Browsers: Anyone using Firefox?

Browsers: Anyone using Firefox? (or Opera)

Hey folks!

I searched for threads mentioning Mozilla and Firefox, but didn't get much, so I will ask in a new thread here. Anyone using Firefox? I see that Marc is using Mozilla on his Mac, but is anyone else using it, or their version of an email program? I downloaded Firefox onto my laptop last night and tried it out...not too shabby. I'm going to play with it for a week or so. I like the pop-up stopper.

Mozilla Firefox

I downloaded Firefox to my PC because of security issues I learned about (but fortunately haven't experienced) with MS Internet Explorer (IE). I found Firefox slower than IE on most of my searches so I downloaded the security patches for IE and have been using it for the last several months without mishap.

Jim

Ever heard of Opera? I use it all the time, and as far as I can see it outperforms IE in both speed and functionality. See https://www.opera.com/

/Claes

I use Firefox at home. I love how it stops pop-ups. I can't remember the last time I had an unwanted ad for security cameras or questionable medications!

The other feature I like is "tabs". You can have a bunch of websites open at one time without having to open IE a bunch of times. Each site is listed on a bar near the top so you can easily toggle between the different sites. This is especially handy at home where the connection is a bit slower. One site can be loading in the background while you are reading another site.

I don't use the email features, since I can connect over the web to either of my usual email servers.

I hadn't noticed any major change in search time.
Tim F

I see one thing I don't like, and it's that this browser is quite a bit slower, on average, than IE, running on WIN XP SP1. It timed out on a few pages I visit regularly, but those pages opened very quickly in IE. I DO like the pop-up stopper feature, but I won't trade it for speed.

Claes, I will check Opera out. Thank you.

Joe Cruse said:

I see one thing I don't like, and it's that this browser is quite a bit slower, on average, than IE, running on WIN XP SP1. It timed out on a few pages I visit regularly, but those pages opened very quickly in IE. I DO like the pop-up stopper feature, but I won't trade it for speed.

Claes, I will check Opera out. Thank you.

Click to expand...

Google has a popup stopper for free that works with IE. Sometimes it slows opening webpages that are loaded with popups, but worth it IMHO. Mine has a counter and I'm up to 41410 blocked popups. Sadly, it does not stop ALL "pop unders."

Couple any popup stopper with a utility which also blocks cookies which report back to the issuer (spyware) to keep on an even keel. Install security patches as they become available. A new virus is making its way through the web on IE browsers because it exploits a feature which allows it to put a worm on your machine when you open jpg files on nasty web pages.

AP said:

Sep 28, 9:29 PM (ET)

NEW YORK (AP)


Software tools to create the malicious images began appearing last month, and this week security experts saw images employing them posted on adult-oriented Usenet newsgroups.

To get the malicious code, a visitor must download the image and view it using Microsoft's Windows Explorer software, said Oliver Friedrichs, senior manager with Symantec Security Response. The computer then contacts a server to obtain code that would let an attacker take over the machine remotely.

Click to expand...

My husband is a major geek and he keeps my computer system going strong, bless him. He installed Firefox and I have had almost zero problems--except some peoples' sites do not work with it--are designed specifically for IE.

His family, however, uses IE and it's awful. I went to his sister and brother-in-law's machine on assignment one day, to print out the plumbing schematic for a whirlpool tub they were installing in the parents' house. I could not even get to the site after 12 tries under 3 screen names...I came home to my machine and had it in one minute. That was when I knew how lucky I am to have a resident geek.

It's not just about popups, though I am blissfully immune to them now. It's for security in general too. My in-laws' machines regularly get choked with trojans and spyware--that's what stopped me from getting that schematic. I get some, but it's so much better this way. I don't have time for that kind of nonsense!

I'm very happy with Opera, but I'll download Firefox and give it a try. It sounds interesting.

/Claes

I've been using FireFox for a long time... Used the original Mozilla before that, and various versions of Netscape before that (going back to 1995).

I could not imagine going back to IE after using this. Just upgraded to 1.0PR (called Preview Release) a few days ago, from version .8 and love it. I installed it here at work, since I've been designated WebMaster and use this thing alot more now. I got sick of pop-ups and no tabs, mostly...

FireFox is very customizable as well. There are Themes and Extensions to add on. The extensions are the key - you can build your own custom features that YOU want, but don't have in IE. There's even a simple extension that adds "Open page in IE" as an extra right-click option for those java/flash heavy pages that won't look right in FireFox. But these are few and far between in my travels.

When major players are recommending switching from IE due to it's (daily) security bandaids and holes, like Forbes, USAToday, and I believe it might have been Homeland Security Dept or similar, I agree...

Jerry

Ok, I have installed Firefox now, and I have to say that it is quite nice, particularly with some readily available extensions installed. I will probably alternate between Firefox and Opera, as both have their advantages. Opera does feel like a more developed product while Firefox is more configurable.

/Claes