Is Firefox For Everyone? - Comments Page 3

I have a Mac, so I can't download IE 7. Besides, I'd heard there were a lot of openings, holes, for problems with it. I've been using Firefox for quite some time and have been very happy with it. I like that I can save IDs and passwords; that if I hit a key and the screen disappears it will come back; that I can open new screens while the old one stays with me; that I can enlarge the text size of a site;

When I first tried it I didn't like it and stuck with Netscape and/or IE 5.3.2, but now I use Firefox almost exclusively.

I always code to FFox (which is W3C compliant). I then apply the well know CSS 'fixes' to all the pages that don't render in IE 5 or 6. Enter IE7: PROBLEM. Many pages do not render correctly, and the IE Fixes do NOT work. You're just plain stuck until someone comes up with IE7 fixes. Example: IE7 ignores *html which many IE fixes are based on. Like all OS and Browser updates --> wait for 6 months til the 'bugs' are out.

Well, I must be about the 3rd Mac user reading the comments! I just bought a new MacBook Pro using OS X 4.8 & that means there's no version of IE that works for my laptop even if I WANTED to use it! My work e-mail program is web-based (a lovely Novell program! that doesn't like Safari) so downloaded Firefox and so far I've been very happy with it. I've even used it on my PC at work when IE was giving me some problems. We were told not to download the new IE to our PCs @ work because it is not compatible with the Novell products that we use - how nice! I plan to stick with Firefox.

Like Cindy, I have a Mac, and Microsoft no longer supports IE for Macs. Firefox works fine as does Safari, but occasionally I run into something that says "use IE." Nuts to Microsoft.

My offering: give ENIGMA browser a trial and see if you will want to go back to the others. In short... it has it all, in my opinion. I've used it as my default browser for over a year and it has never once disappointed. AND - it's FREE! Get it here: http://www.suttondesigns.com/

1. It is faster -- 2. It is still more secure than IE -- 3. It does not rely on Active X -- 4. It is highly customizable -- 5. It leaves a much smaller footprint overall -- 6. Updates take less than a life time to install -- 7. No monthly patches -- 8. It is open source -- 9. You can uninstall it regardless of your OS -- 10. IT IS NOT MICROSOFT!

I have been a loyal Netscape and now Mozilla user ever since I got online (1997). I have been using their browsers and email clients at home almost exclusively. When Firefox and Thunderbird started coming out, I was thrilled at the new features and the small efficient applications, and I use them both for 90% of my online activity.

Of course, I'm no fool, and I know that many websites are not programmed for Netscape/Mozilla, so I have no choice but to use MS IE once in a while. I also try Opera from time to time, just to be aware of another option...

When MSIE7 was first announced, I tried the Beta version at work, and after 2 annoying days I uninstalled it. At your suggestion, I tried it out again starting last week, and have found it to be more stable, but still a bit annoying.

Yes, they now have tabbed browsing, but it is not the same as in Firefox or Opera, it is still lacking in a few features. The security features on the other hand, are absolutely annoying!!!

I work at a high tech company, so I know that our network has all the needed security protection, and I don't need Microsoft to scrutinize the websites that I want to visit. When I try to access the internal company tracking site for work hours, MSIE 7 tells me that the site is suspect and tried to close it - when I go to the certificate, and MSIE 7 tells me that it was installed successfully, and I also place the URL in the Trusted Sites list - the whole story starts again from the beginning the very next day.

This behavior is consistent with my experience with MSIE 5 and 6 in the past - their so called security features do not work properly - or are not easy to figure out or configure.

In my work as a Technical Writer, I have to deal with Microsoft Office applications on a daily basis, but having worked with other applications (Adobe Framemaker, Acrobat, etc) gives me the perspective to know how annoying and unprofessional Microsoft applications are.

Why then should MSIE 7 be any different?

My main complaint to Microsoft? Hey, I'm a grown up computing professional, I don't need you to try and guess what I want to do or "where do you want to go today", I want you to do what I asked you to do!!!

It's a very simple difference of philosophical approach - Microsoft just doesn't "get it", Mozilla does!!!

I've been using Firefox on 3 of my 4 computers for about a year. I like the new IE7, but in IE 7 the tabs are no where near as functional as they are in Firefox. I installed Firefox 2.0 recently and removed it for one reason-I doesn't support a mail icon in anyform. So I backed up to Firefox 1.5.0.8. The ONLY thing that doesn't work well on my main computer is Quicktime. It just won't work with this hardware setup in Firefox for some reason, which is not a big deal to me. IE 7 will reside on that machine soon however.

My best comments concerning Firefox are thus. I was given a prehistoric laptop. I decided to make it a project, as I have a wireless network in my home/office. A 266mhz Pentium with 36 megs of RAM. It's now running ME but doesn't have memory enough to install and run Zone Alarm or even the AVG AV. When using the old IE (in ME) it would become infected within a hour or so. But it thrives on Firefox without issues. It's used every day. After waiting for 5 minutes for it to boot, it runs the Firefox 1.5 on my wireless net quite surprisingly well. Sure it's just a toy, but Firefox allowed it live again.

I also experiment with different Linux distros, so of course Firefox will remain.

