.

You can have IE and Firefox installed and each user can select either IE or Firefox. You can even have IE and Firefox open at the same time.

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 8:50 pm

I use firefox for general browsing with the settings mirrored between windows and Linux so it looks and behaves the same on both.

For baiting I use Opera on both.

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 9:28 pm

I use Firefox v2.0. Never had any stability problems to date. Wouldn't go back to IE.

Tommo.

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 9:56 pm

Chalk up another vote for Firefox. Thumbs up

** SUSPENDED ** Joined: 26 Mar 2005 Posts: 1267

Firefox 2.0 - never had a problem with it.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 40

Thanks for the comments.

I've just downloaded Firefox and started using it. Seemed real slow page loading to begin with but I found some tweeks on a tech forum and it's now much quicker.

So far so good.........

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 11:22 pm

Firefox 2.0 definately, but if you have a Mac, Camino is pretty good.

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 2:11 am

Firefox is about... a lot better thatn IE. Everytime I use IE I get a shit ton of pop-ups, and I only get like 5 a day with firefox.

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 3:13 am

Once you have FF, download Adblock and Adblock Filterset.G.

I've only seen a handful of banner ads since I did. It even makes the space that the banner took up disappear.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 3

I use Camino on the Mac. Firefox - well, my opinion is that it's absolutely horrible on the Mac.

On other OSes, Opera is my main browser. Firefox sometimes works better for compatibility, but Opera has a lot of convenient features, and Firefox extensions usually don't integrate as well.

On the security factor - it's not going to be an issue for very long. IE7 has improved a lot, and almost all other browsers are going to be as safe as Firefox, usually safer because they get less attention.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 41

Why would anyone willingly use IE?

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 3:25 am

Just to add my belated two pence:
Use anything that isn't Internet Explorer. IE is the bane of any web designer's life, on account of it's lack of support for standards, present in all other web browsers (with slight quirks here and there, obviously). If you want to be nice to the people who make web pages, you'll use something made by Mozilla, or a derivative thereof (eg: Firefox, Seamonkey, or Camino). If you want to extra specially nice, you'll use Konqueror (Linux only atm, but Windows and Mac ports are a-coming), or Safari (Mac only), since these use the ultra-compliant KHTML engine to display pages.

Plus if you use a browser that's as integrated with the OS as IE, you're just asking for trouble, as it allows for security holes that aren't possible in other browsers. Plus other things that are wrong with IE.

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 4:28 am

Quote:

IE7 has improved a lot,

Oh, wait; your serious.

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 5:20 am

Firefox. Unless I am trying to patch something in Windoze or Office, then only IE works.

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 6:13 am

Adblock

Oh my gosh. How did I miss that. It's great. Shocked

Evil Genius Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 715

Just to add my recommendations for good add-ons:

- Bugmenot (check www.bugmenot.com if you don't know what bugmenot is - this just makes it as accessible as it can be):
http://roachfiend.com/archives/2005/02/07/bugmenot/

- All-in-One Gestures (works faster than the other mouse gesture add-on)

- Flashblock - gets rid of a lot of annoying ads but still makes all flash web apps available, if you have to use them.

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 9:13 am

@eamonn,

Me too, Firefox on Linux & WIndows for general use, Opera for baiting.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 02 Jan 2007 Posts: 56

The only thing is that Firefox has some trouble running some (flash?) video sites... MTV overdrive and Comedy central in particular - however you can install a plugin for firefox that will open an IE tab Smile

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