I got into lot of problems with IE7. Browsing became too slow and I was blaming my ISP when other users could browse properly. With great difficulty, I have switched back to IE6 and go through some problems of settings changed. Now, I am using FireFox 2 which I find definitely faster than IE6.

Having used both for years, I find both have some very nice features, but one stands out as not so friendly.

Both do have tabs, and the tabs are movable. Clicking on a link with the wheel opens in a new tab (most everyone knows that), but also clicking on the tab with the wheel will close that tab (not very many seem to know that - and I haven't read anything about that in reviews, why???) To save the order of the tabs and open in several tabs, it's easy to click on tools>properties>set as home-page.

Both now have limitations - 8 tabs. FF had seemingly unlimited tabs open before.

IE7, of course, has ^Q (Ctrl-Q) for thumbnail views of the tabs - nice, but not necessary. The full-screen feature of FF still has a toolbar, IE7 loses the toolbar until you "bump" it (like a normal hidden toolbar). This affords a bit more screen space.

The major drawback is in IE7. I post to some heavy tech sites and these automatically open in IE, but in order to post (and this is true of several machines of different brands), I must ^C the address in IE and ^V into FF and then I can post my articles. Something with Java being enabled, but it already is listed as enabled and running.

I use both, but prefer FF - especially if and when they hide the toolbar.

What I like about FireFox is that it makes me feel more secure. For example, I have Webroots spyware installed on my computer. When I used IE I had lots of spyware to clean up and delete. With FireFox, I get a congratulations you have NO spyware!! That is a good thing!!

My only complaint about FF is that FF2.0 is alot slower than the 1.5 versions and that it tends to freeze and alot, plus web pages take a little longer to load. As for IE7, well, really really really slow and stops responding most of the time. I have used FF since it was first launched and prefer it to IE, BUT please speed it up guys.

I have been using Firefox since beta. I still use Firefox because I have Windows 98 SE. IE7 is not available to users of this version of Windows or Windows ME. And, with no more updates for IE6, the level of security is probably a toss-up between the two browsers. I also like the toys that come with Firefox. You probably wanted to hear comments from XP users, but I just thought I would put in my two cents worth.

I use both but prefer FF since it's the same on both Linux and Windows. I use the IE-Tab extension in FF for those pages that insist on IE so I still keep only one window open. I also prefer the way FF encrypts my passwords and protects with a "Master Password" so unlike IE I can't simply download a utility to reveal saved passwords.

However there are memory leaks in FF so it gradually consumes more and more memory (at least on XP). Also some other programs I use integrate better into Microsoft offerings. Neither of these are show stoppers though.

Using Firefox with the IE tab extension in a Sandbox (www.sandboxie.com) is the way to go. But I also use other browsers from time to time (mainly AM Browser, because it is the browser that I am most familiar with). Sometimes I have 3-4 browsers open, but all forced into the sandbox. What, me worry? I surf in a sandbox!!

One great thing about Firefox is the cached browsing. For instance make your way to any picture site that has lots of thumbnails. Say its your own family picture site. The first time your there it may take a few minutes to load all the thumbnails. Compare Firefox and IE.... Exit the browser and go back to the site. Firefox already loaded this once before, no need to do it again. IE does another re-load. This can be a pain if your going from month to month re-visiting old pictures.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Not sure what you mean... IE has always had caching, for the very reason you mention. Maybe the IE cache is too small, you can adjust it.

MAXTHON: I use Maxthon and have been using it for the last few years. And it's free as well.

It's base is IE, but has had tab browsing and the best pop-up stopper, ad stopper (KEEPS ADS from appearing on Web pages) there is I believe since I started using it. And it has so much more -- such as mouse gestures to manage the tabs, etc., etc. I tried Firefox a couple of years ago and found it doesn't compare to Maxthon, so I'm not sure what all the "love-fest" is about with Firefox.

Here's the _main_ reason to not bother to learn IE in any version: When we kick the Windows habit (now made feasible by Ubuntu Linux Desktop versions 6 and later), we won't care about IE, partly because updates are so easy (as in automatic, hands-off if desired) without it (and without WGA etc.). Oh, and it's FREE. And Fast. And printers and scanners work really well, better than in Windows in many cases. And ... well, you get the idea. Jim

I've benn using Firefox for a couple of years exclusively. Just started using the new IE7. It looks like I'm gonna keep using IE7, seems faster & so far has most of the features I liked about Firefox. As to security, I think either can be a safe experience if your machine is set up with a wise defense.

First if it wasn't for FF IE probably still wouldn't have tabs or the improvements in IE7, and if it did it would have only been available in VISTA. Second I like that FF is not so intertwined with the OS and other programs, so if their is a crash only FF goes down not my entire system. Third security holes may be in both but the majority of the holes actually attacked are overwhelmingly IE and Active X is a big part of it.

Also if IE was not so embedded in the OS maybe we wouldn't have lazy programming from Intuit which requires IE to install, and now that IE7 is out QuickBooks 2005 or older is not supported with IE7. I can install FF without breaking other programs!

http://www.quickbooks.com/Helpcenter/DoSearch.aspx?kbID=1000769